A wrestler can cut weight either by reducing fat or water stored in the body. A study entitled, "Health and Weight Control Management Among Wrestlers. A Proposed Program for High School Athletes," published in the Virginia Medical Quarterly in the Summer of 1995, concluded that 75 percent of wrestlers attempt to cut weight using techniques such as fasting and fluid restriction. However, excessive, rapid weight loss can be dangerous and has contributed to the deaths of several wrestlers, according to Vanderbilt University's article, "Weight Issues in Wrestling."
Dieting
One way that wrestlers lose weight for competition is through dieting. This type of weight cutting should take place slowly and begin farther out from competition. Chuck Whedon, athletic training coordinator for Rowan University, suggests that athletes lose no more than 2 lbs of fat per week to remain within healthy weight loss limits. Fat loss is achieved by taking in fewer calories than you burn. Reduce your fat intake to eliminate calories, and be sure to eat a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables.
Exercise
Exercise increases the number of calories you burn. Supplementing your diet with wrestling training and conditioning will make fat loss easier. Whedon recommends longer bouts of weightlifting within the 30 to 60 minute range for fat burning, and short, anaerobic conditioning training. Conditioning exercises should consist if intense bursts of activity followed by very short periods of rest.
Sweating
Within the last 24 hours before the weigh-in, many wrestlers choose to lose weight by sweating out water. Wrestlers will exercise hard, wiping off the sweat as they go to promote more sweating. In some cases, wrestlers sit in saunas or exercise in plastic suits in order to promote sweating. However, this practice was banned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1998 due to the dangers of high heat and rapid dehydration.
Fluid Control
Beyond sweating, another way to cut water weight within the final 24 hours before a weigh-in is through urination. Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Martin Rooney of GrappleArts.com recommends starting this process five days before the weigh-in. For three days, you should drink two gallons of water per day. This causes your body to adjust to high amounts of fluid intake, and increase urination as a result. On the fourth day, drink one gallon of water and eliminate salt intake. The day of the weigh-in, drink as sparingly as possible. Your body will urinate as it did the previous days, resulting in water weight loss.
References
- Rowan University: Weight Loss for Wrestlers
- Vanderbilt University: Weight Issues in Wrestling--Final Version
- Grapplearts.com: Cutting and Making Weight for MMA, BJJ and Grappling
- "Virginia Medical Quarterly"; Health and Weight Control Management Among Wrestlers. A Proposed Program for High School Athletes; Summer 1995
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