Literature Review Final

Cutting weight in sports is a term used to describe when athletes in a sport that requires a certain weight class lose the amount they need to lose in a short amount a time, usually between 5-10% of their body weight in a few days. There are many health risks that accompany starvation and forced dehydration, however what are the risks that occur after multiple weight cuts and over a very long amount of time? One researcher strived to shed light on a healthier alternative to dehydration and starvation (MacLaren). Most scholars and scientists have come up with an array of both physical and mental risks that are imposed on the body after “cutting” weight. These include dehydration (Warrington), adaptation of the body to the extreme (Steen), increased stress both mentally and on the body, and lower cognitive functioning (Sundgot-Borgen). One can better understand why and under what harm face these athletes by examining these three points, the Mentality of Athletes, the Health Risks that face the athletes, and how widespread weight loss is and what practices people use in order to cut or lose weight.

Mentality of Athletes

            Cutting weight practices can be associated with the mentality of athletes; the athlete becomes so dedicated to the sport that they put their health at risk without truly realizing the consequences. Most athletes believe the lower the weight the better; however this leaves them more at risk and can be harmful to the athlete without them truly realizing the implications.  Many scientists and doctors reveal that cutting weight is an acceptable practice among athletes.(Shepanski, Sundgot-Borgen, Herbert, Brownell) In Herbert’s study 86% of 802 judo athletes from ages 12-46 and all different skill sets said that they cut weight multiple times throughout their previous season. Sundgot-Borgen’s article shows how after the rules change and wrestlers learn the risk of cutting weight they have less extreme cuts and lose more weight before the season starts instead of cutting a lot of weight week to week.

Brownell adds to this topic by introducing male and female rowers to the discussion and how their mentality can at times be worse than people cutting to a specific weight because they attempt to become the lowest weight they possibly can. Brownell goes on to say that the lower weight rowers will implement extreme weight loss measures most likely because they have less body fat percent to actually lose. This highlights how extreme an athlete’s competitive nature can be and lead to health risks.

Health Risks

The next reoccurring theme that was apparent through research was the extensive health risks that are imposed on an athlete after multiple weight cuts and weight cycles. This topic also was most widespread throughout the articles, as it was also one of the main concerns and objectives to discover by the authors (Birgit, Kepchick, Warrington, Shepanski, Sundgot-Borgen, Cohen, Steen, MacLaren). Most of the articles discussed how dehydration was one of the most apparent symptoms throughout any forms of cutting, or sports (Birgit, Kepchick, Warrington, Sundgot-Borgen MacLaren), and in extreme cases can lead to death (Shepanski).

The hope for solving this problem of dehydration lies with the research of MacLaren. He uses one test subject and submits him to his normal length of times in between boxing matches. During this time the subject instead of using the time to get into competition ready shape and then cutting the remaining weight during the last week or two before competition, the subject slowly lowers the caloric intake he needs in order to maintain his current body weight making him lose the weight he needs to in a systematic and uniform process. Thus allowing him to stay hydrated throughout the process instead of dehydrating himself toward the end of the period.

The hole within his study however is the length of the study, the boxer was given a long cutting period, over a month, while most collegiate and high school athletes get between half a week to two weeks. Also many tournaments for wrestlers are multiple days and require multiple weigh-ins, one at the beginning of each day; therefore unlike a boxer who can weigh in the day before then prepare their bodies accordingly, a wrestler must reach a required weight and then maintain it over one or two nights only allowing a one pound limit for the next day. A study on if one can repeat the same process, gradually losing weight to ensure hydration, however in a shorter elapsed time would become a good follow up study.

Another risk that is imposed on an athlete while cutting weight is the psychological effect, this includes stress, eating disorders, lack of focus, and lack of mental cognition (Sundgot-Borgen). As an athlete cuts weight, they began to worry whether or not they will reach the desired weight, and might check their weight multiple times, weigh their food, try to overuse the bathroom, even spit to dehydrate the body. All of these tactics to manipulate one’s body to achieve the desired weight create mental stress that will be lifted once they step onto the scale and it reads the numbers they want, only to reoccur the next week when they repeat the process. The human body also naturally adjusts its metabolism to the amount of calories that it is in taking, and as someone lessens the food they eat, the body will adjust and make that amount of food provide as much as previous amounts had. This effect can be lingering and cause even a youth with stronger metabolisms to have an eating disorder (Steen).

Prevalence of Weight Cutting

The final subject I have found through research that is a combination of the first topic, Mentality of athletes, and the lack of awareness of the second topic, Health Risks while cutting weight, the Prevalence of Weight Cutting. Herbert's research shows some of the vastness of cutting weight in the sport of Judo. His survey came to the conclusion that 86% of all 802 judo athletes he questioned, from all different backgrounds and age groups, had in their previous season cut weight in order to make a lower weight class. Sundgot-Borgen goes on to add that most Olympic athletes also cut weight. This could lead to an assumption that as athletes progress and develop they tend to take the sport more seriously and cut more weight. Further research comparing two athletes of different skill sets, and of different experience could be done in order to see if in fact as self motivation to perform well at a sport, the more likely that athlete will put their body at harm by more intense workouts coupled with more intense sessions of cutting weight.