Acute Weight Management in Combat Sports

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Introduction:

Welcome to this week’s newsletter, where I discuss acute weight management in combat sports, a critical aspect of competition preparation, where athletes strategically manipulate their body mass to compete in lower-weight divisions. This practice, commonly known as cutting weight, aims to give athletes a competitive advantage by facing smaller opponents. However, acute weight loss (AWL) can significantly affect an athlete's health, performance, and overall well-being. Therefore, Combat athletes must understand safe and effective weight management methods to minimise risks and optimise their competitive edge.

Methods to Achieve Safe Acute Weight Loss

Combat sports athletes often employ various methods to achieve safe acute weight loss, including manipulating gut content. By fasting, limiting portion sizes, or reducing total food volume before weigh-in, athletes can reduce the mass of intestinal contents and total body mass. However, it is crucial to note that extreme methods, such as the use of laxatives or bowel preparation formulas, can have detrimental effects on energy intake, absorption, and exercise capacity. Therefore, dietary strategies that reduce food volume without compromising energy and macronutrient intake are preferred for safe weight management.

Achievable Magnitudes of Safe Acute Weight Loss

Research indicates that combat sports athletes commonly lose 5% or more of their body mass the week before the weigh-in. While achieving 5% to 8% body mass loss is possible under certain conditions, it is essential to approach weight loss methods cautiously to minimise health risks and performance impacts. Dehydration should not be the sole method for significant weight loss, as it can harm health. Instead, a calculated manipulation of gut content, carbohydrate stores, and body water is recommended to safely achieve the desired weight loss. The recovery time available post-weigh-in/pre-competition also plays a crucial role in determining the magnitude of weight loss achievable, with different guidelines for athletes based on the time gap between weigh-in and competition.

Nutritional Strategies for Post-Weigh-In Recovery

Following the weigh-in, combat sports athletes must focus on effective recovery strategies to replenish fluid losses and restore glycogen stores. Consuming a large fluid bolus immediately post-weigh-in, along with additional boluses at regular intervals, can aid in maintaining gastric volume and speeding up gastric emptying. Electrolyte replacement, particularly sodium, is crucial for restoring plasma osmolality and volume, promoting fluid retention and enhancing rehydration efforts. Athletes should aim to restore fluid losses to within ~2% of their pre-hypohydration body mass to minimise negative performance effects.

Conclusion

In conclusion, acute weight management in combat sports is a complex and multifaceted process that requires careful planning, strategic implementation, and a focus on athlete safety and performance optimisation. By understanding the methods to achieve safe weight loss and implementing effective post-weigh-in recovery strategies, combat sports athletes can navigate the challenges of gaining weight effectively while minimising health risks. Athletes must prioritise their well-being and seek guidance from sports nutrition professionals to develop personalised weight management strategies that support their competitive goals. Through informed decision-making and a holistic approach to weight management, combat sport athletes can enhance their performance and excel in their respective disciplines.

Take-Home Messages

• Prioritise Safe Weight Management: Combat sport athletes should prioritise safe weight management practices to minimise health risks and optimise performance. Extreme methods such as dehydration should be avoided, and instead, a calculated manipulation of gut content, carbohydrate stores, and body water should be utilised to achieve desired weight loss safely.

• Strategic Nutritional Planning: Athletes should focus on strategic nutritional planning before and after weigh-ins to support performance and recovery. By manipulating their dietary intake of fibre, carbohydrates, sodium, and fluids, athletes can minimise the need for excessive sweating to gain weight and reduce the associated health risks of extreme dehydration.

• Practice and Refinement: Athletes should plan their weight-making strategy ahead of important competitions and continually evaluate and refine their weight-making and recovery practices. Developing well-practised routines and refining these processes over time can help athletes optimise their weight management strategies and enhance their competitive edge.

• Individualised Approach: Recognize that each athlete's weight management needs may vary based on factors such as recovery time available post-weigh-in and the requirements of their specific sport. Athletes should work with sports nutrition professionals to develop personalised weight management strategies that align with their goals and prioritise their overall well-being.

• Balancing Competitiveness with Safety: While cutting weight may provide a competitive advantage in combat sports, it is crucial to balance the desire for advantages with concerns for physical, mental, and emotional safety. Sports nutrition professionals are vital in educating athletes and coaches on evidence-based weight loss and recovery methods to optimise performance while minimising potential negative consequences.

Reference(s):

Reale, R., Slater, G., & Burke, L. M. (2017). Acute-Weight-Loss Strategies for Combat Sports and Applications to Olympic Success. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 12(2), 142-151. Retrieved Mar 16, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2016-0211

That’s it for today! I hope you found this of interest and value.

Have a great week, and see you next week for another edition of Fueling Greatness, in which we will continue to explore key topics in sport and exercise nutrition and unpack the “science-to-application” to help you achieve your performance, body composition and well-being goals.

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