Abstract
Even though scientific literature shows numerous heath complications and performance decrements associated with rapid weight loss (RWL), its prevalence remains exceedingly high across various combat sports. The aim of this study was to thoroughly search the existing literature to explore the influence of RWL on kidney function in Olympic and non-Olympic combat sport athletes. PubMed and Web of Science were searched for the relevant studies. Only original articles published from 2005 onwards, written in English, that included healthy males and females who prompted ~5% weight loss within a week or less, were included in the study. Retrieved studies showed that creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and urine specific gravity values were significantly increased after RWL in the majority of the included studies. This observation indicates that RWL caused dehydration and subsequent acute kidney damage despite various degrees of weight lost during the RWL phase, which can lead to adverse events in other body systems. Alternative methods of weight reduction that prioritize athletes’ health should be considered.
Highlights
The weight division rules in combat sports have been established in order to give every athlete a fair chance to compete in his/her given category
Combat sports athletes regularly engage in rapid weight loss (RWL) so they can compete in the upper spectrum of a lower-weight category and presumably gain the competitive advantage over their lighter opponents
The retrieved studies were comprised of athletes training Muay Thai [14], wrestling [15,16,17], Taekwondo [18], mixed martial arts [19,20,21] and judo [22], which included a total of 171 participants (Table 1)
Summary
The weight division rules in combat sports have been established in order to give every athlete a fair chance to compete in his/her given category. The synergistic effect of food restriction and fluid deprivation creates a “perfect storm” for adverse physiologic effects on the body, leaving the athlete ill-prepared for the competition [7]. It seems that RWL is routinely conducted based on anecdotal evidence that is rooted in dangerous practices that can have serious consequences [8]. Despite a growing body of evidence admonishing this type of behavior, athletes still persist in this practice with prevalence of RWL reaching 90% in some combat sports [9]
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