Weight loss through dehydration in amateur wrestling.

The desire of the intense, highly competitive athlete to alter body weight without medical supervision commonly results in ineffective, hazardous, and counterproductive abuses that may often endanger health and may affect final growth potential in young wrestlers. Corrective nutrition practices are critical for the endurance athlete to train, compete, and avoid injuries effectively. The best preventive measure may be the education of wrestlers, parents, and coaches about the consequences of rapid and extreme weight loss and the significant role nutrition plays in successful training and competition for the endurance athlete, fluid replacement being a key concern. For as long as wrestlers are required to compete in different weight categories, the popular practice of competing at the lowest possible weight will probably continue. The best course of action nutrition professionals can take is to become acutely aware of the unique nutritional concerns of these athletes in order to make this practice as safe as possible.