Weight, be it in sports or any other aspect of life is a significant issue. Where as models become slaves to the scale in a bid to appeal to the masses and maintain their physical appearances, sportsmen the world over are engaging gin rapid weight-loss programs in their pursuit of the perfect body shape. Given the strenuous nature of such training techniques complications are bound to occur, some of which have proven fatal. In 1997, for instance, three States across the US were treated to a rude shock when within two months three amateur athletes succumbed to rapid weight-loss-related complications. While some news outlets cited coincidence, the training regimen came under scrutiny nonetheless. Besides the potentially destructive diet plan that athletes subject themselves to, subjecting one to heated rooms, and vapour-impermeable kits is unscrupulous.
The deaths of the three collegiate athletes demonstrate the growing need to regulate how much and how fast athletes can loose their weight. Although the decision rests solely on the athlete, some coaches, as observed by Litsky (1997) tend to force trainees to engage in rapid weight-loss training exercises. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (1998), one or in combination, extreme weight-loss regimens affect one’s cardiovascular activity, renal function, body composition, electrolyte balance, and muscular endurance. Given scientific backing for concerns raised by CDC, it begs the ethical question of why the decision to engage in such programs should rest solely on the athletes, without the supervision of medical personnel to ensure weight loss is done in a healthy manner.
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Although some quarters in the wake of the three deaths cited coincidence, report by CDC (1998) revealed that all three athletes wore vapour-impermeable suits and pushed their bodies past their limits by training in hot environments. The toxicology reports of all three wrestlers would show that they all suffered dehydration as indicated by elevated levels of sodium and urea. Given the difference in body weight of collegiate athletes during preseason and their competitive weights, the failure to establish limits for safe weight-loss leaves a gray area for malpractice to thrive. It is the ethical responsibility of athletics staff to advise their trainees on safe weight-loss and ensure that the guidelines set by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are adhered to. Therefore, the fact that three athletes lost their lives under the watch of their coaches given the presence of guidelines that guard against such eventualities is tragic.
In the wake of the deaths, the NCAA revised the guidelines to introduce penalties for non-compliance and prohibited potentially fatal weight-loss practices (Gibbs, Pickerman, & Sekiya, 2009). The NCAA has since introduced radical measures to curb unhealthy weight-loss by identifying the maximum weight that an athlete may loose between the first weigh-in and first meet. Although the debate surrounding the rapid weight-loss often focus on extreme training regimen, Wayne (2015) observes that unhealthy eating habits are equally dangerous. Wayne (2015) observes that the strict cycle of starvation and binge eating takes a toll on the athlete both psychologically and physically.
Dehydration is the widely practised form of rapid weight-loss technique. Dehydration, according to Wayne (2015) has serious health implications, as it adversely affects the heart and kidney. While the war on obesity has intensified over the years, there is a case to be made against the unethical advice for unhealthy weight-loss. It is arguable that athletes who are advised to lose weight are more often than not left to do so on their own. Consequently, their weight-loss endeavors open avenues for commercial weight loss products that have shown little if any evidence of long-term efficacy. With little or no supervision from health professionals participants are likely to go overboard, leading to health complications.
To ensure athletes do not abuse the available weight-loss regimens, athletes should be informed of the dangers of extreme training techniques. Although CDC (1998) has outlined measures to reduce incidences of risky weight-loss, including the elimination of weight-control sports that emphasize rapid weight-loss, the identification of appropriate weights by health professionals, and limiting the maximum allowable weight-loss, athletes still engage in harmful weight-loss activities. The use of intentional dehydration to lose weight is unethical given dehydration has been shown to cause bodily harm, especially when combined with other extreme exercises.
To realize the highly sought-after competitiveness, athletes ought to realize that to compete; they must first remain alive. Therefore, they should engage only in weight-loss programs that allow them to loss considerable amount of weight over a reasonable period. The National Federation of State High School Associations has introduced a protocol to guard against drastic weight-loss and ensure that athletes do not engage in harmful exercises. This Protocol shifts the focus from weight-loss for competitiveness to wrestling skills (Gibbs, Pickerman, & Sekiya, 2009).
Although the choice of how fast and how much weight more often than not rests solely on the athlete, the relevant bodies have introduced guidelines and protocols aimed at protecting athletes from themselves. Even so, before the introduction of the guidelines, the gray areas surrounding rapid weight-loss practices provided grounds for malpractice to thrive. For instance, the failure to establish how much and how fast the weight-loss could be permitted served as a loophole for unethical weight-loss practices, especially when commercial interests are involved.
References
CDC. (1998). Hyperthermia and dehydration-related deaths associated with
intentional rapid weight loss in three collegiate wrestlers--North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Michigan, November-December 1997. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 47 (6), p.105.
Gibbs, A. E., Pickerman, J., & Sekiya, J. K. (2009). Weight Management in Amateur
Wrestling. Sports Health , 1 (3), 227–230.
Litsky, F. (1997 December, 19). Wrestling; Collegiate wrestling deaths raise fears
about training. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/19/sports/wrestling-collegiate-wrestling-deaths-raise-fears-about-training.html
Wayne, J. (2015 December, 5). Long-term effects of cutting weight in wrestling.
Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/516856-good-foods-to-eat-when-cutting-weight-for-wrestling/
