Losing Weight

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Losing Weight

"Wrestling is a sport where one has to fit a particular weight class," said Dr. Sam Voight (Scheiber, 1998). Wrestling, as a sport, depends on weight more than any other. For centuries wrestlers have been losing significant amount of weight so that they can wrestle a weight class lower than they should be wrestling. This is referred to as “cutting” weight. Fasting, fluid restriction, running or jogging, rubber suits, sweating in saunas, vomiting, and diuretics are the most frequent forms of weight loss among wrestlers. These methods are used in combination of one another or singularly. The consequences of “cutting” weight are overlooked by the majority of wrestlers. By subjecting himself to rapid weight loss, the wrestler could have or develop reduced muscular strength, decreased performance times, lowered plasma and blood volume, reduced cardiac functioning, impaired body temperature regulation, increased electrolyte loss, and/or his normal growth and development could be affected (Roller, 2003, p. 34). With so much of your health at stake, what would cause you to just ignore the consequences?
“The logic in wrestling is to make the lowest weight you can in the weigh-ins, which are 24 hours before the match. Then you can replenish and re-hydrate your body over the course of the 24 hours between the weigh-in and the match. This will give you an advantage in the competition because you really will be bigger and stronger then most of the wrestlers in that lower weight class.” mentioned legendary wrestler and coach Dan Gable in an interview with ESPN (Viscardi, 1997). Weigh-ins are only an hour before the match now, but the same logic still applies to a wrestler. Most wrestlers want to have an edge over their competition so by following this “logic” they believe that they have that edge and the chances of success will increase because of this (Scheiber, 1998,). Though there are some wrestlers w...