ACSM Expert Consensus Statement on Weight Loss in Weight-Category Sports

Burke, Louise and Slater, Gary J. and Matthews, Joseph J. and Langan-Evans, Carl and Horswill, Craig A. (2021) ACSM Expert Consensus Statement on Weight Loss in Weight-Category Sports. Clinical Sports Medicine Reports, 20 (4). pp. 199-217. ISSN 1537-890X

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Abstract

Weight-category sports are defined by the requirement of a weigh-in before competition to provide performance equity and reduced injury risks by eliminating size discrepancies. Athletes in these sports try to gain a theoretical advantage by competing in weight divisions that are lower than their day-to-day body mass (BM), using a combination of chronic strategies (body-fat losses) and acute manipulations over a period of hours to days before weigh-in (“making weight”). Strategies to support safer practices include minimal competition weight classification based on preseason body composition, reductions in the period between weigh-in and competition, and prohibition of unhealthy weight loss techniques. At an individual level, expert guidance by a sports nutrition professional can help an athlete to establish a pragmatic and long-term approach to BM management, recognizing the nuances of their sport, to achieve favorable outcomes for both health and performance.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number:	10.1249/JSR.0000000000000831
Dates:	Date Event 1 March 2021 Accepted 1 April 2021 Published Online
Subjects:	CAH03 - biological and sport sciences > CAH03-02 - sport and exercise sciences > CAH03-02-01 - sport and exercise sciences
Divisions:	Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences > Centre for Life and Sport Sciences (C-LASS)
Depositing User:	Joseph Matthews
Date Deposited:	16 Apr 2021 14:26
Last Modified:	12 Jan 2022 11:36
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/11540

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