Erkan DEMİRKAN ¹ Mehmet İsmail Tosun ^1* Abdurrahim Kaplan ¹ Mert Ayrancı ¹ Damian George Cosmin ² Mustafa Arıcı ¹ Mehmet Kutlu ¹ Veysi Aslan ³ Micheal Favre ⁴

• ¹ Faculty of Sport Sciences, Hitit University, Corum, Türkiye
• ² Ovidius Clinical Hospital, Constanta, Constanta, Romania
• ³ Ege University, Bornova, İzmir, Türkiye
• ⁴ University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Objective: Wrestling is a complex sport that requires a combination of strength, endurance, and wrestling-specific technical training. Endurance activities, such as running, are commonly employed for rapid weight reduction prior to competition. However, these activities can acutely disrupt recovery and lead to significant performance declines. This study aimed to examine the acute effects of endurance, strength, and wrestling training sessions on hydration status and performance parameters in young wrestlers, providing insights to guide more effective hydration and recovery strategies.Method: Fourteen experienced young wrestlers participated in a crossover design, completing endurance, strength, and wrestling training sessions on separate days. Hydration status was assessed via urine specific gravity (USG) before and after each session. Performance measures included hand grip, back and leg strength tests, anaerobic power (vertical and horizontal jumps), inspiratory muscle strength (maximal inspiratory pressure, MIP), and reaction time assessments.Endurance training caused the most significant acute reductions in hydration (USG increase: 0.016 ± 0.005 g/cm³, p < 0.05) and body mass (-1.89 ± 0.4%, p < 0.05), along with immediate performance decrements in back strength (-7.02 ± 1.2%, p < 0.001), right-hand grip strength (-8.79 ± 2.1%, p < 0.001), jump height (-7.26 ± 1.8%, p < 0.001), and MIP (-9.01 ± 2.3%, p < 0.001). Hydration levels in the endurance group did not fully recover by the next day (USG post-training vs. next-day: p < 0.05). In contrast, strength training improved reaction time before the next day's session (+5.6 ± 1.3%, p < 0.05), while attention remained unaffected across all training types.Endurance training-commonly used for rapid weight loss-can acutely compromise hydration and diminish key performance measures, with recovery requiring more time compared to strength or wrestling sessions. Given these findings, endurance sessions should be strategically scheduled before rest days or low-intensity technical training to minimize their negative effects on subsequent performance. Enhanced hydration strategies during endurance-focused sessions may also help mitigate these acute impacts and optimize recovery and performance in young wrestlers.