Find out why fighters before fights intensively lose weight even if there is no excess fat and how to do it correctly if you are going to participate in fights. Perhaps you have seen how during a fight one of the fighters seems heavier in comparison with the opponent, although there were no differences in the weighing. Did you ever think about how you can get rid of a few pounds in one day, and then regain the same mass again? If you are curious to know about this, then this article will answer all your questions.
Today we will tell you about how the weight cut of the fighters goes. As a result, you will have the opportunity to increase productivity while maintaining your health. Most coaches agree that nutrition is the main problem for fighters. The worst of all is with the weight reduction by the fighters. Today the conversation will not be about the nutrition program, but how to quickly get rid of a few pounds and calmly go through the weighing procedure.
Experienced athletes will attest to the art of cutting fighters. To quickly and correctly achieve the desired result, you must have a certain amount of knowledge and practical skills. Quite often, you can see how the fighters had serious problems in the ring due to the fact that they carried out the procedure for cutting the weight incorrectly. This article will help you avoid making more mistakes like this.
Why do fighters need to cut weight?
Most people who have never been involved in combat sports have absolutely no idea why it is necessary to lose weight. The easiest way to answer this question is with the example of weight categories. A similar gradation is present in many sports disciplines. It is quite obvious that every athlete strives to become the very best in his weight class.
To do this, you need to quickly get rid of excess weight before weighing, and then gain weight again to become heavier. The essence of all these actions is to be stronger (heavier) in the ring in comparison with an opponent who does not use weight-cutting tactics.
Most often, the weigh-in is appointed the day before the start of the battle and the fighter has a couple of dozen hours to load up with food. If you watched the fights of Tito Ortiz or Matt Hughes, then you will understand what is at stake. When they enter the ring in the same weight class, they seem heavier. For example, take the duel between Ortiz and Elvis Sinosica. At weigh-in, they were identified in the 204 lb. category. However, in the ring, Ortiz looked at all 230, and his opponent did not even reach 190. With this example, we want to prove that cutting the weight of the fighters before weighing in is of fundamental importance.
Every fighter should know several methods of losing weight in a short time. For example, you may skip food and water, exercise in warm clothing, or spend a lot of time in a steam bath (sauna). If any of their methods have been used correctly, they can yield positive results. But with the issue of rapid weight gain after the weighing procedure, everything is somewhat more complicated. If you just start consuming a lot of food and water, then your health will only worsen and there is a high probability of defeat in the upcoming fight. In the cycle of cutting and gaining mass, the restoration of the body is of great importance.
How does the weight loss of a fighter take place before the fight?
Now we will pay attention to the correct methods of weight reduction by the fighters. However, first I want to say that you need to adhere to a certain nutrition program if you want to stay within the body weight limits that you were striving for before losing weight. As a result, you will not have to worry before the fight, and your goals will be achieved.
Restriction on fluid intake
This is the simplest and most effective way to cut weight. The human body is constantly losing fluid. This process does not require a large amount of energy and if you do not consume liquid, then during the day you can get rid of three or a little more kilos. Most fighters never use a water restriction for more than a day.
They stop drinking 24 hours before the weigh-in. However, there are ways to increase your body's fluid loss. 3-5 days before the weighing procedure, athletes consume up to eight liters of water throughout the day. However, they do well in terms of sodium concentration in the body. Do not consume large amounts of the mineral.
Due to the use of such an amount of water in the body, the processes of liquid utilization are activated due to urination. Two days before weighing, the amount of liquid consumed is halved and is already four liters throughout the day. 24 hours before the start of this procedure, the fighter stops drinking any liquid at all. Note that this technique does not require a lot of effort and only discipline is required from the athlete.
Sweating
The second popular method of weight loss for fighters is to sweat profusely. This allows you to get rid of two or a maximum of four kilos in a short time. Even if the athlete already looks thin, there is still fluid in the body, from which you can get rid of it painlessly for the body. However, in comparison with the first technique, in this case, more energy will be required. How should you understand. This can negatively affect the results of the upcoming fight. The main task of the fighter here is to obtain the maximum effect with the minimum expenditure of energy.
