Cutting Weight - Out With the Old, In With the Food.

This blog post aims to tackle the common issues many fighters face when it comes to making weight effectively. It pains me to see and hear of some of the methodologies being adopted by fighters and their coaches, in an attempt to shed weight throughout a camp, and particularly in the final days/hours prior to a weigh-in. Not only are some methods pointless, with extremely little to no evidence to support their benefit, but many that are commonly adopted are also dangerous when it comes to athlete well-being and health.

In a sport where trauma is an inevitable part of the puzzle as fighters trade blows to determine a winner, there is enough evidence in performance nutrition and metabolism, to leave the trauma for the ring, as opposed to exposing fighters to extreme stress in the hours and days prior. There are countless tales of fighters starving themselves through camp, under fueling their training and under-recovering to train again, caught in a vicious cycle where they’re consuming below their RMR (resting metabolic rate, the amount of calories that you burn at rest in a 24hr period in order to maintain normal bodily functions), and so stand no chance of adapting or preparing optimally. Too many fighters become scared of eating, terrified of putting on weight and develop incredibly unhealthy habits and mindsets. Thankfully, there has been a recent emergence of some excellent practitioners supporting fighters - the likes of Scott Robinson, and Greg Marriott are consistently proving that the days of starvation, and extreme dehydration are rightly being put behind us - as we move towards high quality, evidence informed support for fighters in combat sport. This article hopes to quash a few myths about cutting weight, and gives an overview of what makes a successful weight management strategy.

Two phase weight cut. Now, although there is likely to be different “micro-phases” throughout a fight camp, generally speaking - we can split the cut into two generic phases. Phase one, would be the longer of the two (phase two is covered in more detail later), and refers to the period of time from the start of the camp, to the start of fight week. This phase is primarily concerned with a gradual reduction in body-fat and non-functional mass, whilst still appropriately fueling training and performance. Many roads lead to Rome, and there is not necessarily a “gold standard”, primarily because there is such variance between training methods across fight stables - but this is generally done by applying a calorie deficit over an extended period, and by manipulating macro-nutrient intake dependent on training content. As aforementioned, this may consist of a series of “micro-phases” where carbohydrate intake is periodised across multiple weeks. As an example, the first two or three weeks, may look at targeting specific training sessions to train in a carbohydrate depleted state - now although this may contribute to the calorie deficit target, it is also going to induce different metabolic responses to said training, and can increase the magnitude of adaptation, if the training is planned accordingly. This is just an example, but, as is always key, it underpins the absolute necessity for a holistic approach, and communication between technical coaching staff, S&C and medical staff, and the nutritionist, to optimise the training environment from all angles.

“if you’re not assessing, you’re guessing”

As the weeks progress through this first phase, body composition and physical performance assessments should be carried out to make appropriate adjustments week to week, as not only is bodyweight going to change, but the composition of that bodyweight may also be ever-changing, and may again be dependent on nutritional intervention (e.g. protein intake and timing), as well as training stimulus (e.g. strength training promoting muscle growth). I used the term in a previous post but I’ll use it again, “if you’re not assessing, you’re guessing”, and eliminating as much guesswork as possible, ultimately guarantees a more tailored, accurate and potentially flexible service. This leads me on nicely to…

The start point and the use of body composition. Having an idea of where an athlete is starting at the beginning of the camp is paramount to implementing a safe and effective strategy to making weight and to mapping out the physical performance plan. Having an estimation of body composition (total mass, lean body mass, and fat-free mass) at an early stage can then be used to inform the nutritional and strength & conditioning programmes throughout the camp. I give two scenario’s below, with both fighters due to be competing at Welterweight (66kg/147lbs), and both fighters starting their camps at 74kg (163lbs)

Fighter A - 74kg at 8 weeks out. ~62kg Lean Body Mass. 16% Body Fat. ~11.8kg Fat Mass.

Fighter B - 74kg at 8 weeks out. ~68kg Lean Body Mass. 8% Body Fat. ~6kg Fat Mass

Now, it would be easy to have both fighters hop on the scales, see 74kg, and get to work. However, hopefully this example demonstrates that Fighter A and B pose different puzzles to solve in making 66kg.

Fighter A, knows that they have 62kg of lean mass, which they can afford to maintain, whilst chipping away at their fat mass to make 66kg at the weigh in. Maintaining lean mass through their training camp through appropriate nutritional and training strategies, means that they can step on the scales at a safe 5.3% body fat, having manipulated their nutrition intake to gradually reduce body fat over the course of training camp.

Fighter B however, currently stands with 68kg of lean mass. So if they are to follow the same or similar approach to fighter A, and maintain lean mass, they will be unable to make weight come fight night, even if they were to shed all fat mass (bare in mind that approximately 3% body fat is “essential fat” for males, 12% for females). Fighter B, needs a more global reduction in mass, whilst making subtle adjustments to their composition. This is a similar scenario to those I have seen over and over again - and it’s often these cases in which you see fighters 2 weeks out, and hitting the panic button as they’re unable to get the weight off. So they inevitably starve themselves, start partaking in two sauna-suited, fasted runs per day, and if by some miracle they manage to make weight, they leave themselves inevitably drained and under-fuelled when the first bell goes, having already put their body through unnecessary trauma before even taking a punch.

