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. 2021 Apr 1;20(4):199-217.
doi: 10.1249/JSR.0000000000000831.

ACSM Expert Consensus Statement on Weight Loss in Weight-Category Sports

Louise M Burke  1 , Gary J Slater  2 , Joseph J Matthews, Carl Langan-Evans  3 , Craig A Horswill  4
Affiliations

ACSM Expert Consensus Statement on Weight Loss in Weight-Category Sports

Louise M Burke et al. Curr Sports Med Rep. .

Abstract

Weight-category sports are defined by the requirement of a weigh-in before competition to provide performance equity and reduced injury risks by eliminating size discrepancies. Athletes in these sports try to gain a theoretical advantage by competing in weight divisions that are lower than their day-to-day body mass (BM), using a combination of chronic strategies (body-fat losses) and acute manipulations over a period of hours to days before weigh-in ("making weight"). Strategies to support safer practices include minimal competition weight classification based on preseason body composition, reductions in the period between weigh-in and competition, and prohibition of unhealthy weight loss techniques. At an individual level, expert guidance by a sports nutrition professional can help an athlete to establish a pragmatic and long-term approach to BM management, recognizing the nuances of their sport, to achieve favorable outcomes for both health and performance.

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References

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