CHAPTER 95 • WRESTLING 557- Verrucae-infected wrestlers are allowed to com-
pete under the following conditions. Lesions on the
face must be adequately covered by a mask.
Solitary lesions on the face must be removed
before the match to allow participation. Verrucae
on the hands must be covered (NCAA, 2003).
- Fungal infections such as tinea have also come under
scrutiny because of their high mode of transmission.
A minimum of 72 h of topical cidal-type antifungal
treatment is required for all tinea corporis. Tinea capi-
tis infections must be treated with a minimum of
2 weeks of systemic antifungal therapy. Treated
lesions may be examined with a KOH preparation at
the discretion of the examining provider. Lesions
should be washed with a fungal shampoo followed by
an antifungal cream before being covered with a gas-
permeable dressing and stretch tape. A competitor
will be disqualified if the lesion cannot be covered
adequately (NCAA, 2003).
•Teams with recurrent or wide spread infections should
thoroughly evaluate procedures for mat maintenance in
cleaning and disqualifications of infectious wrestlers.
WEIGHING IN
- Competitors are placed into separate categories based
on their body weight called weight classes. These are
predetermined in advance by a governing body such
as the NCAA. Currently, there are 10 weight classes
ranging from 125 lb to heavyweight (183–235 lb)
under the NCAA guidelines. High school participants
compete in 14 different weight classes ranging from
103–275 lb (NCAA, 2003). - At the beginning of the season, each wrestler is
weighed and a minimum weight for the competitor is
established (NCAA, 2003). Nevertheless one study
indicated that many wrestlers compete below the min-
imum weight established (Wroble and Moxley, 1998).
Perceived notions such as being stronger at a lighter
weight have a major influence on these decisions. - The minimum wrestling weight is established by a
comparison of several different factors. Hydrated body
weight is calculated by checking urine specific gravity.
If the urine specific gravity is less than 1.020 then the
weight is recorded as the hydrated weight. Skin fold
measurements of triceps, subscapular areas, and
abdomen are measured to calculate the body fat per-
centage. Fat free body weight is calculated and divided
by 0.95. This establishes the lowest allowable weight—
1 (LAW1) which is a measurement of body weight with
allowable 5% body fat. This weight is compared to the
lowest allowable weight—2(LAW2), which is calcu-
lated over a set period of time as established by the
NCAA with no more than a 1.5% body weight decrease
per week. LAW1 is compared to LAW2 with the higher
weight being the set minimal weight. This will be the
absolute minimum weight set for the wrestler for the
season. A competitor must certify by mid-December in
a weight class. At no time after this is a competitor
allowed to wrestle at a weight class below the certified
weight (NCAA, 2003). The above guidelines encom-
pass the current recommendation of the American
College of Sports Medicine that competitors should not
compete at a weight in which body fat levels would be
less than 5% of their preseason weight (Wroble and
Moxley, 1998).- During the season, wrestlers employ many methods to
lose weight to make their respective weight classes.
These include vigorous exercise before weigh-in to
lose water weight, self imposed dehydration and fast-
ing, and some may even use weight loss pills or
diuretics. Acute effects of the above may be loss of
strength and stamina, hypovolemia, heat exhaustion
or heat stroke, and electrolyte imbalances. Long-term
effects of continued rapid weight loss with weight
gain may chronically compromise cardiac and renal
blood flow. Neuropsychiatric disorders, such as
depression, anxiety, bulimia, and anorexia nervosa
may become prevalent. Other sequlae may include
decreased growth and maturation especially in
younger wrestlers (Kelly and Suby, 2002). - It is important for coaches, trainers, and physicians to
properly educate the competitors on the dangers of
rapid weight loss. Adequate counseling on nutrition
and emphasis on conditioning during the season are
paramount. The NCAA attempts to dissuade com-
petitors from the practice of rapid weight loss and
gain by decreasing the time between weighing in and
the actual match (Kelly and Suby, 2002). By NCAA
rules, competitors must weigh in no more than an
hour before dual, triangular, and quadrangular
matches. In multiteam tournaments wrestlers must be
weighed no more than 2 h before the first match
(NCAA, 2003).
REFERENCES
Jarrett GJ, Orwin JF, Dick RW: Injuries in collegiate wrestling.
Am J Sports Med26: 674–680, 1998.
Kelly TF, Suby JS: Chapter 58: Wrestling, in Mellion MB (ed.):
Team Physician’s Handbook, 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA, Hanley &
Belfus, 2002, pp 614–628.
Kohl TD, Giesen DP, Moyer, Jr, JM, et al: Tinea gladiatorum:
Pennsylvania’s experience. Clin Sports Med 12:165–171,
2002.