Weight-Making Strategies in Professional Jockeys: Implications for Physical and Mental Health and Well-Being

Abstract

Professional jockeys are unique amongst weight-making athletes given that they face the requirement to make weight daily. Furthermore, unlike other weight-limited sports, jockeys who have engaged in rapid weight loss cannot fully rehydrate prior to competition because post-race weight must not be more than 1 kg different to their pre-race weight. As such, jockeys have reported a variety of acute and chronic methods to make weight that include sporadic eating, caloric restriction, diuretics, laxatives, vomiting and fluid restriction as well as regular use of sweat suits and saunas. Typical daily energy intake is reported to be 6.5-8.0 MJ (carbohydrate 3 g kg(-1) body weight, fat 1 g kg(-1) body weight, protein 1 g kg(-1) body weight) and jockeys also exhibit micronutrient deficiencies that include vitamin D and calcium. Accordingly, the combination of low macronutrient, micronutrient and fluid intake results in poor bone health and abnormal mood profiles and can also impair simulated riding performance. Although the energy cost of real-world training and racing is unknown, energy expenditure during simulated race riding and total daily energy expenditure was 0.20 and 11.0 MJ, respectively. Such estimates of energy expenditure are considerably lower than that of other sports and suggest that conventional sports nutrition guidelines may not be applicable to the elite jockey. Furthermore, the use of daily diets that emphasise a high-protein and reduced carbohydrate intake (in the form of six small daily meals) in combination with structured exercise has also proven effective in reducing body mass and maintaining target racing weight. In this regard, available data suggest the need for those organisations responsible for jockey welfare to implement widespread educational programmes to assist in improving both the physical and mental well-being of professional jockeys. Given the high occupational risks associated with race riding (e.g. falls and bone fractures), future research should specifically target strategies to improve bone health through the use of structured weight-bearing exercise and correcting nutritional deficiencies.

Weight Loss, Performance and Psychological Related States in High-level Weightlifters

“…Our data are in agreement with previous studies [13,21,36], and show that dietary restriction induces alterations in psychological parameters. However, there is a lack of consensus in the literature about this topic [19,59]; these discrepancies are linked to the dietary strategy used to make weight [58]. Recently, Helms et al [24] showed that a highprotein/low-fat diet during short-term weight loss may be more effective at mitigating mood disturbance, fatigue, diet dissatisfaction and stress than a moderate-protein/moderate-fat diet in resistance-trained males.…”

“…These alterations depend on dietary strategy to make weight [58]; this temporarily reduced mental state could be an outcome of the various physiological effects induced by weight regulation, such as dehydration and hypoglycaemia [42,44]. Nevertheless, the effects of energy restriction on mood are still in debate [19,59]. Moreover, it was suggested that a deprivation of energy and nutrients during acute weight loss may put these athletes at increased risk of vitamin deficiencies [49,60].…”

Elite male Flat jockeys display lower bone density and lower resting metabolic rate than their female counterparts: implications for athlete welfare

“…17 Professional jockeys are unique amongst weight-making athletes in so much as they 18 are required to make-weight all-year round and on a daily basis (Wilson et al 2014). …”

The impact of making-weight on cognitive performance in apprentice jockeys

“…Such weight classifications are considerably below normal living weight and are not reflective of secular changes in mass and stature of today's population (Warrington et al, 2009). It has been reported that jockeys may be experiencing increased difficulty in achieving such a low body mass, particularly apprentice jockeys (Wilson, Drust, Morton, & Close, 2014). Apprentice jockeys are allocated a "claiming allowance" up to a maximum of 4.5 kg, which is intended to encourage trainers and owners to use young, aspiring jockeys.…”