[Optimal strategies to loose bodyweight for weight-class sports]

Weight-class sports incite the sportsmen to loose weight to change class and increase their chance of success in competition. Although these sports are very demanding on the physiological level (high intensity), most of the competitors undertake caloric restrictions that are likely to induce physiological disorders detrimental to their health and sport performances. Two strategies allow to loose bodyweight. The first is maintained over a very short time (less than 1 week), the second is maintained over a longer period (several weeks). Managing weight reduction, food intake, and physical activities over several weeks is a particularly efficient way to conserve the sportsman's performance abilities. On the other hand, the transgression of certain principles in only one of these fields is enough to deteriorate the sportsman's capacities of performance and (or) his health, whatever the duration of the period of the loss of weight. During food restriction, the carbohydrate and protein rations must be increased to prevent the unavoidable involutions of body composition and performance. In spite of food restriction, the training intensity must be high, and only the training volume must decrease to remain competitive.