MYOCARDIAL ADAPTATION AND WEIGHT FLUCTUATION IN COLLEGE WRESTLERS

Myocardial adaptation and weight fluctuation of seven college wrestler s was examined during a competitive season. Standard M-mode measuremen ts were used to determine left ventricular (LV) end diastolic and end systolic dimensions, fractional shortening, LV diastolic posterior wal l thickness (DPW), diastolic interventricular septal thickness (DIVS), and LV mass (LVM) during preseason (test 1) and four months later at the season's end (test 2). The wrestlers' qualifying weights ranged fr om 53.6 to 80.5 kg and each competed in an average of 17 meets. Systol ic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and body weight (BW) were measured at both tests. Daily weight records and qualifying weights w ere used to calculate seasonal weight fluctuation as a percentage of t he highest weight attained between each meet and the wrestler's subseq uent qualifying weight. Paired t-tests were used to determine differen ces between tests 1 and 2. DPW, DIVS and LVM increased from 8.8 +/- 1. 0 to 10.3 +/- 1.0 mm, 7.9 +/- 1.5 to 9.9 +/- 0.6 mm, and 171.2 +/- 24. 3 to 209.7 +/- 12.9 mm(3) respectively while BW declined from 70.3 +/- 9.2 to 67.1 +/- 9.4 (X +/- SD, p < .01) from test 1 to 2. The other v ariables remained constant across tests. The wrestlers' mean % weight fluctuation throughout the season was 7.5 +/- 1.5 ranging from 4.4 to 9.1 %. These findings suggest that significant increases in myocardial mass occur over the course of a competitive wrestling season resultin g from increased LV wall thickness. The magnitude and cylic method of weight loss used by wrestlers does not appear to prevent myocardial hy pertrophy.