The Risks of Weight-Making Strategies for Athletes

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About This Episode:

“Weight cutting” is a common practice in weight-class based sports. And typically, combat sport athletes have reported cutting the largest amounts of weight for competition.

The concept of cutting weight is based on the assumption that a size advantage gives a performance advantage in combat sports. And by getting into a lower weight class than their “normal” weight, athletes can enjoy an advantage (or, more accurately, not be at a disadvantage).

The decrease in weight from an athlete’s habitual weight to their weight-class limit typically has two phases: a chronic weight loss phase (gradual dieting to lose fat mass), and an acute weight loss phase (rapid declines in weight due to losses of water, glycogen and gut residue).

To discuss the science, practical application and dangers of weight cutting strategies, performance dietitian Jordan Sullivan is on the podcast.

Jordan has been the performance dietitian for several years to Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski, Leon Edwards, Dan Hooker, Kai Kara-France, and many other well-known names.

And he is the co-author, along with Danny, of the new textbook ‘Making Weight: The Ultimate Science Based Guide to Cutting Weight for Combat Sports’.