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Fitness

The Impact of Weight-Cutting on Collegiate Wrestlers

The sport of wrestling is infamous for its weight-classes and weight-cutting.

Becca Borawski

Written by Becca Borawski Last updated on June 14, 2011

The sport of wrestling is infamous for its weight-classes and weight-cutting. The practice has become controversial on the high school level in recent years, and despite stricter regulation by the NCAA, it is still common practice on the college level due to the competitive advantage that comes with dropping to a lower weight class.

A recent study conducted by the Department of Kinesiology at California State University, Fullerton and published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research examined the effects of weight-cutting on lower body power, grip strength, and mood, starting from ten days prior to a collegiate level wrestling competition.

Measurements were taken at 10, 6, and 2 days prior to competition, as well as the day of the event. The physical and mental tests chosen were selected because of their similarity to the strengths needed in wrestling matches.

Wrestlers were allowed to conduct their mass loss according to their own methods. Subjects lost anywhere between 0-8.1% of body mass over the 10 day period of the study, the majority of it in the final 2 days before the competition.

The results of the study concluded that wrestlers were more affected on a mental level by their weight-cut, rather than physical.

There was a noticeable increase in confusion on the mood tests, however, there was no significant effect on lower body power or grip strength. The amount of weight cut and the increase in tension and confusion were directly related.

The study concluded the change in cognitive abilities could have a negative impact on the wrestler’s performance and decision making abilities, despite the lack of impact weight-cutting had on their physical capabilities.

Becca Borawski

About Becca Borawski

Becca found her way to a career in health and fitness through Martial Arts and CrossFit. Originally a music editor for film and television, Becca started studying Martial Arts in 2000. Though she started with traditional Martial Arts it was not long before she discovered Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and her path was forever altered. She began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Muay Thai and started working with professional MMA fighters, building websites, working on fight promotions, and producing videos.

As a competitor in BJJ herself, Becca wanted to get stronger and fitter. In 2006 she discovered CrossFit and became a student at CrossFit Los Angeles. In only a couple of years she became CrossFit Level III Certified, left her career in the film industry, and dedicated herself full time to coaching. She has since been certified through CrossFit in Olympic Lifting, Powerlifting, Nutrition, Endurance and Kids coaching. She also held an NSCA-CSCS from 2006-2008 and is a certified IndoRow instructor. In addition to coaching adults, she founded the CrossFit LA Kids program in 2010 and taught children aged 5-17.

Becca regularly takes on new sports, which have included indoor rowing, fencing, and most recently, cycling, as she believes it makes her both a better athlete and a better coach. In order to reach more people with her coaching, Becca also created ModernAthena.com – a website dedicated to women in pursuit of physical fitness and self-improvement.

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