Dizziness, Fatigue, Weakness & Weight Loss In Wrestling

Wrestlers may be the only high school athletes who complete a vigorous workout each day, then go home and stick to a calorie restricted diet. Although the practice of cutting weight is intended to give an athlete a competitive edge, in reality it's just as likely to hurt the wrestler's performance.

Weight Classes

Weight loss problems in wrestling stem from the structure of competition. A large wrestler has an advantage over smaller wrestlers, so competition is divided into weight classes. A wrestler who competes below his natural body weight may be larger and more muscular than his opponents. Since this is common practice, wrestlers often feel pressure to "cut weight" in order to keep up with peers.

Cutting Weight

To cut weight, wrestlers often practice extreme and rapid weight loss techniques. According to a Vanderbilt University study, three-quarters of wrestlers routinely went without food or water in order to "make weight." Other practices included working out in sauna suits or actual saunas, taking diuretics and inducing vomiting.

Dizziness, Fatigue and Weakness

Dizziness, fatigue and weakness are just entries on a long list of the effects of cutting weight for wrestling. They can come from dehydration, malnutrition, or a combination of both. Since the death of three college wrestlers in 1998, wrestlers are now warned more frequently that these are the first symptoms in a chain that ends with organ damage, organ failure and death, according to a report from the Vanderbilt University Psychology Department.

Long-Term Prevention

The best way to avoid these symptoms is not to participate in extreme weight loss to make weight. If you must wrestle below your regular weight, you're better off observing a slow and sustainable weight-loss plan. Given the extreme rigor of wrestling workouts, this is less of a problem than it might appear. In response to the 1998 deaths, many wrestling programs now forbid the more extreme weight loss practices or require wrestlers to meet minimum body fat or height/weight requirements.

Short-Term Prevention

If you have cut weight and are experiencing these symptoms, your best course of action is to rehydrate and eat something. In the hours after weigh in, you should sip fluids and slowly eat a high-carbohydrate, high-protein meal. Don't gulp down your food and drink, as it's as likely as not to come back up. If your symptoms are severe, or persist after you've eaten and drunk something, tell your coach or doctor as soon as possible.