EFFECT OF WEIGHT-LOSS AND REFEEDING DIET COMPOSITION ON ANAEROBIC PERFORMANCE IN WRESTLERS

Collegiate wrestlers (N = 12) consumed a formula, hypoenergy diet (18 kcal . kg(-1), 60% carbohydrate) without dehydration for 72 h. For the next 5 h, the athletes were fed either a 75% (HC) or a 47% (MC) carbo hydrate formula diet of 21 kcal . kg(-1). Each wrestler performed thre e anaerobic ann ergometer performance rests (TEST1, before weight loss ; TEST2, after weight loss; TEST3, after refeeding). Blood withdrawn j ust before and after each test was analyzed for pH, bicarbonate, base excess, glucose, and lactate. Both groups had a similar significant re duction in total work done during TEST2 (92.4% of TEST1). Work done in TEST3 by HC was 99.1% of TEST1 while MC did 91.5% of their initial wo rk (P = 0.1). Peak power was unaffected by the treatment. Plasma lacta te significantly increased during the performance test from 1.72 to 21 .91 mmol . l(-1) as did plasma glucose from 4.88 to 5.25 mmol . l(-1) when groups and trials were collapsed. Lactate accumulation was dimini shed during TEST2 compared with the other tests. Although the exercise bout reduced pH, bicarbonate, and base excess, there was no differenc e in the effect by group. In conclusion, weight loss by energy restric tion significantly reduced anaerobic performance of wrestlers. Those o n a high carbohydrate refeeding diet tended to recover their performan ce while those on a moderate carbohydrate diet did not. The changes in performance were not explained by the acid/base parameters measured.