UO women track athletes alleging they felt victimized by the program's data-driven approach to weight and body fat percentage

Dumb point. Any idiot can advise a runner (or pretty much any athlete) that they'd perform better if they lost weight. It's a shallow, simplistic view that ignores the obvious truth that losing dropping pounds can only get you so far, and that it easily becomes counterproductive.

The "running is just math" viewpoint is similarly shortsighted. Not the words of a good coach.

C0l0rado wrote:

Dumb point. Any idiot can advise a runner (or pretty much any athlete) that they'd perform better if they lost weight. It's a shallow, simplistic view that ignores the obvious truth that losing dropping pounds can only get you so far, and that it easily becomes counterproductive.

The "running is just math" viewpoint is similarly shortsighted. Not the words of a good coach.

You can call names but ...

What would you do? Answer I really would like to know.

Kvothe wrote:

College sports are not pro sports and should not be treated as such, even for athletes who could go pro. If the athletes want to train like pros that is on them. Things like weight, goals, performance should be individualized and set by the athlete. Good on these athletes for sticking up for themselves. The coaches should have treated it like a college sport and not like they're going to win the olympics.

Athletics have changed, where have you been?

C0l0rado wrote:

Dumb point. Any idiot can advise a runner (or pretty much any athlete) that they'd perform better if they lost weight. It's a shallow, simplistic view that ignores the obvious truth that losing dropping pounds can only get you so far, and that it easily becomes counterproductive.

The "running is just math" viewpoint is similarly shortsighted. Not the words of a good coach.

You're missing the point. The analytics are just one piece of the puzzle that incorporates various factors. Understand, that optimal running weight/diet is critical to the athlete's success. I competed at approximately 40 LBS under my optimal body weight. Having the data and science to be able to do this safely and effective is awesome.

You can't have your cake and eat it too (pun intended).

NotPC wrote:

C0l0rado wrote:

Dumb point. Any idiot can advise a runner (or pretty much any athlete) that they'd perform better if they lost weight. It's a shallow, simplistic view that ignores the obvious truth that losing dropping pounds can only get you so far, and that it easily becomes counterproductive.

The "running is just math" viewpoint is similarly shortsighted. Not the words of a good coach.

You can call names but ...

What would you do? Answer I really would like to know.

Presumably he wouldn’t encourage the athletes to become even more susceptible to stress fractures and wouldn’t risk their long term bone health (e,g osteoporosis)

But you’re welcome to do that, I bow to your wisdom.

coaching vs collecting wrote:

6 WOMEN… 6! 6 women are upset because they were asked to get in shape. LAWD HELP US.

Those are just the ones brave enough to speak up.

dbhssh wrote:

Presumably he wouldn’t encourage the athletes to become even more susceptible to stress fractures and wouldn’t risk their long term bone health (e,g osteoporosis)

But you’re welcome to do that, I bow to your wisdom.

Except the DEXA was literally created to be a bone density test. It gives an accurate assessment of risk for stress fractures and risk for osteoporosis. Your argument is so stupid that you are literally arguing making athletes do a bone density test is going to give them more stress fractures.

More stress fractures are caused from being OVERWEIGHT than from being under-weight. Trying to run 80 miles per week at 10-15 pounds overweight is going to annihilate your shin bones and foot bones.

Between HIPAA and FERPA, there is very little any school can do to reply to individual charges. Athletes are free from these restrictions.

A reporter might have explored to see if strength events athletes were asked to add/lose muscle or weight, and to ask those athletes if this is a shaming technique, or just a performance based body modification.

They might have also asked if any members of the distance crew were asked to add muscle or weight because they were too light, possibly revealing a floor that they are using to preserve health and performance.

dbhssh wrote:

NotPC wrote:

You can call names but ...

What would you do? Answer I really would like to know.

Presumably he wouldn’t encourage the athletes to become even more susceptible to stress fractures and wouldn’t risk their long term bone health (e,g osteoporosis)

But you’re welcome to do that, I bow to your wisdom.

Typical POS "answer"

I guess the only thing you can do is just write them off and recruit over them and bring in their replacements because if these non-answers to a simply question indicate anything it's that you CANNOT say anything about the weight gain.

Just have to treat it like they are chronically injured and move on.

