By Hugh C. McBride
They are often among the strongest and best-conditioned athletes, but high school and collegiate wrestlers are also at an increased likelihood for following eating and exercise patterns that look a lot like eating disorders.
Though there is little concrete data on the prevalence of disordered eating among high school and collegiate wrestlers, the sport’s unique weight-related demands often force the athletes into behaviors that put their health and, in a few tragic cases, their lives in jeopardy.
‘Making Weight’ at any Cost
From youth leagues to the Olympics, wrestlers compete in weight classes that have been created to ensure that the athletes are fairly matched in terms of size (and, in younger competitors, age):
- Because youth wrestling is not governed by a national organization, classifications vary from state to state and tournament to tournament. Elementary-age wrestlers are usually divided according to both age and weight, while middle-schoolers usually compete according to weight alone.
- The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) mandates that high school wrestlers be divided into 14 classes, most of which ensure that competitors have no more than an eight-pound disparity.
- For college grapplers, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has established nine weight classes between 125 pounds and 197 pounds, with a 10th “heavyweight” division open to competitors between 183 pounds and 285 pounds.
The pressure to remain in a particular weight class, or to drop to a lower class, can be quite intense, especially at the higher age levels. As a result, many wrestlers and coaches have participated in or encouraged extreme weight control measures such as fasting, purging, and excessive exercise.
In an Oct. 4, 2004, article in Princeton University’s Daily Princetonian newspaper, staff writer Elyse Graham described how the pressure to “make weight” affected one of the school’s wrestlers, a then-sophomore who was identified only by a pseudonymous first name:
Paul worked himself down to 5 percent body fat in high school. (According to the U.S. Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Division, the healthy range for body fat is 13 to 16 percent for men and 20 to 25 percent for women.)
"I was just so obsessed with food because I couldn't have it," Paul said. "Then one day I went home, and I just gorged myself on food. And I was like, well, I could burn all this off, or I could stick my finger down my throat."
Paul continued to binge and purge regularly, using a toothbrush or a pen to force himself to vomit his meals. He also got up at 5:40 every morning to run two miles, train two hours every day and lift weights at night.
"I told myself, 'This isn't bulimia, because I'm doing it for wrestling,'" Paul said.
Paul, who told Graham that he eventually realized that his behavior was doing him much more harm than good, said that he was able to put a stop to his disordered eating – a decision that he said improved his health, his athletic ability, and his overall outlook on life.
Other wrestlers haven’t been so lucky.
Three Deaths in 32 Days
The issue of unsafe weight practices among elite wrestlers gained national attention in 1997, when three collegiate grapplers, all of whom were engaging in extreme measures to make weight, died within a 32-day period. Earl E. Walker Jr., Ed.D, described the circumstances surrounding each death in an April 22, 1998 article titled “The Effects of Dehydration on Wrestling Performance and Health”:
Billy Saylor was attempting to compete at the 195 lbs weight class in a tournament to be held on Nov. 8. Prior to the season his weight had been as high as 233 lbs. Beginning on Nov. 6 he began his attempt to lose 15 lbs. to make the weight class. On Nov. 7 while continuing the weight loss procedure, he became disoriented and discontinued exercising at approximately 2:45 am. Within an hour he developed cardiorespiratory arrest and died. …
On Nov. 21, Joe LaRosa was attempting to lose 4 lbs. to compete at the 153 lbs weight class in a tournament scheduled for the following day. His preseason weight had been recorded at 178 lbs. on Sept. 6. Four hours after beginning the same weight loss procedure described above, Joe stopped exercising and verbally expressed that he felt sick. He soon developed cardiorespiratory arrest and died. The cause of death was determined to be hyperthermia.
On Dec. 9, Jeff Reese began the same weight loss procedure described above. He was attempting to lose 6 lbs. to compete at the 153 lbs. weight class for a meet scheduled for the next day. His weight had been recorded at 180 lbs. prior to the season. Approximately 4 hours after he began the weight cutting procedure he felt faint and had difficulty breathing. He soon developed cardiorespiratory arrest and died.
On Dec. 9, Jeff Reese began the same weight loss procedure described above. He was attempting to lose 6 lbs. to compete at the 153 lbs. weight class for a meet scheduled for the next day. His weight had been recorded at 180 lbs. prior to the season. Approximately 4 hours after he began the weight cutting procedure he felt faint and had difficulty breathing. He soon developed cardiorespiratory arrest and died.
Keeping Wrestlers Safe
In response to the deaths of Saylor, LaRosa, and Reese, national athletic oversight organizations and wrestling associations came under significant pressure to institute safeguards to prevent future weight-related tragedies.
According to Mike Viscardi, the author of Weight Issues in Wrestling, the NCAA acted quickly, passing the following rule changes in January 1998 (less than two months after the three wrestlers had died):
· The use of saunas (defined as a room with a temperature above 79 degrees), as well as rubber and impermeable suits, is now banned.
· A seven-pound weight allowance has been added to each class, an increase from the previous one-pound allowance. This means that a wrestler in a 118-pound class can actually weigh up to 125 pounds.
· The weigh-in time has been moved from 24 hours before the match to two hours before the match.
Viscardi and others have noted that moving the weigh-in time to just before the match may be the most significant change, as it will prevent wrestlers from starving or dehydrating themselves to make weight, then eating and drinking enough to regain strength before competing the next day.
The NCAA has also added a weight-management program that every high school wrestler who wishes to compete on the collegiate level must complete. This program, which was adopted by the NFHS starting with the 2006-2007 season, is based upon the following three principles:
1) Elimination of all weight-control practices that could potentially risk the health of the wrestler.
2) Focus on competition, not weight control.
3) Recommendations should be practical, enforceable, and scientifically based.
The guidelines also call for the following components to be part of all effective weight management programs:
1) Establishment of a healthy minimal wrestling body weight through body composition and hydration assessment.
2) Development of a sound, gradual, and safe weight-loss plan that includes nutritional education if weight loss is desired.
3) Development of a nutritional educational program that is directed to the coach, individual wrestler, and parents.
Advice for Parents
Even with institutional safeguards and organization directives, some young athletes and, perhaps even more unfortunately some coaches will continue to embrace unhealthy weight-control efforts as a means of gaining a competitive edge.
To ensure that your son or daughter does not succumb to these pressures, keep the following in mind:
· Keep your teen’s competitive desires in check. Don’t ever forget that sports should be about healthy competition – with the emphasis on “healthy.” If you note that your athletic achievement (or lack thereof) has an extreme effect on your child’s sense of worth, step in before poor self-esteem leads to unhealthy decisions.
· Educate yourself about eating disorders. Though they continue to be most prevalent in girls and young women, eating disorders affect boys and men, too. Learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder, and don’t be afraid to express your concerns about your child’s behavior.
· Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Eating disorders can be particularly difficult to overcome, and can be deadly if not treated. If you suspect that your child is suffering from an eating disorder, contact your family physician or another healthcare provider, or go online to locate the best source of professional support to help your child overcome his eating disorder.
Depending upon the nature and severity of a child’s disordered eating, effective treatment may involve outpatient counseling, hospitalization, or enrollment in a therapeutic residential facility that is designed to help individuals overcome eating disorders.
Regardless of the challenges you and your family are facing with regard to your child’s eating disorder, know that effective professional treatment is available, and that eating disorders can be overcome. The first essential steps, though – acknowledging the problem and deciding to get help – are up to you.