Fast food can harm athletes’ performance and lead to unhealthy eating habits. Local track star John Williams works out almost every day of the week and fuels up with nutrition and protein. However, later that evening, he goes to McDonald’s and buys a quarter pounder. During the athletic track season, track athletes often forget about their diet and meal plans. Athletes visit many fast food chains during the season, such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Chick-fil-A. This reflects poorly on their health and their performance in sports.
Athletes can eat so much from fast food restaurants that the cashiers remember their order, and the customer becomes their “usual.” An official YouTube channel called Dr. Fuhrman states, “Fat is the new normal.” Athletes see and follow food trends that can lead to gaining weight as quickly as possible. This can cause them to perform poorly in their events and races, and may even have worse consequences. Some track athletes may not realize how much fat could be contained in their food. USA Today states, “A single ounce of hard cheese contains more than 120 calories, and other varieties are also calorie dense.” The evidence shows that athletes should know what they’re eating—not just the content, but what’s in the content. This includes checking a calorie calculator or simply looking at the calories on the food package.
Although it might seem appetizing at first, there could be some hidden ingredients or nutritional concerns that make it less healthy than it appears. Google says, “Fast food is a popular choice for its taste and convenience, but it tends to be high in calories, sugar, and fat, and low in nutrients.” Eating without knowing what’s in it could lead to some dangerous consequences. As stated, there are some major health-concerning ingredients that could disrupt your body.
Furthermore, some track athletes can’t even take a week off from eating fast food. This can lead to addiction and serious health issues. The Wall Street Journal states, “Some of the food ingredients could carry addictive substances.” All in all, bad habits can lead to diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and more.