Some of these points are ridiculous. 8-12 lb weight gain could come from muscle mass due to a more intense lifting routine which would be a good thing. Some girls/guys are still growing in college so that’s a factor too. Also if someone is performing worse and has gained 8-12 lbs why is the weight gain automatically the reason they are performing worse? Could be stress, sleep, overtraining etc. Even if it’s mainly fat gain, it could help someone to break the cycle of RED-S which could lead to less injuries, more consistency, healthy periods etc. which could result in better performance in the long run.

Hopefully the "track is math ... body fat percentages tell us how to train people" quote from Robert Johnson reveals him as the witless idiot many have known for fifteen years now. It's not that he would believe something that facile - if coaching were that simple, how does he justify his salary? - but if that's the best excuse he can come up with he has revealed how tone-deaf and uncreative he is. The guy is conniving, amoral, and lucky as hell to land at Oregon with all the attendant resources, but this guy is not intelligent and not a good coach.

hmmmmmmmmmmm wrote:

Some of these points are ridiculous. 8-12 lb weight gain could come from muscle mass due to a more intense lifting routine which would be a good thing. Some girls/guys are still growing in college so that’s a factor too. Also if someone is performing worse and has gained 8-12 lbs why is the weight gain automatically the reason they are performing worse? Could be stress, sleep, overtraining etc. Even if it’s mainly fat gain, it could help someone to break the cycle of RED-S which could lead to less injuries, more consistency, healthy periods etc. which could result in better performance in the long run.

You are just showing your ignorance. The DEXA shows the exact pounds of fat and muscle that you have. If the weight gain was from muscle, then it would be reflected in the DEXA. Those schools also have the technology to monitor sleep, stress, and overtraining.

Your refusal to acknowledge that even 1 collegiate athlete in the country could possibly be underperforming due to being overweight is living in fantasy.

when did this become a topic that you could express your one-sided and selfish hate and bias for males?

I hate it when people bring gender into something completely unrelated.

he did not insult anyone idiot.

Exact mind that keep Americans getting their butt-kicked at every race in the world. Must stop whining and do what it takes to win, if not then losing deserved.

ianove wrote:

I'm so sick of the boys on here trying to defend this blatantly terrible coaching strategy.

Y'all are fixated on whether or not it is abusive. The question should be; does this strategy work? Does it equate to success? In recent years, I'd honestly have to say no.

ALL athletes get the Dexa scan; male & female. There is no bias being applied.

hmmmmmmmmmmm wrote:

Some of these points are ridiculous. 8-12 lb weight gain could come from muscle mass due to a more intense lifting routine which would be a good thing. Some girls/guys are still growing in college so that’s a factor too. Also if someone is performing worse and has gained 8-12 lbs why is the weight gain automatically the reason they are performing worse? Could be stress, sleep, overtraining etc. Even if it’s mainly fat gain, it could help someone to break the cycle of RED-S which could lead to less injuries, more consistency, healthy periods etc. which could result in better performance in the long run.

You care about RED-S too much. Not everyone has that issue. No one is saying that an 8-12 lb gain is automatically the only reason for underperformance. These are false choices you appear to be presenting. For what? To make the case that weight can never be the problem?

What a jazzy view of life and coaching. Unhealthy periods would be a problem. Healthy periods no one cares about or thinks contribute to better performance.

There seems to be an unjustified assumption in the responses to this that these complaints were from distance runners?

I'd be shocked if robert johnson is involved with distance runners to anywhere near the extent he seems to be involved with these women making complaints. Also even if Johnson was involved with distance runners, presumably he wouldn't be telling them to hop on stationary bikes in the bowels of Hayward in order to lose some weight, as that would just be nonsensical. Have a feeling we're talking about sprinters and throwers here.

After her first DEXA scan, the nutritionist told her she couldn’t travel to away track meets unless her body fat level was below 12%.

^ There's just no way this is true

NO DUCK WOMEN HAVE SPOKEN UP TO DEFEND JOHNSON!!! NONE! Having had a conversation with 3 of them, each from 2 freshman classes apart from each other and by rough count they say the number of women speaking up now is over 60. This is only getting started. Goe was only speaking to a few who contacted him. Speaks volumes that not a single former scholarship Duck woman has come out on Twitter to defend Robert in 2 and a half days now doesn’t it. That’s what I have been watching. Not all the misogynistic trolls posting hate on this thread. Over 60 women is not insignificant whiners angry about their collegiate experience. The 60 range from Olympic medalists to All Americans to Pac-12 scorers.