Vinesh Phogat Disqualification: Amid the national heartbreak over Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024, the controversial practice of weight-cutting is again under the spotlight.
Phogat gave a victorious performance and made her way to the finals, becoming the first Indian female wrestler to compete for gold in Olympics. Phogat etched her name in history as she defeated the four-time world champion and defending Japanese wrestler Yui Susaki in the first round and then took down Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semi-final. Her final match for the Gold medal was scheduled on August 8 at 12:45 am.
On Tuesday night, Phogat cleared the weigh-in on Tuesday and she was found to be “a few grams over 50 kg” on Wednesday morning’s weigh-in. The Indian Express reported that she was reportedly 2 kilos overweight on Tuesday night. She tried her best to shed overnight but couldn’t.
In the recent years, the issue of banning the practice of drastically cutting (and then gaining) weight ahead of their fights has come up time and again. Combat sports — wrestling, boxing, judo, mixed martial arts (MMA), etc. — are organised according to weight classes. Weight is a crucial factor to make sure larger and bulkier athletes do not get a natural advantage over smaller ones and the competition remains fair.
What are weigh-ins?
Athletes who that take part in a particular weight class (say 50 kg) have to weigh equal to, or less than, the stipulated weight. Although weight is never static, it is not feasible to constantly monitor an athlete’s weight throughout a competition. To overcome this challenge, a system of weigh-ins are used in combat sports.
There are designated times before (and in some competitions, after) when an athlete has to be weighed, and meet the requirements of their weight class. According to United World Wrestling’s (UWW) Olympics weigh-in rules, wrestlers are weighed on the morning of their competition, while wearing their singlet. Since the Olympics competition goes on for two days, there are two weigh-ins — there is a 30 minute period on Day 1, and a 15 minute period on Day 2.
What is weight-cutting?
Weight-cutting is a practice in which athletes drastically reducing their weight in a short period of time. According to a report by the Indian Express, this is done by athletes to make the stipulated weight in time for weigh-ins.
Combat atheletes believe that cutting weight before a bout can be advantageous for them over their opponent in the ring as they can gain back the weight and weigh more than what their weight class stipulates. The process of weight cutting involves getting rid of accumulated water as apparently it is the easiest way to shed. This is usually done by not drinking water, carrying out intense exercise, using saunas, wearing heavy clothing, etc. to lose this water weight through sweat. Th atheletes also do not eat anything ahead of weigh-ins.
After the weigh-ins, the athletes can gain back the weight through the intake of lots of fluids and carb heavy meals.
“Wrestlers often engage in various methods to cut weight, aiming to compete in lower weight classes, gaining a competitive advantage. Wrestlers typically start by reducing their daily caloric intake, especially carbohydrates creating a calorie deficit to lose weight. Dehydration is another common method, achieved through limited water intake, sauna suits, or hot tubs. This leads to rapid weight loss. Some wrestlers use sweating techniques like sauna suits, intense exercise, or rubdowns to lose water weight. Salt restriction is also used to minimize water retention,” Dr Ajay Agarwal, Senior Director – Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Noida told Financial Express.com.
‘These practices pose significant health risks’
Although weight-cutting is widely used in combat sports, it can have serious consequences on the athlete’s health. In 2018, UFC fighter Uriah Hall suffered “mini-seizure” and a “slight heart attack” during weight cutting, according to an official press release by UFC. In 2015, Chinese MMA fighter Yang Jian Bing, who competed in the ONE Championship, died due to dehydration while cutting weight.
Dr. Agarwal maintains that wrestlers use various methods to cut weight, however many of these practices pose significant health risks. It is therefore important to promote sustainable and safer ways of weight management of the athletes, he emphasised.
“…these practices can be harmful especially in the long run.These can lead to severe health issues, including dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and organ damage acutely. Dehydration can cause dizziness, headaches, and loss of consciousness (syncope). Severe calorie restriction can lead to malnutrition, fatigue, and weakened immunity. Repeated cycles of weight loss and gain can disrupt hormones, metabolism, and electrolyte balances,” he told Financial Express.com.
Long term effects include eating disorders, hormonal imbalances, osteoporosis, recurrent infections due to decreased immunity and cardiovascular problems, he said.
Dr Tushar Tayal, Lead Consultant, Department of Internal Medicine, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram revealed that some athletes also use medications or natural diuretics to increase urine output.
“Some may use laxatives to reduce weight quickly, though this is less common and more dangerous,” Dr. Tayal told Financial Express.com.
He also revealed that repeated cycles of rapid weight loss and regain can cause chronic dehydration, kidney damage, metabolic disorders, hormonal imbalances, and psychological issues like eating disorders.