Weight cycling in adolescent Taekwondo athletes.

BACKGROUND Weight reduction cycles are used by weight classed athletes in Taekwondo to make a weight category. Tension, dizziness, headaches, and confusion have been associated with rapid weight loss (RWL). There is a lack of research in weight cycling and its benefits among Taekwondo athletes. PURPOSE To investigate the rate of weight cycling in Junior Taekwondo athletes and its effect on performance. METHODS Athletes were weighed prior to competition, then again before their first match. Body mass difference in relation to winning was compared. RESULTS A significant increase from weigh-in to pre-match measurements was consistently found in both genders with no significant difference between them. Winners had a mean body mass gain (1.02 kg) which was non-significantly less than the non-winners (1.09 kg). CONCLUSIONS RWL practices do not define which athlete will perform better. Negative effects of weight cycling coupled with RWL has unclear performance benefits which indicates a need for further research.