Pre Competition Weight Loss of Athletes

Changes in Physiological Performance, Psychological State, and Sleep Quality of Athletes From Sichuan Province, China During the Pre Competition Weight Loss Stage

The objective of this observational study is to assess the long-term impact of a combined slow and rapid weight reduction strategy on the physiological performance, mental state, and sleep quality of male freestyle wrestlers. The primary question it seeks to address is:

Does the combined weight reduction approach affect the physiological performance, mental state, and sleep quality of male freestyle wrestlers during the pre-competition period?

Participants will undergo tests at three stages of their weight reduction process (T1, T2, T3) over a period of 38 days prior to the competition, providing data on various physiological and psychological indicators.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Body Weight Changes
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Experimental group

Detailed Description

The goal of this observational study is to investigate the long-term effects of a combined slow and rapid weight reduction strategy on the physiological performance, mental state, and sleep quality of male freestyle wrestlers over the period leading up to a competition. The main question it aims to answer is:

Does the combined weight reduction approach affect the physiological performance, mental state, and sleep quality of male freestyle wrestlers when implemented during the pre-competition phase?

Participants, who are already undergoing this weight reduction strategy as part of their regular training regimen for the 2024 Chinese Wrestling Championships, will be assessed at three distinct time points over a 38-day period. The study will involve the following detailed procedures:

Participant Selection: The study includes 16 male freestyle wrestlers from Sichuan Province, China, with an average age of 20.2 years, and extensive competitive experience.

Study Duration: The observation period spans 38 days prior to the competition, divided into a 30-day slow weight reduction phase and a 7-day rapid weight reduction phase, with the final assessment conducted the day before the competition.

Data Collection: Participants will undergo a series of tests at three time points (T1, T2, T3):

T1: First day of slow weight reduction. T2: First day of rapid weight reduction. T3: The day before the competition.

Testing Indicators:

Physiological performance will be measured through heart rate, blood pressure, blood tests for markers like creatine kinase, testosterone, and immunoglobulin G, body composition analysis, and anaerobic power testing.

Mental state will be evaluated using the Profile of Mood States questionnaire, assessing mood dimensions such as tension, anger, fatigue, depression, energy, confusion, and self-esteem.

Sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, a questionnaire that evaluates sleep quality over the past month.

Data Analysis: The study will analyze changes in physiological performance, mental state, and sleep quality from T1 to T3, looking for significant differences that may indicate the impact of the weight reduction strategy.

Ethical Considerations: The study is approved by the Ethics Committee for Human Experiments at Sichuan Sports College and adheres to the Declaration of Helsinki. All participants provide informed consent.

Study Hypothesis: There will be significant differences in the changes in physiological performance, mental state, and sleep quality of male freestyle wrestlers during the pre-competition slow and rapid weight reduction training period.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 16
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Sichuan
    • Chengdu, Sichuan, China, 610041
      • Chengdu Sport University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants must be male freestyle wrestlers aged 18 years or older
• Athletes should be preparing for the 2024 Chinese Wrestling Championships
• Individuals must be willing to undergo all tests and assessments at the three specified time points (T1, T2, T3) over the 38-day study period
• Participants should be in good health, with no medical conditions that would prevent them from completing the study
• Athletes must be undergoing a combined slow and rapid weight reduction strategy as part of their regular training regimen

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals with a history of severe cardiovascular, metabolic, or endocrine disorders that could affect the study outcomes
• Wrestlers who are unable to comply with the study's testing schedule or intervention protocols
• Participants with any condition that would make them unsuitable for the anaerobic power testing or blood sampling
• Wrestlers who are unwilling or unable to provide informed consent

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental group; A total of three tests were conducted on all participants, each time between 6:00 and 9:00 in the morning. The first test (first day of slow weight reduction, T1) was on 26th March, the second test (first day of rapid weight reduction, T2) was on 26th April, and the third test (the day before the competition, T3) was on 3rd May.	Other: Experimental group; This study included 16 male freestyle wrestlers from Sichuan Province, China. Participants were tested at three time points: the first day of slow weight reduction (T1), the first day of rapid weight reduction (T2), and the day before competition (T3), with measurements taken for physiological performance, mental state, and sleep quality.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Blood Pressure Testing	Participants' blood pressure were measured in a supine position using an instrument (manufactured in Shenzhen, China, model: CK-W355) by laboratory personnel, with the average of three readings taken.	38 days
Serum testosterone	Approximately 3 mL of antecubital venous blood was collected from participants and tested for serum testosterone.	38 days
Serum creatine kinase	Approximately 3 mL of antecubital venous blood was collected from participants and tested for serum creatine kinase.	38 days
Serum blood urea	Approximately 3 mL of antecubital venous blood was collected from participants and tested for serum blood urea.	38 days
Serum immunoglobulin G	Approximately 3 mL of antecubital venous blood was collected from participants and tested for serum immunoglobulin G.	38 days
Serum immunoglobulin A	Approximately 3 mL of antecubital venous blood was collected from participants and tested for serum immunoglobulin A.	38 days
Serum immunoglobulin M	Approximately 3 mL of antecubital venous blood was collected from participants and tested for serum immunoglobulin M.	38 days
Body Composition Testing	The participants' weight and body fat percentage were tested using the Korean INBODY 3.0.	38 days
The Profile of Mood States	For psychological state: the Profile of Mood States, a tool for studying mood states and their relation to exercise performance, was used. Participants answered 40 questions with a five-point scale (0 to 4 points, with 0 indicating 'almost none', 1 'a little', 2 'moderate', 3 'quite a bit', and 4 'extremely'), including seven mood dimensions: tension, anger, fatigue, depression, energy, confusion, and self-esteem. Energy and self-esteem are positive mood dimensions, with higher scores indicating better mood states, while the other five are negative mood dimensions, with higher scores indicating worse mood states. The total score, total mood disturbance (calculated as the sum of the five negative mood scores minus the sum of the two positive mood scores plus 100), indicates worse mood states with higher scores. The scale has a reliability between 0.60 and 0.82 and a validity greater than 0.90 for Chinese individuals.	38 days
Sleep quality	The pittsburgh sleep quality index, a questionnaire for assessing sleep quality over the past month, consists of 18 self-rated items forming seven components, with a total score ranging from 0 to 21, where higher scores indicate worse sleep quality. The scale has a reliability between 0.65 and 0.84 and a validity greater than 0.85 for Chinese individuals.	38 days
Anaerobic Power Testing	The Wingate 30-second anaerobic test (MONARK 894E, MONARK Company, Sweden) was used. Participants pedalled as fast as possible, adjusting to the prescribed resistance load within 3 to 4 seconds, and started timing for a 30-second all-out cycling exercise. The average power over 30 seconds, total work output, maximum power output within 5 seconds, and minimum power output within 5 seconds were recorded.	38 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Chengdu Sport University
• Investigators: Study Chair: Xiong Weizhi, Dr, Chengdu Sport University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 26, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 2, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): May 3, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 1, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 3, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): August 7, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 9, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 6, 2024
• Last Verified: August 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: sleep quality; weight reduction; mental state; wrestling; physiological performance
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Body Weight Changes; Weight Loss; Body Weight; Body Weight Changes
• Other Study ID Numbers: SSC2024

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No