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'weight cutting' by boxers and martial arts fighters makes concussion symptoms worse
fighters often try to lose as much water weight as possible in the days before a fight resulting in dangerous levels of dehydration.
apr 18 2022
3 minute read
sixty-five per cent of the fighters in the study had undergone a weight cut resulting in lower energy levels, power and conditioning. getty
boxers and mixed martial arts fighters who ‘cut weight’ — or dehydrate themselves to lose water weight — before a fight are more likely to suffer concussions or head trauma.
a study from the university of essex, st mary’s university, and swansea university in the u.k. found that more than 60 per cent of athletes in combat sports reported worse symptoms after dehydrating themselves to meet a weight class.
the research was published in the clinical journal of sport medicine .
researchers say that current concussion testing does not account for the crossover symptoms between a concussion and dehydration.
“not only is cutting weight through dehydration in and of itself dangerous, but it might actually exacerbate concussion symptoms and, even more concerning, means medical professionals may actually misdiagnose it,” nasir uddin, a researcher from st mary’s and author of the study said in a statement . “going forward, governing bodies should ensure hydration and baseline concussion symptoms are taken into account before and after bouts.”
for the study, more than 132 athletes across six sports were researched. of the total athletes, 115 were male and 17 were female and all were at least 18 years old. data was collected through an online survey.
weight cut “not going to plan”
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researchers also found that 65 per cent of the fighters had undergone what they called a weight cut “not going to plan” and resulting in lower energy levels, power, conditioning, and increased susceptibility to being rocked in a fight. the participants were screened for their medical history and weight loss, completed a weight-cutting questionnaire, were asked about concussion symptoms, and were monitored for weight-cutting symptoms.
“this is perhaps the most surprising finding that not only are weight cuts dangerous — they leave fighters at a disadvantage more often than not and may exacerbate the risks of being further injured,” jamie tallent, an author of the study, said.
weight cutting is considered to be a generally dangerous practice, with fighters losing as much weight as possible — typically water weight — in the days before a fight. in extreme cases, ufc fighters can lose more than 25 pounds, according to men’s journal. but the practice, designed to get into a certain weight class, seems to actually hinder performance in the ring or octagon.
researchers are calling for concussion symptoms to be monitored alongside fighters’ hydration levels to avoid any effects of rapid weight loss that could impact concussion assessment, and prevent misdiagnosis.
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“rapid weight loss and concussion symptoms are strongly associated with most of the athletes reporting a deterioration of concussion symptoms during a weight cut,” the study reads.
scientists suggest that the effects of a concussion may last longer based on hydration levels.
“ the most frequently reported symptom resolution times were 24 to 48 hours for a weight cut and three to five days for a concussion, with 60 to 70 per cent of athletes reporting a deterioration and lengthening of concussion symptoms when undergoing a weight cut,” the study reads.
lithuanian ufc fighter julija stoliarenko fainted twice during her weigh-in for ufc vegas 22 in march 2021. stoliarenko was set to compete in the bantam weight class, at 135.5 lbs. the incident is regularly blamed on her weight cutting. the fight, scheduled for the next day, was canceled.
chris arnold is a toronto-based writer.
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