Making Weight & Everything Else Making weight and everything else | Page 29

Weight cutting happens at all levels: from Olympic athletes to athletes
competing regional level and even children. The younger the athletes start
cutting weight, the higher the risk of long-term health and psychological
problems. For this reason, the early age at which athletes cut weight prior
to a competition for the first time is particularly disturbing. Research has
shown that the average age to start cutting weight is at 14-15 years [42] , while
some children start as early as 12 [43] .
Is it worth it? This section of the book will try to answer this question and
explain how and when to cut weight safely.
Information for children and adolescents about making weight can be
found in the chapter “Nutrition for young athletes.”
“During the Olympic cycle I competed in about 30
competitions. My weight was around 73kg and I lost weight to
reach -66kg every time. At the end of the race I calculated that
I lost and gained 200kg over two years.”
– John, judoka
If you ask athletes, they will all claim advantages in weight cutting. For them
the equation is simple: weight equals power. Science, on the other hand, has
never been able to prove or disprove this. Different research shows results
supporting both sides. Some of the research that found performance
improvement when cutting weight also suggested that the cause was not
necessarily physical. In combat sports, where it is a one-on-one battle and
the survival of the fittest, your mental game plays a significant role.
Weighing far below a weight limit is often considered to be a weakness and
no one wants to be seen as inferior to other competitors. On the other
hand, athletes who cut weight experience a boost in self-confidence [44] .
They know they have a few extra kilograms of strength advantage over the
others, and they feel ready for competition.