Short-term regulation of body weight is highly prevalent in combat sports. Most combat sports athletes acutely reduce their body mass to compete in a lighter-weight category. Restrictive diets, forced starvation, or voluntary weight loss are attracting the attention of scientists, sports, and health workers. Rapid weight loss (RWL) refers to the methods used by an athlete to lose weight within the last week before the competition, whereby an average of 5% of body weight is lost. There is evidence that adolescents and even young children may use the extensive practice of RWL techniques.
According to scientific evidence, there is a variety of weight-cutting procedures and the most practiced methods to induce RWL are reduced fluid intake, caloric restriction, plastic suit training, increased physical activity, heated room training, sauna use, gradual dieting, etc. Even though RWL methods are generally intended to give the athlete a certain advantage, there are also, potential negative aspects that may also affect the athletes’ psychological well-being, health, their performance and physiological response.
The psychological state of combat sports athletes plays a significant role in their preparation for the competition and thus, can influence competitive success to a greater or a lesser extent. Some research suggests that mood state components describing anger, tension, confusion, fatigue, and vigor appear to be key psychological parameters affected by acute weight reduction before a competition.
Along with physiological damage, rapid weight loss can affect mental function through deficits in concentration, memory, and cognitive processing speed as well as increasing anxiety intensity. Numerous researchers suggest that preparing for a competition may influence the psycho- physiological state of athletes. Additionally, the weight loss can be considered detrimental for performance and could have a negative impact on motor skills as well. Even if the literature shows that weight management causes psychological and physiological stress, there is a need to further elucidate the adaptations that rapid weight reduction can induce in athletes.
The scope of the topic would be exploring various psychological and physiological responses to Rapid Weight Loss in combat sports athletes including both Olympic and non-Olympic sports and martial arts in both striking and grappling sports. In order to maintain/promote the health safety and wellbeing among combat sports athletes undergoing weight loss procedures, there is a need for further investigations in this field of research. Contributors are encouraged to examine the psychological and physiological responses to RWL among different age categories and various competitive levels (including regional, national, and elite levels). We welcome proposals on a wide range of topics, including (but not limited to) the following:
• Health implications of RWL;
• Impact of RWL on Performance in Combat Sports Athletes
Short-term regulation of body weight is highly prevalent in combat sports. Most combat sports athletes acutely reduce their body mass to compete in a lighter-weight category. Restrictive diets, forced starvation, or voluntary weight loss are attracting the attention of scientists, sports, and health workers. Rapid weight loss (RWL) refers to the methods used by an athlete to lose weight within the last week before the competition, whereby an average of 5% of body weight is lost. There is evidence that adolescents and even young children may use the extensive practice of RWL techniques.
According to scientific evidence, there is a variety of weight-cutting procedures and the most practiced methods to induce RWL are reduced fluid intake, caloric restriction, plastic suit training, increased physical activity, heated room training, sauna use, gradual dieting, etc. Even though RWL methods are generally intended to give the athlete a certain advantage, there are also, potential negative aspects that may also affect the athletes’ psychological well-being, health, their performance and physiological response.
The psychological state of combat sports athletes plays a significant role in their preparation for the competition and thus, can influence competitive success to a greater or a lesser extent. Some research suggests that mood state components describing anger, tension, confusion, fatigue, and vigor appear to be key psychological parameters affected by acute weight reduction before a competition.
Along with physiological damage, rapid weight loss can affect mental function through deficits in concentration, memory, and cognitive processing speed as well as increasing anxiety intensity. Numerous researchers suggest that preparing for a competition may influence the psycho- physiological state of athletes. Additionally, the weight loss can be considered detrimental for performance and could have a negative impact on motor skills as well. Even if the literature shows that weight management causes psychological and physiological stress, there is a need to further elucidate the adaptations that rapid weight reduction can induce in athletes.
The scope of the topic would be exploring various psychological and physiological responses to Rapid Weight Loss in combat sports athletes including both Olympic and non-Olympic sports and martial arts in both striking and grappling sports. In order to maintain/promote the health safety and wellbeing among combat sports athletes undergoing weight loss procedures, there is a need for further investigations in this field of research. Contributors are encouraged to examine the psychological and physiological responses to RWL among different age categories and various competitive levels (including regional, national, and elite levels). We welcome proposals on a wide range of topics, including (but not limited to) the following:
• Health implications of RWL;
• Impact of RWL on Performance in Combat Sports Athletes