The easiest way to achieve your goal is to exercise. You can run at a slow pace or work with a rope. There can be many options, and you will definitely find the most suitable one for yourself. To improve performance, athletes often wear warm clothing or special plastic suits during training. This increases the body temperature and forces the body to speed up the sweating process.
However, one should be careful when using this technique, as there are known cases of lethal outcomes. I would also like to remind you that before the fighter starts cutting off the weight, he should be no more than four kilos from the desired weight. However, let's continue the conversation about sweating. A visit to the sauna, taking a hot bath or shower can be quite effective in this regard.
The most effective of these methods is dry sauna. Use the sauna for short periods of time, ranging from a quarter of an hour to 30 minutes. Between these intervals, you need to control your weight. You should not eliminate a lot of kilos at once.
Cleansing the intestinal tract
Another available method of weight reduction for fighters, which does not require a lot of energy from them. If used correctly, it is in no way capable of influencing the results of the upcoming fight. The intestinal tract has an average length of up to nine meters and contains up to seven kilos of materials that can be disposed of painlessly.
Food is in the intestinal tract for about a day and if it is removed from the body, it will not affect its work. As a result, you can get rid of a couple of kilos.24 hours before the start of the weighing procedure, it is necessary to eat little food, and it is necessary to get rid of the one that is already in the intestinal tract. To do this, you will need a mild natural laxative.
Never use powerful medications. They are likely to significantly reduce your performance and worsen your well-being. Take the laxative in the evening and morning. However, I would like to note that this technique can be used if the fighter did not use the ones that we discussed earlier.
Diuretics
I never liked to describe this technique, but there is no way out, because it also has the right to life. Very often, athletes use diuretics incorrectly, which can lead to health problems. However, if you used the correct dietary nutrition program, and then one of the fighters' weight loss methods described above, then there will be no need for diuretics. Using these drugs can easily disrupt the electrolyte balance. However, if there is no other way out, we recommend using a decoction of dandelion root a day before the weighing procedure.
Food
Eating food is essential, otherwise it will not be possible to maintain a normal blood sugar concentration. As a result, your energy reserves will be severely limited, and it will be difficult to win the fight. Avoid eating foods high in carbohydrates and heavy foods.
What to do after weight loss?
If you managed to lose weight and still feel normal, then everything was done correctly. Replenish energy reserves immediately after completing the weighing procedure. We said at the beginning of the article that this stage of preparation for a fight is no less important in comparison with weight loss. It is at this moment that many fighters make serious mistakes that cost them victory in a duel.
With a decrease in body weight, the amount of blood plasma in the body decreases, and the pressure increases. Also, most often, the heart rate rises and a feeling of fatigue appears, and not only physical, but also psychological. All these processes should be reversed as soon as possible. Often, after weighing in, athletes begin to eat and drink a lot, but this should not be done.
When the weighing is over, you should start eating small meals every half hour. It should be remembered that the glucose concentration is restored and carbohydrate sources should be included in the diet. If you eat a lot of food immediately after weighing, then your health will deteriorate sharply. Small portions will be processed quickly by the body. You should not use special nutrition programs at this moment, just eat foods that you are used to.
Also, you must restore fluid balance in the body. Drink water immediately after weighing, regularly and at short intervals. During the day before the start of the fight, you have to drink from 12 to 20 liters of liquid in order to regain the lost mass. You should not rely on the feeling of thirst in this matter. Since it is not an accurate signal for drinking water.
It is necessary to drink water until the normal level of blood plasma and intracellular fluid is restored. Sometimes pro-athletes use intravenous infusions, but if you have correctly carried out all the stages of weight reduction by the fighters, then this procedure will not be necessary.
The fighter tells more about weight cutting in the following video:
