[EATING ATTITUDES AND PRE-COMPETITION RAPID WEIGHT LOSS IN YOUNG TAEKWONDO FIGHTERS].

BACKGROUND: Taekwondo is a martial art and a combat Olympic sport. Similar to other types of combat sports, Taekwondo fights are conducted between opponents grouped by sex, age and weight classes. Disordered eating behaviors are common in combat sports with weight classes, attributed to the athletes' need to remain within a specific weight range. Pre-competition rapid weight loss (RWL) is also common, and entails a health risk. AIM: To assess the eating attitudes and the prevalence and techniques of RWL among young Taekwondo fighters. METHODS: A total of 112 competitive Taekwondo fighters in national championships and regional competitions aged 12-21.5 years completed questionnaires pertaining to eating attitudes (EAT-26) and RWL techniques. RESULTS: A total of 38% of the respondents reported precompetition RWL, with no significant between-sex difference. Common practices were training harder and eating less, but several potentially dangerous techniques were also described. Findings showed that: 70% of those reporting RWL were not assisted by another person, and the degree of RWL reached -5.5kg; 23%-40% of participants reporting RWL felt an improvement in some physical measure, yet 16% reported a decrease in subjective sport performance; 2.7% had abnormal scores on the EAT-26 questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high rate of pre-competition RWL in young Taekwondo fighters, even in lower levels of competition. Most athletes performing RWL were unassisted, and some utilized potentially dangerous techniques. Most athletes did not feel that RWL affected their sport performance, yet a significant proportion felt decreased levels of performance. Weight-class athletes should be consulted by personnel trained in sports nutrition, in both training and competition states.

Can height categories replace weight categories in striking martial arts competitions? A pilot study.

In most combat sports and martial arts, athletes compete within weight categories. Disordered eating behaviors and intentional pre-competition rapid weight loss are commonly seen in this population, attributed to weight categorization. We examined if height categories can be used as an alternative to weight categories for competition, in order to protect the health of athletes. Height and weight of 169 child and adolescent competitive karate athletes were measured. Participants were divided into eleven hypothetical weight categories of 5 kg increments, and eleven hypothetical height categories of 5 cm increments. We calculated the coefficient of variation of height and weight by each division method. We also calculated how many participants fit into corresponding categories of both height and weight, and how many would shift a category if divided by height. There was a high correlation between height and weight (r = 0.91, p<0.001). The mean range of heights seen within current weight categories was reduced by 83% when participants were divided by height. When allocating athletes by height categories, 74% of athletes would shift up or down one weight category at most, compared with the current categorization method. We conclude that dividing young karate athletes by height categories significantly reduced the range of heights of competitors within the category. Such categorization would not cause athletes to compete against much heavier opponents in most cases. Using height categories as a means to reduce eating disorders in combat sports should be further examined.