This is in part, an over-simplification, but hopefully it demonstrates the point and illustrates the necessity for eliminating a one-size-fits all approach.

The three most commonly used methods are; reducing water weight, reducing food residue in the gastrointestinal tract, and reducing muscle/liver glycogen

Fight week. And then comes crunch time, and the second part of the weight cut. Ideally, you should arrive in to fight week with between 5-7% of body mass left to lose in order to make weight. Although having less is no problem, having more means that more stress inducing methods may need to be applied in order to shift the remaining weight. The primary methods of reducing weight in the final days before weigh-in are almost “artificial” methods of dropping weight. By that, I mean that it is weight that can be quite quickly restored post-weigh in. The three most commonly used methods are; reducing water weight, reducing food residue in the gastrointestinal tract, and reducing muscle/liver glycogen. It is not always necessary for all methods to be applied, and if weight is stable just above fighting weight, then none of the above may be required, and a small and simple reduction in calorie/fluid intake in the acute hours prior to stepping on the scales, can do the trick. We’ll take a quick look at the aforementioned methods below;

Reducing water weight is a commonly used method amongst fight populations, however some of the methods of application are somewhat extreme. Water loading, is arguably a safer and more feasible method of dropping weight in the days prior to weigh-in as opposed to the adverse effects that can be associated with the extreme dehydration some fighters put themselves towards with excessive sauna use, over-use of hot baths/towels etc. Water loading is designed to target renal hormones and urine output, and research has indicated that intakes of 100ml per kg of bodyweight (7L for a 70kg athlete), per day, followed by 1 day of water restriction, is an effective strategy - however in all cases, intake should be monitored closely as extreme water intakes can result in life threatening hyponatremia (insufficient sodium levels). If creatine is being supplemented throughout training, it can be omitted if necessary in the approach to weigh-in to further assist in reducing fluid retention.

Excessive dehydration through some commonly over-used methods can however, impair immune function, alter your hormonal status, have adverse effects on cognitive/psychological function and can result in sever cases in hyperthermia.

Reducing food residue from the gastrointestinal tract in fight week can aid rapid weight loss with minimal detrimental affect on health. This can be done by a reduction in dietary fiber during fight week, as well as a shift to more liquid based nutrition methods in order to reduce the amount of food volume stored or held throughout the digestive system. And so, avoiding wholegrain carbohydrates, fiber rich vegetables such as carrots, beets, & broccoli, and fruits like pears & melons can ultimately aid the reduction process.

Reducing muscle/liver glycogen can also assist in rapid weight loss. Your body has three areas in which glycogen (stored form of carbohydrate) can be stored, in the liver, in the muscle, and in the blood. Reductions in carbohydrate intake in the final days of camp can help saturate such stores and reduce bodyweight. It is important to remember that if this, and the above method is applied in order to reduce weight, that it may be worth supplementing a multi-vitamin to ensure that vitamin and mineral levels don’t drop beyond the point of deficiency, potentially leading to impairment of some normal bodily functions.

As I said, it may not be necessary to apply the above methods, and if you arrive at fight week in the right place, then it is very unlikely that all of the above will be required - and that certain adjustments to calorie intake, and food choice (for example, taking on board fat content via low fat forms like Olive Oil) will be enough to comfortably make weight.

the first port of call is rehydration and restoration of key electrolytes as soon as possible.

Replenishment post weigh-in and fight fuel is the final part of the nutrition jigsaw. Ensuring that you are appropriately fueled, hydrated and focused when the first bell rings can play a major role in the outcome of a fight, especially for those fighting into the later rounds. This process starts as soon as weight is made and you step off the scale and is largely dependent on the processes used to make weight. If there’s been a significant reduction in water weight and dehydration strategies have been used, then the body will lack digestive enzymes, and trying to wolf down a large meal may have an adverse affect and lead to significant discomfort. In such cases, the first port of call is rehydration and restoration of key electrolytes as soon as possible. This can then be followed by an intake of BCAA’s to help support muscle function, and is particularly important after an extended fasting period to restore protein balance (the net result between protein breakdown, and protein synthesis that is constantly ongoing in tissue), still in a liquid form. Once these have been addressed, then it’s time to restore and start the replenishment of muscle and liver glycogen, and get some carbohydrates on board. The selection of carbohydrate is important, particularly in the first instance and making the wrong choice is inevitably sub-optimal when it comes to the desired response. Now, this whole paragraph is written on the assumption that the weigh-in is the day before the fight, and the whole puzzle may be different if the weigh-in occurs on the same day - and maybe that’s for another post, another time…

Although this article has skimmed the surface on what might be deemed appropriate practice, it’s hopefully shone a light on how detrimental to your health and well-being bad practice can be. Repeating this several times a year over the course of a fighting career will inevitably have lasting unwanted effects.

PRPerformance provides nutritional support for fighters year round, as well as condensed support packages throughout fight camp to support weight management ahead of competition. This service is built on three main pillars of support: Aid adaptation, promote recovery, fuel performance. Getting these things right through camp, whilst keeping a firm grip on weight management, equates to optimal health throughout camp, and optimal performance when the first bell rings. If it sounds like something you’d be interested in, step up and start the conversation today.

Thanks for reading,

Paul