The issue of weight is extremely important in many sports. For some athletes (basketball, rugby, etc.), an increase in body weight (provided that this increase is the result of an increase in muscle mass) provides obvious benefits. Others, on the contrary, have to reduce body weight before the competition. Many sports involve organizing competitions according to the principle of weight categories. These include bodybuilding, boxing, equestrianism, martial arts, rowing, barbell, wrestling. In addition, there is a group of sports in which, although such a concept as “weight category” is not used, a certain type of athlete’s physique is assumed, and traditionally this is, as a rule, a small weight athlete. This group includes such sports as gymnastics, figure skating, synchronized swimming, dancing, long-distance running, etc.

The problems facing the athletes of both groups of sports are the same. According to the usual criteria, an athlete may not be overweight, but for a particular sport or for the weight category in which the athlete competes, his body weight may exceed the allowable norm. The demands made by the sport often lead to attempts by the athlete to reduce weight at any cost. Often this happens at a cost to physical performance and health in general. The basic rule for an athlete is that any attempt to reduce weight must be directed towards achieving a weight and body composition that is optimal for health and physical performance. In addition, any weight loss program must necessarily contain an educational component. Otherwise, eating disorders, diets, various weight loss drugs that flood the market become an inevitable practice from which athletes are not protected.

Below are some practical recommendations that are useful to consider before embarking on weight loss. It is possible that some criteria and answers to questions will be useful in determining the optimal weight of an athlete.

1. The advantage is not weight, but health and fitness:
– do not aim to achieve an unrealistic weight (it is useful, first of all, to answer the questions: have you ever kept the weight you want to achieve without resorting to diets; what was the last weight you held; are there any indications that weight loss will improve physical fitness, etc.);
– pay more attention not to weight, but to body composition and lifestyle;
– avoid rapid weight loss;
– monitor changes in physical performance and general condition associated with weight loss.

2. Change in diet and eating behavior:
– do not starve and do not allow an excessive reduction in the calorie content of the diet (at least 1200-1500 kcal for women and at least 1500-1800 kcal for men);
– moderately reduce energy intake and change the diet so that it is acceptable and achievable with your lifestyle;
– do not set unrealistic dietary rules and do not regularly deprive yourself of your favorite foods;
– reduce fat intake;
– eat more whole grains and cereals, vegetables and fruits, increase the amount of dietary fiber in the diet to 25 or more grams per day;
– do not skip meals and avoid excessive hunger; have breakfast, as this will help you not to overeat later;
– nutrition before training (competition) must be adequate;
– plan ahead for the possibility of snacking, take some healthy foods with you if necessary, always consume high-carbohydrate foods after intense physical activity;
– know your weaknesses, such as: do you eat more when you are excited, upset, depressed? Can you handle a situation where there is plenty of food around?

3. Correction of the schedule of physical activity:
– aerobic exercise and strength training should be included as a mandatory component of physical activity, since their presence is an absolute requirement for burning fat and maintaining muscle mass;
– these exercises should become regular regardless of training as such.
Thus, first of all, it is desirable to make the necessary reasonable changes in the diet and schedule of the athlete’s physical activity. In the event that weight loss remains a real need for an athlete, it is advisable to start a systematic weight loss program as early as possible in order to avoid weight circulation in the future. Weight loss programs are not recommended to be combined with periods of intense endurance training, as in this case the training cannot be expected to are quite intense and will contribute to the improvement of the athlete’s physical form. Also be aware of the adverse effects of diets inadequate in energy and/or protein on immune system function.

In practice, weight loss is divided by speed: gradual (from several months), moderate (several weeks) and fast (24-72 hours). The most common method of rapid weight loss is dehydration. In this context, this definition includes measures that affect water loss through increased sweating (sauna, special clothing, etc.). This is not to say that these methods do not have negative consequences (ultimately dehydration can disrupt thermoregulation), however, they remain a powerful tool for reducing body weight if necessary to do so in a short period of time.

For weight loss at any rate, the negative energy balance method is acceptable. Ideally, the athlete sets himself the goal of achieving the desired weight in a real period of time and adheres to the tactics of gradual weight loss (maximum 0.5-1 kg per week) [Shaping diet].
With this approach – a negative energy balance by increasing energy expenditure and reducing energy consumption, minimal loss of “lean mass” is guaranteed. Ideally, the negative energy balance should be 400-800 kcal per day (an average 10-25% reduction in dietary calories). If the calorie content of an athlete’s diet becomes lower than 1800-1900 kcal per day, then the necessary replenishment of muscle glycogen stores becomes difficult and adequate energy supply of physical activity during intense training is impossible. In addition, with very low-calorie diets (about 800 kcal per day), as well as low-calorie diets practiced for a long time, a significant part of the weight loss is water and protein loss. Also, due to the reserves of water and protein (50 percent or more of the lost weight), weight loss occurs in case of rapid loss.

Often athletes who resort to the practice of weight loss programs already have a low percentage of body fat. In this case, the achievement of the required weight is possible only through the loss of “lean mass” with an insignificant contribution of fat. component. Weight loss in this case occurs due to a decrease in water reserves in the body, muscle and liver glycogen stores, i.e. reserves critical to athletic performance.

Of great importance is the time remaining with the athlete after the procedure for determining the weight category immediately before the performance. This remaining time must be used wisely to restore glycogen stores, water, and replace electrolytes lost during dehydration. Sports drinks (5-10% carbs and electrolytes) in combination with high-carbohydrate sources such as sports bars (at least 2-3 hours before competition) are well suited to achieve these goals in the short term.

In general, it is wise to adhere to the following recommendations:
– perform in a real weight category, not set unattainable goals;
– try to reduce weight gradually, strive for maximum loss of the fat component of body weight. In some cases, the following scheme is possible: to remove most of the excess weight gradually during the pre-competition period and the subsequent weight – by dehydration 24-48 hours before the competition;
– try to accompany the training process with a high-carbohydrate diet (60-70% of the energy consumed from carbohydrates), since muscle and liver glycogen stores should rise in the best possible way, despite the period of weight loss;
– the recommended amount of protein is 1.2-1.8 g / kg of body weight, and the ratio “amount of protein: amount of energy received” is important and should be increased in case of a decrease in the calorie content of the diet;
– use vitamin-mineral complexes if the amount of food consumed is limited for 3-4 weeks or more;
– maintain normal hydration during the training process, with the exception of the 24-48 hour period before the determination of the weight category in case weight correction by dehydration is necessary;
– in the case of using dehydration for weight correction, try to maximize the period of time between the procedure for determining the weight category and the performance in order to use this time to restore energy reserves and water reserves in the body.