[A study on nutrition habits and weight loss practice methods in wrestlers]

Today, the use of dietary supplements and unhealthy weight loss methods is becoming increasingly common, particularly among athletes who compete in weight-class sports like wrestling. The aim of this study was to investigate the eating habits and weight cutting methods of wrestlers. Material and methods. The descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted in 96 male wrestlers between the ages of 18-30 years who have been wrestling for at least 3 years. The participants' dietary habits, fluid consumption, nutritional supplement use, pre- and post-training eating habits and weight cutting methods were collected by faceto- face interview method with a questionnaire form. Results. Most participants (70.8%) consumed three main meals a day, but only 37.5% had one snack a day. The reasons for skipping meals were lack of time (41.8%) and lack of habit (19.0%). Among the wrestlers, 33.3% used nutritional supplements and usually due to the influence of the coach (50.0%) or their own will (46.9%). In addition, 61.5% of the athletes practiced certain weight cutting methods, and the most common methods were excessive activity (43.8%), low-calorie diet (37.5%) and sweating in sauna/ham (36.5%). Although the use of nutritional supplements and weight cutting methods was more common in wrestlers who were in the national team and had a ranking (more successful wrestlers), the differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion. Since regular and balanced nutrition and the application of healthy methods of weight reduction not only maintain the health and performance of athletes, but also reduce the risk of injury, it is essential to educate athletes in terms of nutrition and health.