title: Rapid Weight Loss in Sports with Weight Classes.
abstract: Weight-sensitive sports are popular among elite and nonelite athletes. Rapid weight loss (RWL) practice has been an essential part of many of these sports for many decades. Due to the limited epidemiological studies on the prevalence of RWL, its true prevalence is unknown. It is estimated that more than half of athletes in weight-class sports have practiced RWL during the competitive periods. As RWL can have significant physical, physiological, and psychological negative effects on athletes, its practice has been discouraged for many years. It seems that appropriate rule changes have had the biggest impact on the practice of RWL in sports like wrestling. An individualized and well-planned gradual and safe weight loss program under the supervision of a team of coaching staff, athletic trainers, sports nutritionists, and sports physicians is recommended.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Denver, CO; 2United World Wrestling Medical Committee, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; and 3Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khodaee
authors.forename: Lucianne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Olewinski
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shadgan
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Kiningham
mesh_terms: D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D003681:Dehydration / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D064797:Physical Conditioning, Human / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*