ReviewJournal of eating disorders2022
Patterns of weight cycling in youth Olympic combat sports: a systematic review.
Review in Journal of eating disorders, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mental performance skills and athletic performance in combat athletes: the mediating role of mental toughness.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Do coaches and athletes share the same weight-loss practices and perceptions? Insights from 23 combat sport teams.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Hey athlete, you need to cut weight: weight loss guidance practices and perceptions of Chinese combat sports coaches.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2025Observational
- Getting small to feel big: the psychology of weight cutting in combat sports.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Review
- Weight loss practices, perceptions, and eating disorder symptoms among Chinese male adolescent combat sports athletes.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPatterns of weight cycling in adult combat sports have been extensively studied, yet data on this matter in youth combat athletes is rather scarce.
methodsPubMed, EBSCOhost and Web of Science were used to retrieve relevant data. Eligible studies had to record the methods used to elicit rapid weight loss (RWL) and/or record the oscillations in bodyweight during the RWL phase. Only studies conducted in the context of an official competition were considered for inclusion in the present review.
resultsRWL is highly prevalent in children and adolescent combat athletes, ranging from 25 to 94% depending on the type of combat sport, age and level of competition. These athletes regularly prompt RWL by increasing exercise frequency and intensity, decreasing fluid and food intake, training in impermeable suits and using sauna frequently. Overall, the magnitude of RWL was ranging from ~ 1% to 6.3 ± 3.7% with significant RWL variations within individual studies and individuals within those studies.
conclusionAcquired data indicated that RWL patterns in young combat athletes are similar to those found in their adult counterparts. Knowing that childhood and adolescence are critical periods for growth and development, RWL needs to be stringently regulated and ideally banned in this population.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.