Disqualification of Vinesh Phogat: Amidst the national grief following Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the 2024 Paris Olympics, the controversial weight loss app has once again come into the limelight.

Phogat put up a triumphant performance and advanced to the finals, becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to compete for gold at the Olympics. Phogat made history by defeating four-time world champion and Japanese wrestler Yui Susaki in the first round and then defeating Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semi-finals. Her final match for the gold medal is scheduled for 00:45 on August 8.

On Tuesday night, Phogat weighed in on Tuesday and on Wednesday morning, she was found to be “a few grams over 50 kg”. The Indian Express reported that she was 2 kg overweight on Tuesday night. She tried her best throughout the night but could not make it.

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In recent years, the issue of banning the practice of losing significant weight before a fight (and gaining weight afterwards) has been brought up repeatedly. Combat sports – wrestling, boxing, judo, mixed martial arts (MMA), etc. – are organized by weight class. Weight is an important factor in ensuring that larger and bulkier athletes do not gain an inherent advantage over smaller ones and that competition remains fair.

What are weighings?

Athletes competing in a specific weight class (e.g. 50 kg) must weigh less than or equal to the specified weight. Although weight is never constant, it is not possible to continuously monitor an athlete’s weight throughout a competition. To overcome this difficulty, a weighing system is used in combat sports.

There are specific times (and in some competitions, after) when an athlete must weigh in and meet the requirements for their weight class. According to United World Wrestling’s (UWW) Olympic weigh-in rules, wrestlers weigh in on the morning of the competition, while still in their trunks. Since the Olympics are two days long, there are two weigh-ins — a 30-minute period on Day 1 and a 15-minute period on Day 2.

What is weight loss?

Weight loss is a practice where athletes drastically reduce their weight in a short period of time. According to a report by the Indian Express, athletes do this to reach the weight set for the weigh-in on time.

Fighting athletes believe that losing weight before a match can be advantageous to them over their opponents in the ring because they can gain weight back and gain more weight than their weight class dictates. The process of losing weight involves getting rid of retained water, as this is apparently the easiest way to lose weight. This is usually done by losing this water weight through sweat, by not drinking water, doing intense exercise, going to saunas, wearing heavy clothing, etc. Athletes also do not eat anything before weigh-in.

After the weigh-in, athletes can regain the weight they lost by consuming plenty of fluids and a carbohydrate-based diet.

“Wrestlers usually aim to compete in lower weight classes and try various methods to lose weight. Wrestlers usually start by reducing their daily calorie intake, especially carbohydrates, which creates a calorie deficit to lose weight. Dehydration is another common method achieved through restricted water intake, sauna suits or jacuzzis. This leads to rapid weight loss. Some wrestlers use sweating techniques like sauna suits, intense exercise or massage to lose water weight. Salt restriction is also used to minimise water retention,” said Dr. Ajay Agarwal, Senior Director, Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Noida FinancialExpress.com.

‘These practices pose serious health risks’

Weight loss, while widely used in combat sports, can have serious consequences on an athlete’s health. According to the UFC’s official press release, in 2018, UFC fighter Uriah Hall suffered a “mini-seizure” and a “mild heart attack” while cutting weight. In 2015, Chinese MMA fighter Yang Jian Bing died of dehydration while competing in ONE Championship.

Dr. Agarwal argues that while wrestlers use a variety of methods to lose weight, many of these practices pose significant health risks, it is important to encourage athletes to adopt sustainable and safer ways of managing their weight.

“…these practices can be harmful, especially in the long term. They can lead to serious health problems such as dehydration, electrolyte imbalances and acute organ damage. Dehydration can cause dizziness, headaches and loss of consciousness (syncope). Severe calorie restriction can lead to malnutrition, fatigue and weakened immunity. Repeated cycles of weight loss and gain can disrupt hormones, metabolism and electrolyte balances,” he said. FinancialExpress.com.

“Long-term effects include eating disorders, hormonal imbalances, osteoporosis, recurrent infections due to decreased immunity and cardiovascular problems,” he said.

Dr. Tushar Tayal, Chief Consultant, Department of Internal Medicine, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, explained that some athletes use medication or natural diuretics to increase urine output.

“Some people may use laxatives to lose weight, but this is less common and more dangerous,” Dr. Tayal said. FinancialExpress.com.

It also revealed that repeating cycles of rapid weight loss and gain can lead to chronic dehydration, kidney damage, metabolic disorders, hormonal imbalances and psychological problems such as eating disorders.