Why are darts players overweight? (Are Darts Making You Fat?)
Some sports have athletes with outstanding physiques. Rugby, athletics, gymnastics, and swimming athletes have impressive physiques from training and competition. However, darts players are often mocked for being fat. Darts, "a game that has long been played by drinkers in English pubs and bars," is Reuters' "thought" on whether darts should be an Olympic sport. Darts players are overweight—why? Because darts is historically a pub game, particularly in the UK, dart players are often overweight. Pub darts practice often involves alcohol, which can cause weight gain.
Darts' link with heavy drinking has made it unpopular as a sport and made dart players appear fat. Not all dart players are fat, and darts and beer are not the sole reasons why. I'll discuss what makes dart players fat and whether it's accurate in this article!
Why Are Darts Players Obese?
Training and lifestyle make darts players overweight. A bricklayer who works out five times a week will weigh less than a desk worker who binges on Netflix.
As said, many amateur and professional dart players practice and compete in pubs and bars. Offstage, alcohol is still a key component of the game. Andy Fordham consumed 24 beers before winning the 2004 BDO Darts World Championship. It's amazing that someone can play that well after so much drinking. Andy was a huge person who had to shed a lot of weight due to liver disease from heavy drinking. He weighed 31 kilograms.This isn’t designed to call Andy out; his story was merely well documented and a good example of the overall mindset surrounding darts. Football players can't drink the night before a game, so consuming 24 beers and winning a darts tournament is impressive but not unusual. Due to darts culture, darts players are bigger than other athletes.
Training Environment
Dart players usually practice at pubs or bars. Darts players are traditionally fat because they play league games, knockout events, and practice weekly in bars. I'm not criticizing anyone, but drinking and darts go together, especially in the UK, and heavy drinkers generally gain weight (especially in terms of developing a beer belly). I'm not claiming all alcohol drinkers are fat, but darts players prefer beer, which is high in calories. Thus, most pub darts players gain weight after years of drinking beer socially. Darts players are usually taller than snooker players. Darts players drink while playing, whereas snooker players don't. Thus, dart players are often fat since they train and play in pubs and bars.
desire to be in shape
Darts demands 5–10 hours of daily practice to gain accuracy and consistency. By repeating the same throw hundreds of times, muscle memory develops.
Unless it's a personal taste, dart players don't want to be in shape because darts only require walking to and from the board. In an office, some people like to work out before or after work, but most prefer to relax with their families. Dart players are the same.
Most players don't have the mental energy to workout after spending hours throwing at a board. This begs the question, "Are darts players athletes?" which I address in a separate article but is still relevant.Interesting Alternate View
There's an interesting hypothesis that being fat makes you a better dart player, regardless of whether you think all dart players are fat. Reasons (some of which may be valid):
To throw darts consistently, you need balance. Stability and balance are crucial for throwing accuracy since body and arm movement affect the throw. Being bigger may help you throw more consistently by increasing your center of gravity. Body fat in particular locations may also counterbalance swaying and movement during a throw.
Conclusions
The world rankings show that more darts players are "rounder" than slim. Darts' traditional culture and lack of fitness requirements explain this. While global trends are shifting, darts is still a pub game associated with drinking and sedentary lifestyles, which encourage weight gain. Thus, darts players are fat because they spend more time at the bar than on the treadmill.