Weight-making strategies in professional jockeys: implications for physical and mental health and well-being.

The research article focuses on weight management strategies utilized by professional jockeys and their implications on physical and mental health.

Unique Challenges Faced by Jockeys

• This paper highlights that professional jockeys hold a distinct position among weight-managing athletes as they are required to maintain their weight daily.
• Adding to the challenge, the difference between their pre-race and post-race weight must not exceed 1 kg which means they cannot fully rehydrate prior to a race, unlike athletes from other weight-limited sports.

Weight-Making Methods and their Effects

• Jockeys employ both acute and chronic weight-making methods such as sporadic eating, caloric restriction, using laxatives or diuretics, induced vomiting, fluid restriction, and frequent use of sweat suits and saunas.
• Such techniques negatively impact their macro and micronutrient intake leading to deficiencies in important vitamins and minerals like vitamin D and calcium.
• The combination of low intake of critical nutrients and fluids affects bone health and mood profiles, and can hamper simulated riding performance.

Energy Intake and Expenditure

• The paper reports a typical daily energy intake between 6.5-8.0 MJ (consisting of 3 g/kg body weight of carbohydrates, 1 g/kg body weight of fats, and 1 g/kg body weight of proteins) for jockeys.
• The energy costs of their training and racing exercises are unknown, but results from simulated riding and total daily expenditure are significantly lower than those seen in other sports. This implies that traditional sports nutrition guidelines might not be applicable to jockeys.

Effective Weight Management Strategies

• Implementing daily diets comprising high-protein, reduced carbohydrate intake, along with six small meals and structured exercise routines has proven effective in managing body weight for jockeys.
• The researchers stress the need for authorities responsible for jockey welfare to implement educational programs to assist in improving their physical and mental well-being.

Future Research Directions

• The paper indicates a need for future research to target strategies to improve bone health and correct nutritional deficiencies. This is particularly important given the high occupational risks such as falls and bone fractures associated with race riding.