Intertextuality Map

Intertextual Map Assignment

            A connection I have found through researching the effects of cutting weight on an athlete is the discussion of dehydration. This seems to be the most reoccurring health risk that imposes an athlete while they cut weight, and each author strengthens the argument that the two aspects are connection through their own individual research. The origin of this conversation is not apparent, except for it probably began as combat sports, sports that are physical contact sports with weight specifications (boxing, judo, wrestling, MMA, etc.) became more popular.

The sport of wrestling has been around since around 15,000 years ago (source 1), and cutting weight has been around ever since weight classes were introduced, and in the first modern Olympics in 1904 wrestling was one of the premier sports and in such a highly competitive environment in an organized sport, unregulated weight cutting was practiced. However when exactly physicians noticed it was causing dehydration and recommended against it is not pinpointed at an exact time. However one of the article in my research discusses the first time that collegiate wrestling is attempting to regulate the weight cuts by college wrestlers. Three tragic deaths in late 1997 prompted the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to make a Wrestling Weight Certification Program (WWCP) mandatory to create a safe competitive environment (Shepanski). This program actually tracked the weights of wrestlers and limited them from participation if they lost too much weight from the start of their season and from week to week. This is all connected to dehydration because dehydration of athletes comes from limiting one’s food intake and fluid intake in order to lose weight quickly in between cutting periods.

If an athlete can lose weight more systematically and less skewed toward the ending of their cutting period, they will limit dehydration and could actually perform better. (MacLaren) However it always isn’t that easy. Cutting weight that way is just second nature to an athlete. In Warrington’s research jockeys were asked to lose a certain amount of weight in order to perform for a race. No specific guidelines on how to lose the weight, just to meet a certain weight requirement. All of the jockeys returned with lower levels of hydration. This is apparent with any athlete losing weight; they take long term risks for short term gains. The mentality of athletes is just “the lower the weight the better, despite how badly I feel afterwards”.

The research of these authors and many others has encouraged athletes to lose less weight in a more healthy way, and to discourage them from more extreme practices. However other elements suggest that the message is not penetrating enough or isn’t accepted. In Herbert’s article he discusses how widespread cutting weight in within the sport of judo. 86% of judo athletes ranging from age and skill level all admit that in the previous season they had lost weight in order to participate in their weight class. In Brownell’s article they discuss how rowers who don’t have a specific weight class to meet, lose as much weight as they can in order for their speed to go up. The light-weight rowers due to their lower body percent comprised of fat have less weight to actually lose so they implement more extreme measures and practices in order to actually lose they weight they plan to use. Both of these articles show how the mentality of athletes and the competitive drive to win makes the elimination of dehydration a very difficult feat to accomplish.