Rapid Extreme Weight Cuts have taken their toll on the health of many combat sport practitioners and may even play a role in fatalities in combat sports such as boxing and MMA.
Regulators and others involved in the industry have slowly started to take notice with calls for reform with perhaps the most viable suggestion being that athletes be required to pass a hydration test when making weight.
A new study has now been published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism documenting more harms of the practice. The study reviews biochemical and hormonal responses between MMA practitioners who undertake rapid cuts versus those that do not. In short the study concludes “The practice of rapid weight loss showed a negative impact on energy availability and increased both muscle damage markers and catabolic expression in MMA fighters.”
An abstract of the recent study,titled Rapid Weight Loss Elicits Harmful Biochemical and Hormonal Responses in Mixed Martial Arts Athletes, can be found here.
Combat Sports Law 