As the Winter Season is upon us, so are large challenges that face many High School Wrestlers, with the hardest occurring before they even step onto the mat. Weight cutting has become a common and routine part of the sport; however, the physical and mental aspects of this challenge are often overlooked. The pressures that occur in the fight against the scale raise a crucial question: Is making weight worth risking one’s long-term health?
Many young wrestlers, who are still developing physically, are enticed to cut weight because they believe it will give them an advantage; however, they often fail to recognize the detrimental effects it has on their developing bodies.
“Why don’t you wrestle at your natural weight class?” It is a popular misconception that people who have never wrestled don’t understand. Wrestling is a sport categorized by weight classes, and with that, most athletes cut weight to give themselves a size advantage over their opponents. To be successful in a sport as physically demanding as Wrestling, you need every slight advantage you can get. Weight cutting can be made fairly simple if you remain disciplined.
San Dimas High School’s 126-pound wrestler, senior Nathan Ramirez, has his weight-cutting, diet plan, and water intake down to a science. “It all starts with discipline,” Senior Ramirez states, “If you don’t stay strict to your diet, you will find yourself searching for quick ways to lose weight, which can lead to bad outcomes.” To lose weight, you need to start by reducing your overall calorie intake. This includes eating clean foods that have high satiety, meaning they provide a sense of fullness, even though you did not eat large portions of them. This includes foods like eggs, spinach, yogurt, and white meats. For Senior Ramirez, he prioritizes high volumes of foods with high satiety, and schedules his water intake in excess. Water holds weight, so how does drinking more water help you lose weight?
The answer is Water Loading. This is the act of drinking an abnormal amount of water early in the week and tapering the amount down the closer you get to the actual weigh-ins. This keeps your body overly hydrated and helps you maintain a sweat and still feel fueled as you approach the last couple of days before competition. The combination of eating healthy, smart foods, and staying true to your water intake can help you lose a vast amount of body fat, and keep you still feeling healthy throughout your tournament.
If not done properly, however, many wrestlers struggle to perform at their best when cutting weight. Some believe the only way to lose weight is too fast and deprive themselves completely of nutrients, and wrap themselves up in plastic bags to sweat out the weight. However, this is the unhealthy and draining way to lose weight. Cutting in this manner over time can lead to organ problems, increased risk of brain injury due to dehydration, and eating disorders. There are no positives to cutting mindlessly.
Overall, weight cutting is a large and common challenge in the sport. If not attacked with strategy, discipline, and determination, it will lead to lots of short and long-term effects. In this sport full of sacrifices and grit, wrestlers must remember that toughness is not just draining yourself and pushing your growing body to its limits, but protecting your health so you can succeed on and off the mat.
