Self-reported methods of weight cutting in professional mixed-martial artists: how much are they losing and who is advising them?

Abstract

Background

Similar to other combat sports, mixed martial arts (MMA) includes divisional weight classes. The purpose of our research was to further investigate the amount of weight professional MMA fighters lost prior to weighing in for competition, their methods used to cut weight, and their sources of advice on how to cut weight.

Methods

This survey was administered to 92 male professional MMA athletes. The survey questions included duration of overall weight loss prior to competition, methods of weight-cutting, and their sources of advice regarding weight cutting.

Results

When comparing the number of methods of weight cutting with the source of advice, those who received their advice from social media used slightly more methods of weight cutting (M = 4.86, SD = 1.27) than those who did not (M = 4.02, SD = 1.55); t(90) = − 2.53, p < .05. MMA athletes that used the help of a registered dietitian nutritionist also reported using the least amount of methods for weight-cutting than any other category (M = 3.84, SD = 1.67). Those that used teammates and did not use a registered dietitian nutritionist used slightly more methods (M = 4.46, SD = 1.41) than those who used a registered dietitian nutritionist.

Conclusions

The findings of this study report that professional MMA athletes do undergo rapid weight loss through various methods to make weight for competition. This study adds evidence to the literature that most professional MMA athletes undergo RWL for competition without the guidance of a registered dietitian nutritionist. It is unclear what the effect of using a registered dietitian nutritionist may have on an MMA athletes’ ability to reduce weight in a safe and effective manner. Future research should seek to investigate if employing a registered dietitian nutritionist may lead to a higher rate of success for MMA athletes to make weight, and help reduce adverse risks of RWL.

Keywords:

• Rapid weight loss
• Weight class
• Weigh-in
• Body mass
• Hydration and dehydration
• Competition
• Nutrition

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the athletes that completed this survey for their time.

Authors’ contributions

SP participated in interpreting the data and helped draft the manuscript. MA conceived of the study and participated in the design of the study. JS participated in the design of the study, carried out data collection, and helped draft the manuscript. LM helped draft the manuscript. AL performed statistical analysis. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding

This research study did not receive any external financial funding.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This study was approved by Long Beach State University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). Participants were clearly informed about the procedures of the study, and the possible benefits and risks of the study. Written informed consent was also obtained before participation.

Consent for publication

Written informed consent to publish was obtained prior to participation.

Competing interests

The authors do not have any competing interests to report.

Supplementary information

Supplementary information accompanies this paper at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-019-0320-9.

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