Body-Weight Fluctuation in Collegiate Wrestlers: Implications of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Weight-Certification Program

OBJECTIVE: To determine fluctuations in total body weight of the elite collegiate wrestler during the competitive season. DESIGN AND SETTING: The study period lasted 2 competitive seasons, beginning 1 month before the 1999-2000 and 2000- 2001 competitive seasons and ending 1 month after the National Championships. SUBJECTS: Seventy-eight male subjects (age = 21.3 +/- 1.5 years, height = 154.1 +/- 0.5 cm) from 4 major universities whose teams finished in the top 5 at both the 2000 and 2001 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I National Wrestling Championships. MEASUREMENTS: Each subject was asked to report to the testing area 24 hours before, 1 hour before, and 24 hours after a competitive wrestling match, and weight was recorded to the nearest 0.1 lb (0.45 kg). Comparisons among the prematch weights, official weigh-ins, and postmatch weights were made using a randomized, 1-group, repeated-measures factorial analysis of covariance with an alpha level of.05. RESULTS: A significant difference (F(2,154) = 229.99, P <.0001) existed in subjects' weights 24 hours (73.93 +/- 11.62 kg) and 1 hour (72.53 +/- 11.66 kg) before a competitive match and 24 hours after (73.65 +/- 13.58 kg) a competitive match. Additionally, we computed 2 t tests to determine the difference among weight changes 24 hours and 1 hour before and 24 hours after a competitive wrestling match. A significant difference was noted between body-weight changes 24 hours and 1 hour before the match (t(77) = 56.21, P <.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Elite collegiate wrestlers, like novice wrestlers, significantly reduce weight immediately before and gain weight after the competition.