As the new sports season is upon us, you will see many athletes trying to work off a few pounds. Then there are the wrestlers. These athletes are trying to cut as much weight as possible, at times resorting to drastic measures to drop weight. While it does work, it need to be done with caution to ensure proper nutrition and hydration

When wrestlers try to drop weight, their goal is to wrestle at the lowest possible weight class, with belief that they are wrestling their opponent while at a peak performance level. If a wrestler does not make his desired weight, he probably won’t wrestle that match, and if he does, it probably won’t be a good matchup, so cutting weight is essential to success. There are, however, several drawbacks to cutting weight, such as dehydration and, in extreme cases, malnutrition. Cutting must be done very carefully to avoid dehydration, which can set a wrestler back much further than the extra weight.

Generally, wrestlers who only need to drop a few pounds or less tend to rely on exercise and healthy diet to consistently make weight. Avoiding large portions unhealthy foods seems to be the key.

Senior and wrestling captain Grant Wohlwend said that weight control depended on, “Portion control and hard work in practice. Stay away from red meats and eat lots of fruits and vegetables.” Sophomore Kjell Sandstrom agreed, saying, “It frankly comes down to better eating and exercise.” Most wrestlers tend to follow this route, though they will use other methods when necessary.

For those who need to drop more weight, shedding water weight on the day of a match becomes their primary goal. This can be done in many ways, from simply doing a cardio workout the day of a match to spitting in a cup all day in school.

Senior Nathan Powers said, “Last year, Wade Hall would run to school everyday before a match to drop weight.” This is generally done while wearing tight, warm clothing to increase the amount of sweat produced and therefore help an athlete drop weight.

While many weight loss methods can leave wrestlers weak and dehydrated, there are several methods that can help a wrestler to quickly drop weight without overly stressing their body.

Powers said, “Saunas can help you lose weight while maintaining energy.” While sauna or hot tub use does nothing but pull water out of wrestlers, it doesn’t exhaust them like other methods could, so even though they are losing water weight, they maintain a healthy energy level for their match.

Wrestlers are always fighting to keep their weight down while remaining effective come match time. As a result, wrestlers will continue to look for ways to cut weight. Not all of them are safe, but by eating healthy foods and working in practice most wrestlers manage to keep their weight down.