Weight Issues In Wrestling :: Health Nutrition Essays

tip Issues In Wrestling What do Billy Saylor (19 years old) at Campbell University in North Carolina, Joseph LaRosa (22) at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and Jeff Reese (21) at the University of Michigan all have in common? They are all dead now, victims of one of the ghastly secrets of college wrestling. tout ensemble three boys were engaged in dehydrating practices trying to lose weight in order to qualify for their first college-wrestling traines. Reese was trying to lose 17 pounds so that he could wrestle in the 150-pound weight class. His two-hour workout in a caoutchouc suit in a 92-degree room cost him his life. He died of rhabdomyolysis -- a cellular breakdown of skeletal muscle under conditions of extravagant exercise, which, combined with dehydration, resulted in kidney failure and heart malfunction (Iowa Gazette - declination 22, 1997). LaRosa was also riding a stationary hertz and wearing a rubber suit when he collapsed and died. Saylor was riding a statio nary bike in a predawn workout when he suffered a heart combat (Washington Post - January 14, 1998). Physicians are of the consensus that excessive dehydration as a substance to lose weight puke harm bodily functions, possibly principal to kidney failure, heat stroke or a heart attack. Why past do the wrestlers engage in these life-threatening activities? Legendary University of Iowa wrestling managing director Dan Gable had this to say in an ESPN report They (wrestlers) think they are indestructible. besides Ill tell you what -- those three athletes thought they were indestructible, too. And they arent around to remonstrate about it.Wrestlers believe that it is mind over body they can fulfill anything and nothing bad will ever happen to them. So, LaRosas mien on that fatal day in November wasnt anything out of the commonplace for many college wrestlers. He was wearing sweats over a rubber suit and riding a stationary bike in a steam-filled shower room. His body temperat ure reached 108 degrees. He was trying to make weight for his match the next day, and wrestlings rules did little to discourage such dangerous practices. The logic in wrestling is to make the lowest weight you can in the weigh-ins, which are 24 hours before the match. Then you can refill and rehydrate your body over the course of the 24 hours between the weigh-in and the match. This will repay you an advantage in the competition because you really will be bigger and stronger then most of the wrestlers in that lower weight class.