Seems like a lot of athletes get very concerned about their body fat levels, even if they’re in the 10-15% range… is this really warranted? Are the changes that you make to your training and/or diet in an attempt to shed fat ultimately having a postive net effect on your performance?
I can see it from both perspectives. Changing your training focus from speed/power training to metabolic work for fat loss is obviously not conducive to getting faster. On the other hand, what I see at the world-class level indicates to that performance and bodyfat are inversely proportional… guys who are struggling like Greene and Boldon both look to be carrying more bodyfat than in the past. Furthermore, increased bodyfat is generally considered marker of aging, and we all know that performance also deteriorated with age.
My philosophy is basically that if you are an athlete wanting to lose fat, you should address this through your diet and not change your training. Thoughts?