photo credit: tauseef_ravian153

Should club cricketers care about carrying a bit of excess weight?

The first class and international game is peppered with examples of players who didn't let a belly get in the way of doing well: Rob Key, Arjuna Ranatunga, Shane Warne.

You couldn't call them failures.

As those greats prove, there is certainly no direct relationship between excess fat and poor cricket performance.

However, that doesn't mean cricketer's should ignore their waistlines.

Facts about fat

You might be able to overcome extra fat with extra skill. There are some things that sport science has proven as more difficult to overcome. Extra weight as fat causes:

• Increases your mass without contributing to your force production. In other words, you have to move more weight with no additional power. You run slower.
• Increased risk of injury, especially (but not exclusively) for seam bowlers who are putting extra stress on their front leg.
• Increased risk of health problems like heart disease and adult onset diabetes.

Additionally, it's simple to monitor what percentage of your body is fat. Any commercial gym or personal trainer will be able to check you on a regular basis. You could even do it yourself with calipers or scales. Unlike your cricket skills, body fat can be measured and tracked.

Unless you are very good or very lucky you should worry about body fat if you want to play better cricket.

But let's get things in context.

Body fat percentage is just one measure amoung many. It's important, but it's not the most important.

While most cricketers will be fine aiming to be 10-20% of your body as fat, you should also be looking at:

• How much muscle you have relative to fat
• How strong and powerful you are
• How fast and agile you are

And most importantly, how good you are at the skills of cricket.

Fat loss is the last element to worry about, but still has a place.

As it is relatively easy to lose weight compared to getting stronger or more skilful there is no need to get obessive. Each percentage point below 10% has a diminishing return.

You just need the right diet and enough exercise.

If you feel you have skills practice and strength training in place and need to lose weight too, you can start by clicking here for a complete diet guide from one of the world's best.