Search results for "Rapid weight gain"
showing 3 items of 3 documents
Weight cycling in combat sports: revisiting 25 years of scientific evidence
2021
Abstract Background As combat sports are classified by body mass, many athletes engage in rapid weight loss (RWL) prior to competition so they can gain an advantage over lighter opponents. Following the weigh-in, athletes engage in rapid weight gain (RWG), whereby some athletes have been able to compete up to three weight categories greater than the official division weighed in at. Results Although the impact of weight cycling on performance remains equivocal, robust scientific evidence indicates serious acute and chronic negative consequences on physiological and health-related parameters. Still, weight cycling remains highly prevalent in combat sports, and interventions to limit or stop t…
Disturbing Weight Cutting Behaviors in Young Combat Sports Athletes: A Cause for Concern
2022
Problematic weight cutting behaviors in combat sports have been addressed in the scientific literature since the 1930s (1). Indeed, given the available evidence it may be the case that making weight/weight cycling [i.e., rapid weight loss (RWL) prior to weigh-in followed by rapid weight gain prior to competition] has been practiced in combat sports since weight divisions have been introduced. These practices have led to several fatalities (2), which occurred as a consequence of making weight rather than any sports-related injury. Unfortunately, RWL-related deaths still persist into recent times (3). Existing literature has detailed patterns of weight cycling (e.g., methods, magnitudes, freq…
Patterns of weight cycling in youth Olympic combat sports: a systematic review
2022
Abstract Background Patterns of weight cycling in adult combat sports have been extensively studied, yet data on this matter in youth combat athletes is rather scarce. Methods PubMed, EBSCOhost and Web of Science were used to retrieve relevant data. Eligible studies had to record the methods used to elicit rapid weight loss (RWL) and/or record the oscillations in bodyweight during the RWL phase. Only studies conducted in the context of an official competition were considered for inclusion in the present review. Results RWL is highly prevalent in children and adolescent combat athletes, ranging from 25 to 94% depending on the type of combat sport, age and level of competition. These athletes…