Weight-Loss Plan a Gain?

The days of wrestlers wearing rubber sweat suits in saunas, starving themselves for days, and exercising throughout the night in an effort to cut weight seem to be a thing of the past .

The deaths of three wrestlers in 1997 scared such tactics out of the sport. And the National Federation of High Schools wants to make sure they stay out.

That’s why rules have been developed using a formula based on body fat percentage and hydration to dictate the minimum weight class for each wrestler.

Next year, schools nationwide will be required to follow the rules, but California implemented them on a trial basis this year.

Critics say the new procedures are unnecessary, confusing, time-consuming, expensive and take control away from coaches. However, proponents contend that the rules are a long overdue addendum to a sport marred by unhealthy weight-loss techniques.

“What this is going to do is change the weight loss culture in our sport,” said Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Assn. “It’s going to take some time to work things out, but certainly we’re off to a very good start.”

The measuring procedure consists of a hydration test using a refractometer and a body fat test using a bioelectrical impedance scale. If a wrestler is not properly hydrated, he or she is not allowed on the scale.

If allowed on the scale, wrestlers must register a minimum body fat of 7% for boys and 12% for girls. If they don’t, they must raise their body fat percentage or obtain written clearance from a doctor in order to compete.

The results are entered into a database along with the wrestler’s height and weight. A computer program then determines the minimum weight at which each wrestler can compete and how much weight that wrestler is allowed to lose each week.

So, at the beginning of the season, each wrestler knows his weight class for each week of the season.

“It is a huge culture change,” said Rob Wigod, an assistant commissioner with the Southern Section who oversees wrestling. “A lot of coaches were brought up on how to lose weight a certain way by their coaches. Sweat it off and spit it in a cup and then as soon as you make weight, go pile some food in before you wrestle. This will eliminate the need for wrestlers to cut weight during tournament weeks.”

But it also ignites other issues. The timing of it, for one. The assessment period runs from Nov. 1 through Jan. 15, but wrestlers may not compete until they are assessed, meaning most will go through the procedure before the first competition -- usually in late-November.

Some fear this will cause some wrestlers to try to lose weight rapidly before the start of the season instead of gradually through the course of the season. It gets especially tricky for wrestlers coming directly from football teams.

For example, a 240-pound linebacker might want to wrestle at 215 pounds -- and rush to get there rather than sit out for a month or risk being relegated to the heavyweight division for the entire season.

“And that’s exactly what we’re trying to prevent,” Rosemead High Coach Daren DeHeras said. “That kid is going to do all the things he shouldn’t be doing. He’s going to starve himself.”

Cost is another concern. Cost of each wrestler’s assessment is $10, and coaches must also pay a $30 fee per team to register in the national database. Should a school decide to purchase its own equipment, it would be about $1,500 for the scale and $450 for the refractometer.

The accuracy of the scales has also been called into question. DeHeras said he had a wrestler check in with 1% body fat. Los Angeles University Coach Ernest Ciaccio said he had one register at 2.7%.

Moyer, the NWCA director, acknowledged imperfections in the system and that there are more accurate -- and more expensive -- ways to measure body fat, but he stressed that the well-being of the athletes should take precedence over any concerns or inconveniences.

“We’ve tried to balance accuracy and cost effectiveness, but this is just the beginning and it’s better than nothing at all,” Moyer said. “It’s a way we can have evidence when we look moms and dads in the eye and say, ‘Your kid is healthy. You have nothing to worry about with wrestling.’ ”

That wasn’t the case in 1997, when college wrestlers Billy Jack Saylor, Joe LaRosa and Jeff Reese died within a 33-day span during weight-cutting exercises.

Rules similar to the new high school rules were adopted by the NCAA for the 2002-03 season. It took that long, Moyer said, to research and develop methods that would jibe with the goals of wrestlers.

“We have overwhelming support from sport science experts,” Moyer said. “We’re determining the ideal competition weight for wrestlers, which will make wrestling a better, more exciting sport.”

Some fear the extra hassle will cause some coaches to quit. San Clemente Coach Mark Calentino said he is considering quitting as an assistant football coach because of the added work.

An alternative, Calentino said, would be to have wrestlers weigh in just as they are stepping on the mat. The current system calls for weigh-ins three or four hours before a tournament, allowing wrestlers time to re-hydrate and re-nourish before they wrestle.

“Nobody is dumb enough to get on the mat when they’ve been emaciated all day,” Calentino said. “So have them step on the scale right before they step on the mat.”

DeHeras pointed out that there have been far more deaths related to football than wrestling deaths over the past decade, and that sports such as cross-country and gymnastics also have weight-loss problems.

“We’re being singled out,” he said. “Is cutting weight a part of sport? Absolutely. And, yes, we did it all wrong for years. We spit in cups and went all day without eating anything. But I don’t see that anymore. Everyone realizes what CIF is trying to prevent, but I think we need more educating, not more restrictions.”

Already, Mission Hills Alemany was disqualified from the Southern Section Division VI dual-meet tournament two weeks ago for failing to provide evidence that its wrestlers had undergone the assessment.

Next season, wrestlers will not only have to provide the evidence at each tournament, but will be bound by the weight classes dictated by their computer readouts.

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On the mat

What: Southern Section Masters Meet.

Where: Fountain Valley High.

When: Competition begins at noon Friday and continues at 9 a.m. on Saturday, with the championship round beginning at 3 p.m.

Fast facts: Justin Paulsen of Santa Ana Calvary Chapel (112 pounds) and Caleb Flores of Covina Northview (119) are the top-ranked wrestlers in the state at their weight class. Northview is ranked No. 3 among teams.... The format features 32-man, double-elimination brackets.... The top eight wrestlers in each weight class advance to the state championship March 3-4 at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield.

Admission: $8 adults, $5 students with valid student ID and children ages 3-13, each day.