Wrestling With Weight

By Sujata Khandelwal

Central New York-High school wrestlers from all over the region are preparing for the state championships. Part of their preparation involves maintaining weight, sometimes using potentially dangerous and controversial weight loss techniques.


"Weight Cutting"
The term "weight cutting" refers to the practice of rapid weight loss before a competition. This is typically done to qualify for a lower weight class, and for years has been an accepted part of the sport. Wrestlers ranging from 96 to 285 pounds often feel the pressure to make weight in order to compete. "I needed a spot. If I didn't make the weight, I wouldn't have wrestled," said Fulton high school wrestler Zachary Race.


Common Practices
According to the NCAA, unhealthy weight-cutting practices have been banned. Some of these practices include:

• using laxatives and diet pills
• using diuretics to reduce water weight
• sitting or working out in a sauna

Although these guidelines have not been specifically implemented at the high school level, they are taking effect with the supervision of coaches. "I'm pretty strict about kids not doing the things I've seen over the past 30 years. I don't want kids using diuretics. I don't want kids throwing up, and to my knowledge they've never done so, and better not because if they do I'm gonna put some serious hammer time on them," said Phoenix high school head coach Gene Mills. Even with coaches' guidance, however, some wrestlers admit to using some questionable tactics to shed weight. "I ran on the pool deck with a sweat suit on and then after that I went straight to the gym and ran for another hour," said Mexico high school wrestler Collin Toney.

Long Term Effects
Rapid weight loss and severe dehydration can have several harmful effects on body functions, impact development, and even result in death. "There are some long term effects that can happen from those practices that include not developing correctly...there can also be problems with the child maintaining certain nutrients in their bodies, and they may not reach a certain adult height," said pediatrician Denise Woodall-Ruff. She also said that dehydration can lead to kidney failure.

Although wrestling will forever be defined by pounds and ounces, the sport continues to make progress in terms of encouraging and enforcing healthier weight loss practices. It is the heavy dose of discipline, wrestlers say, that can't be weighed or measured.