To: Lightweight Coaches

From: Lightweight Task Force: USRowing

Re: Lightweights - "Making Weight"

Date: April 21, 1993

In an effort to address the concern of athletes taking extreme
measures to "make weight," a Lightweight Task Force was formed.
The Task Force was established to discuss this issue and to make
recommendations or suggestions for decreasing the occurrence of
this problem. At the same time, during this process, the Task
Force felt it was important to work with coaches and athletes
to encourage safe practices for lightweight rowing.

A number of recommendations were made and are currently under
consideration. One recommendation with a high priority was to
"inform" coaches and athletes of the dangers and problems
associated with extreme weight loss measures.

PROBLEM
A potential for health emergencies exists when rowers become
extremely dehydrated by using excessive measures (long sessions
of exercise, induced vomiting, use of laxatives or diuretics
during the weigh-in process) prior to the exertion of racing.
The problem seems more prevalent with the collegiate and club
rowers, rather than elite athletes.

The following information has been compiled to make coaches and
athletes aware of the risks - both health- and performance-
related, associated with "making weight" through excessive
measures:

. The healthiest way to lose weight is slowly, with full hydration
and good nutrition. This means systematically losing and then
maintaining weight.

. There are two major health risks involved in losing weight for
athletic competition: dehydration and malnutrition.
Dehydration is the most acute and the most dangerous.

. Endurance athletes must be concerned with dehydration. In
mild environments, body water losses more than -3% of body
weight result in reduced VO2 max. In hot environments, small
to moderate water losses (-2% to -4% of body weight) result in
large reductions in VO2 max.

. Exercising or competing while dehydrated causes the body to
overheat. Heat cramps, heat stroke and heat exhaustion may
set in.

. Though you can largely rehydrate in 12 hours, it takes 24
hours for full rehydration.

. When rapid weight loss techniques are used, primarily water
and lean body mass is lost, not fat. The result is a decrease
in muscle carbohydrate stores, or glycogen, and muscle water.
This translates into decrements of temperature regulation,
cardiovascular function, endurance, and possibly power when
muscular contractions are sustained and repeated longer than
30 seconds.

. The methods of rapid weight loss appear to affect athletic
performance differently:

. Water loss via diuretic use results in great reductions in
cardiovascular endurance and in larger fluid loss from the
circulation system than other forms of dehydration.

. Strength athletes are likely to show impairment of perform-
ance if weight loss is accomplished by fluid restriction.

. When rapid weight loss occurs via exercise and heat expo-
sure, decreases in strength and power are even more likely
to result.

. Rapid weight loss may result in psychological changes that
influence performance negatively.

Robert P. Walton cs883@cleveland.freenet.edu