The Weight Cut

Aman Sehrawat faced a hard challenge before his bronze medal play-off after losing in the semifinals on Thursday, August 8. The Indian wrestler weighed 61.5kg, 4.5 kg more than the permissible limit for the men’s 57kg category, and had only 10 hours to lose the extra weight. Having to lose significant weight suddenly is an extreme experience. Going without food or water for hours, athletes may even resort to spitting out saliva to shed ounces. In dire situations, they don sauna suits that feel like furnaces and run to sweat out excess weight.

Shedding weight is a common practice in Olympic wrestling, as well as most sports with weight categories. “Weight cutting is routine, normal for us, but there was tension, a lot of tension due to what happened the other day (with Vinesh Phogat). We could not let another medal slip,” said coach Virender Dahiya.

How it works

In the weeks before an event, athletes “cut” up to 10% of their body mass to fit into a lower weight category. As they struggle to lose every gram before the weigh-in, the last 24 hours are exceptionally stressful. They then strive to regain weight after ‘making weight’ on competition morning, usually by supplementing fluids lost in the process.

After the competition, the cycle begins again: increase strength and muscular mass, then lose weight in preparation for the next event.

Aman lost 4.5 kg in 10 hours

He worked hard with his coaches, Jagmander Singh and Virender Dahiya, to drop the required kilos. He lost the semifinal at around 6:30 p.m. The ‘mission’ began with a one-and-a-half-hour mat session in which the two senior coaches taught him standing wrestling, followed by a one-hour hot-bath session. At 12:30, they went to the gym, where Aman ran nonstop for an hour on the treadmill. (Sweating helps shed weight.) After a 30-minute break, he took five 5-minute sauna baths. By the end of the last session, Aman was still 900 grams over the limit. He was massaged, and then the trainers told him to do some running. By 4:30 a.m., Aman weighed 56.9 kg - 100 grams less than the required threshold. The coaches and wrestler breathed a sigh of relief. Aman was given only lukewarm water with lemon and honey between these weight-loss sessions, and a small cup of coffee.

Skipping to slim

Aman’s experience was not the first, and won’t be the last. At the 2018 Silesian Open Boxing Tournament in Poland, Mary Kom was close to disqualification. She weighed over 48 kg before the weigh-in. However, she managed to shed enough kilos to make it – she dropped 2 kg in 4 hours. Her methods included an hour of skipping.

“Skipping, or jumping rope, is a powerhouse workout for weight loss, capable of torching a substantial number of calories in just a few minutes,” says Zaineb Ali, a certified Level 1 & 2 Pilates instructor and founder of Pilates & Beyond.

“Skipping has a high-intensity nature that boosts cardiovascular health by increasing heart and lung capacity, as well as stamina and endurance,” she says. Skipping can burn 10 calories in a minute and also strengthen your legs, buttocks, shoulders, belly and arms. “On average, you can burn 200 calories in 10 minute-sessions each day,” Zaineb adds.

Realistic expectations

“When athletes attempt to lose weight before a tournament, their primary focus is on reducing their body water content. It is not simple to lose fat overnight,” says Dr G. Parthasarathy, Sr. Consultant, Surgical Gastroenterology, Laparoscopic & Hepato-Pancreaticobiliary Surgery, KIMS Hospitals.

Rapid weight loss is always dangerous, not just for athletes. “Athletes use it only in an emergency and as a very temporary way to ensure that they fit into a weight category. They don’t do it routinely. Rapid weight loss can cause serious stress on the kidneys,” says Dr Parthasarathy. “The body’s overall salt composition, including electrolytes, is affected. Losing water and salt can potentially lead to cardiac or heart-related disturbances. Similarly, experiencing massive diarrhoea or vomiting can lead to kidney failure, serious cardiac issues, or low blood pressure. All this can happen when you try to lose weight rapidly,” he explains.

Weighing in on safe practices

“If weight loss is planned and limited to 2-2.25 kg (depending on the athlete’s metabolism), it's healthy, but trying to lose too much weight too soon can lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and reduced muscle productivity,” says Dr Kavya Dendukuri, Lead Consultant Hepatologist & Gastroenterologist, Kamineni Hospitals. “Losing 1-1.5 kg per week is normal for an ordinary person,” she says. “Because of good muscle metabolism, athletes can lose weight faster depending on the requirement of sport.”

“There should be a combination of strength training, high-intensity cardio and high-intensity interval training, along with a cal-deficit diet,” recommends Dr Kavya. She stresses that once the individual achieves fat loss, they should return to their regular calorie intake.

“When athletes attempt to lose weight before a tournament, their primary focus is on reducing their body water content. It is not simple to lose fat overnight.” — Dr G. Parthasarathy, Sr. Consultant, Surgical Gastroenterology, Laparoscopic & Hepato-Pancreaticobiliary Surgery, KIMS Hospitals.

“If weight loss is planned and limited to 2-2.25 kg, it’s healthy, but trying to lose too much weight too soon can lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and reduced muscle productivity.” — Dr. Kavya Dendukuri, Consultant Hepatologist & Gastroenterologist, Kamineni Hospitals

Skipping is not just about calorie burning; it engages multiple muscle groups, including the legs, core and arms, promoting overall muscle tone.” — Zaineb Ali, Consultant a certified Level 1 & 2 Pilates instructor and founder of Pilates & Beyond