Weight Management in Amateur Wrestling

CONTEXT: Unhealthy weight loss practices continue to plague amateur wrestling. The National Collegiate Athletic Association weight loss guidelines are beneficial but have not solved the problem. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: All relevant databases through 2008 were searched using PubMed. The references of relevant articles were then searched for additional publications. STUDY TYPE: Clinical review. RESULTS: New rules approved by the National Collegiate Athletic Association have been implemented in an attempt to prevent drastic weight loss practices in wrestlers. Although some are effective, such as establishing a minimum wrestling weight and decreasing the period between weigh-ins and actual wrestling, unsafe weight loss practices still occur. CONCLUSION: The attempts made by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to prevent drastic weight loss in wrestling have been effective to some degree. The mind-set of athletes, coaches, and clinicians needs to change if further improvements are to be made.