Home
>
Weight Loss
>
Young Wrestlers Fast, Sweat to Make Weight

Young Wrestlers Fast, Sweat to Make Weight

Weight Loss Their Greatest Opponent
---------------------------------
Before high school and college wrestlers can face their opponents in the ring, they must first vanquish one in the locker room, the scales that determine whether they're eligible to compete in a given weight class. In order to make the weight they want, many of these young athletes are using fasting, dehydration, diet pills, and laxatives as ways to lose weight quickly.

How widespread is this potentially deadly practice? A recent study of wrestlers in Michigan high schools found 7 out of 10 used at least one possibly harmful weight loss method each week of the wrestling session -- and just over half of them used at least two methods each week. About a quarter of the young wrestlers lost 10 pounds or more during the season, and 11% fasted longer than 24 hours before a match.

The study was published in the May issue of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

"This study reinforces what we've known for years," lead author Robert Kiningham, MD, tells WebMD. "While previous studies have looked at elite, highly committed wrestlers, we looked at everyone. Disturbingly, we found the same percentage of harmful behaviors as previous studies of elite wrestlers, suggesting these behaviors are widespread."

Kiningham is an assistant clinical professor and director of the sports medicine fellowship program at the University of Michigan School of Medicine in Ann Arbor.

Many wrestlers try to compete in an unrealistically low weight class because they believe this gives them a competitive advantage, says Doug Andersen, DC, nutrition consultant for West Coast Sports Performance and Sports Medicine Consultants in Manhattan Beach, Calif., and a nutritionist for the Los Angeles Kings hockey team.

"First, wrestlers should qualify for a sensible weight class," he says. "If you skip one meal the day beforehand in order to drop two or three pounds, that's one thing. But when someone tries to drop tremendous amounts of weight, 10 pounds or more, we're concerned. While they may not have an eating disorder in the strict sense, they certainly have disordered eating."

"In 1997 three healthy college-age men all died because they were trying to make weight for the wrestling team, using similar rapid-weight-loss regimens based on dehydration. Wrestlers put on nonpermeable clothing and exercise hard, and then don't rehydrate themselves. This is dangerous," says Samantha Heller, MS, RD, a senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center and an exercise physiologist.

Short-term studies have found rapid weight loss can lead to a decline in the ability to think clearly, loss of athletic strength and power, and mood changes, Heller says. No one knows if there are long-term effects, because long-term studies haven't been done.

The authors of the Michigan study conclude by saying, "Altering these entrenched behaviors will require a unified effort by coaches, administrators, parents, and wrestlers throughout the sport."

However, some coaches don't see any need for change.

"Wrestlers have a short-term goal, to make their weight," says Dick Bellock. "They may not eat for a day but we all skip meals once in awhile. Teenage kids get hungry. They make weight, they eat right afterward; that isn't necessarily binge eating."

Bellock wrestled in high school and college and is now the athletic director of McKay High School in Salem, Ore.

Bob Ferraro agrees.

"We already have safety measures in place," says Ferraro, executive director of the National High School Coaches Association, based in Easton, Pa. "Every wrestler must be examined by a physician, and the physician determines the weight class that wrestler will compete at. These issues have already been addressed."

Andersen, however, believes changes are needed.

"Today, wrestlers weigh-in hours before or the day before the match. They should have to weigh-in just beforehand. If someone had to wrestle in a dehydrated state, weak as a kitten, they wouldn't like it."

Since the data was collected for the Michigan study, the state has instituted a new program using mandatory weight standards based on a measured percentage of body fat. Kiningham hopes the new program will be effective in limiting pressures on young wrestlers to engage in unhealthy weight-loss behaviors in order to compete.

Source: WebMD

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

About The Author
------------
Michael Lewis has been collecting articles and information on Weight Loss and HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and related health benefits. He has created and edits numerous web sites about this subject. Michael is a staff writer for http://www.ageforce.com and several other websites. If you would like to contact Michael you can e-mail him at http://www.ageforce.com or if you would like to know more about Weight Loss, HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and related health topics please visit us at http://www.ageforce.com.

scheduled cleaning services Winnetka ..

In The News:

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.