Any sportsman knows that no matter the actual sport being played, the shape of the athlete determines whether the team wins or losses. This is why for an athlete, being in tip top shape is of primary importance. Many athletes know that lean body weight is ideal for optimum performance regardless of the game being played. In many cases, athletes discover that after a period of time without proper exercise their body weight begins to increase. In order to maintain a lean body weight, an athlete must undertake a number of steps which we will examine next.

Exercise daily

In order to maintain peak sports performance, an athlete must exercise daily. This need not be rigorous exercises but can be simply jogging or working the bench press for 15 minutes. This ensures that the muscles are kept toned and the fat is kept at bay

Watch the diet

An athlete who desires to keep his body weight lean must not succumb to his bestial appetites as far as natural cravings for food. He or she must carefully watch what they eat to ensure that the diet is balanced and has the right mix of fiber, protein and carbohydrates.

Keep a positive world outlook

Research has shown that emotional states such as depression can result in weight gain and a loss of leanness. This is because depression causes people to overeat and to throw caution to the wind as far as diet. They also lose focus of balancing the diet. A healthy emotional support system such as a family can also help in keeping the athlete focused

Adequate sleep

A lean body cannot be maintained without proper sleeping habits. An athlete must ensure that he or she is getting at least 6-9 hours of sleep a day. Studies have shown there is a correlation between weight gain and sleep patterns. People who sleep less tend to gain weight while people who sleep more tend to be leaner.

Some sports do not require a lean body. These include sumo wrestling, rugby and American football. In these sports, athletes can get away with possessing a higher than average body mass and some athletes are reported to weigh more than 300 pounds. Others such as heavy weight wrestling and boxing also require the athletes to have a high BMI but this is because of the nature of the sport. All in all, a lean body has a lot to do with performance when it comes to sports such as tennis, soccer, track and field, aerobics and swimming.