Psychological effect of weight reduction in the college wrestler

Abstract

Anxiety, body weight, and percent fat were evaluated in eleven college wrestlers over a one week period as they attempted to lose approximately 5 percent of their body weight. Nine control wrestlers were administered the same tests and instructed not to make an attempt to lose weight during the experimental week. There were no significant changes observed for the control group during the experiment. The experimental group, however, decreased on both the anxiety and body weight variables. While the weight loss was characterized by a statistically significant decrease in the mean anxiety level, it is questionable whether the magnitude of this decrement represents a shift of practical significance. It was concluded that neither ergogenic nor harmful psychological effects resulted from a weight loss of 4 percent in the college wrestlers studied in this investigation.