Abstract

Wrestlers commonly use dietary restriction and voluntary dehydration to attempt to gain an advantage by competing at a weight just below the upper limit for their category. Such practices have been reported to induce low serum testosterone levels and elevated serum cortisol levels during the wrestling season. To determine how dietary restriction/dehydration might affect these hormones during the wrestling season, weekly determinations of body weight, serum testosterone, and serum cortisol levels were analyzed in wrestlers during training and competition periods. Mean serum testosterone levels were low (15.6+/-1.5 nM) and serum cortisol levels were increased (349.5+/-39.4 nM). Testosterone levels decreased further during periods of heavy training and competition. Cortisol decreased with one competition and tended to increase during the season. Hormonal variations did not correlate with significant changes in body weight. The mechanisms of the transient decreases in serum testosterone levels and the progressive increases in serum cortisol levels are unclear; however these findings do raise concern over the possible long-term hormonal consequences of training. Verf.-Referat