Muscle contraction velocity, strength and power output changes following different degrees of hypohydration in competitive olympic combat sports
Pallarés JG, Martínez-Abellán A, López-Gullón JM, Morán-Navarro R, De la Cruz-Sánchez E, Mora-Rodríguez R
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 32 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Cohort study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
Based on full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2016-01-05 · J Int Soc Sports Nutr · vol. 13 · issue 1 · p. 10
- Publisher
- Springer Science+Business Media
- Cited
- 64 citations · more than 89% of similar papers · 2.6× the field average
- References
- 44 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Thermoregulation and physiological responses · Body Composition Measurement Techniques · Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Keywords
- Medicine, Urine specific gravity, Vertical jump, Osmole, Athletes, Muscle contraction, Jump, Physical therapy, Internal medicine, Urine
- MeSH
- humans, dehydration, body weight, weight loss, urinalysis, prevalence, competitive behavior, thirst, water-electrolyte balance, sweating, muscle contraction, osmolar concentration, boxing, martial arts, wrestling, adult, female, male, athletic performance, athletes
6 authors
From ES
- Jesús G. PallarésServicio de Salud de Castilla La Mancha; University of Castilla-La Mancha; Universidad de Murcia
- Alberto Martínez-AbellánUniversidad de Murcia
- J. M. López-GullónUniversidad de Murcia
- Ricardo Morán‐NavarroServicio de Salud de Castilla La Mancha; University of Castilla-La Mancha; Universidad de Murcia
- E. De la Cruz-SánchezUniversidad de Murcia
- Ricardo Mora‐Rodríguez · correspondingServicio de Salud de Castilla La Mancha; University of Castilla-La Mancha
Abstract
Background
It is habitual for combat sports athletes to lose weight rapidly to get into a lower weight class. Fluid restriction, dehydration by sweating (sauna or exercise) and the use of diuretics are among the most recurrent means of weight cutting. Although it is difficult to dissuade athletes from this practice due to the possible negative effect of severe dehydration on their health, athletes may be receptive to avoid weight cutting if there is evidence that it could affect their muscle performance. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate if hypohydration, to reach a weight category, affects neuromuscular performance and combat sports competition results.
Methods
We tested 163 (124 men and 39 woman) combat sports athletes during the 2013 senior Spanish National Championships. Body mass and urine osmolality (UOSM) were measured at the official weigh-in (PRE) and 13-18 h later, right before competing (POST). Athletes were divided according to their USOM at PRE in euhydrated (EUH; UOSM 250-700 mOsm · kgH2O(-1)), hypohydrated (HYP; UOSM 701-1080 mOsm · kgH2O(-1)) and severely hypohydrated (S-HYP; UOSM 1081-1500 mOsm · kgH2O(-1)). Athletes' muscle strength, power output and contraction velocity were measured in upper (bench press and grip) and lower body (countermovement jump - CMJ) muscle actions at PRE and POST time-points.
Results
At weigh-in 84 % of the participants were hypohydrated. Before competition (POST) UOSM in S-HYP and HYP decreased but did not reach euhydration levels. However, this partial rehydration increased bench press contraction velocity (2.8-7.3 %; p < 0.05) and CMJ power (2.8 %; p < 0.05) in S-HYP. Sixty-three percent of the participants competed with a body mass above their previous day's weight category and 70 of them (69 % of that sample) obtained a medal.
Conclusions
Hypohydration is highly prevalent among combat sports athletes at weigh-in and not fully reversed in the 13-18 h from weigh-in to competition. Nonetheless, partial rehydration recovers upper and lower body neuromuscular performance in the severely hypohydrated participants. Our data suggest that the advantage of competing in a lower weight category could compensate the declines in neuromuscular performance at the onset of competition, since 69 % of medal winners underwent marked hypohydration.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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