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Literature Review
The purpose of this study was to examine weight loss patterns between high school and collegiate wrestlers and the effect those patterns have on success rates in sports performance. This review of literature is divided into the following sections: health and medical concerns in wrestling, consequences of rapid weight loss, psychological aspects of weight consciousness, and possible solutions to unsafe weight loss practices. ...
Dangerous weight control methods have long been a problem in high school and collegiate wrestling. Competitive wrestlers feel by competing at the lowest weight class possible they are gaining a competitive advantage over their opponents. This perception may be based on the myth that wrestling at a lower weight class might provide an advantage in strength, power, and leverage over their opponents (Dick, Hayes, Horswill, & Scott, 1994). The pressure for wrestlers to wrestler at their lowest weight possible has unfortunately led to unsafe weight loss practices in reaching a desired weight in a short amount of time (Kinningham & Gorenflo, 2001).
During a one month period in late 1997, 3 college wrestlers died while trying to lose weight prior to competition (Lobuono & Swain, 1999). All three wrestlers were engaged in dangerous weight-loss practices trying to lose weight in order to qualify for their first college-wrestling matches. ... The widespread use of unhealthy weight-loss methods among these young athletes creates much potential for injury or death” (Lobuono & Swain, 1999, p. ... The WWCP is a multistep process, which determines the athlete’s minimum wrestling weight for the season. Thus, the program determines the permanent weight class for the wrestler’s competitive year, and no longer giving the wrestler the opportunity to fluctuate between weight classes (Bopp, Davis, Dwyer, Reed, Shepanski, & Stosic, 2002). ... Wrestlers indicated the methods they use to lose weight included: gradual dieting, restricting food, fasting, restricting fluids, increasing exercise, using heated wrestling rooms, saunas, plastic suits, laxatives, diet pills, diuretics, enemas and vomiting (Gorenflo & Kiningham, 2001). In one study investigating both high school wrestlers and college wrestlers of a group of 528, 83% of high school wrestlers reduced food intake to lose weight. Of the 103 of the high school wrestlers losing 9% or more of their body weight, 32% reported the reduction in food intake was used a lot. Of the college wrestlers, 81% reduced food intake, 21% used food deprivation, and 58% used fluid restriction to lose weight (Brownwell, Oppliger, & Steen, 1998). ... 5 months into the Michigan High School wrestling season one-third of 2,532 wrestlers stated they never lost weight for wrestling. Those who cut weight started at an average age of 14 years old. “When asked about estimated weight change during the wrestling season, 48% estimated that they would lose weight, 23% estimated no weight change during the wrestling season, and 29% estimated they would gain weight. A comparison of the first day of practice weight to the weight at the time of the survey revealed that over 50% of the wrestlers had lost more than 5 pounds, and 5% had lost at least 20 pounds at that point during the season” (Gorrenflo & Kinningham, 2001, p.
Approximate Word count = 2407
Approximate Pages = 9.6
(250 words per page double spaced)
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