A scoping review of rapid weight loss in judo athletes: prevalence, magnitude, effects on performance, risks, and recommendations

Abstract

[Purpose] Combat sports, such as judo, are weight categorized. Weight control was established to promote fair disputes among individuals. However, combat sports athletes adopt rapid weight loss (RWL) to obtain an advantage over smaller and lighter opponents. This scoping review article presents the prevalence, magnitude, and methods of RWL and its effects on physical and competitive performance, health risks, and psychological effects. Specific recommendations for attenuating the effects of RWL are also presented. [Methods] Studies were retrieved from Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases. Four hundred and forty-six articles were identified, of which fifty-three were considered eligible for this review. [Results] The results showed that the prevalence of RWL was between 40% and 92.9% and that athletes reduced their body mass by approximately 5%. Although the literature suggests that RWL impairs the performance and psychological well-being of athletes, these results were obtained when recovery time was not provided. [Conclusion] No negative effects on performance were observed when the recovery time was >4 h. However, health risks due to RWL practices should be considered, and RWL should be avoided.