This raises an interesting question: Why are male athletes expected to look like muscle-bound Ken dolls? The concept is everywhere; from baseball players being discounted because many do not have rippling pectorals to male distance runners being teased for being too skinny.
These men are just as athletic as the strapping quarterback, but endure pressure to look like life-sized G.I. Joes. Just as with female athletes, male appearance has become closely linked with perceived athletic ability. Unfortunately, this muscle-centric notion can actually detract from their mental and physical performance on the field.
Men are locked in a physical contradiction. They’re pushed to become as buff as possible, when for many athletes, too much muscle will actually hurt performance. The prevalence of sport-related injuries is perhaps the most obvious indicator. When male athletes focus too much on gaining muscle mass, they almost always forget about working on flexibility — an attribute that is often perceived as “feminine.”
According to athletesacceleration.com, this lack of concentration on flexibility is a big contributor to injuries and low performance. It states, “So many athletes suffer injuries or compete below their capacity because poor flexibility inhibits their range of motion and speed…Most often we see this in male athletes who will lift weights, train hard and then skip out on their cool down and flexibility work.”
In other words, in pursuit of manly musculature, male athletes actually hurt their performance by ignoring other important athletic components like flexibility.
The mental toll this idolization of muscle creates can hurt athlete performance even more than the physical. In an environment where how bigger is better, talented but not-so-jacked athletes can crumble under the pressure. One of my high-school track teammates constantly struggled with this.
Despite being one of the fastest sprinters on the team, he was extremely thin. As a result, he grappled with the trash talking and the pressure that male body issues placed on him. The pressure hugely affected his performance; he confessed to me once that he always felt intimidated at the start line because he was smaller than the other runners, even though he knew he was faster than them.
In running, the slightest trace of intimidation can be the kiss of death, since so much in a race depends on the athlete being relaxed and confident in his abilities. My friend’s times suffered from the pressure that came with not fitting in.
It got to the point that he was willing to do almost anything to beef up; when I asked him if he’d ever use steroids, he shrugged, mumbling, “If they didn’t shrink my dick, I’d use them in a heartbeat.”
These athletes, who are supposed to be the model of confidence and ability, are constantly being pushed to extremes in order to be what society expects of them: bulging, rippling superheroes.
Those who do not look the part suffer mental stress because of it, others hurt their bodies and performance in pursuit of fitting the perfect mold.
