Fluctuation in body composition and urine specific gravity of elite wrestlers in a top-level wrestling competition

This research aimed to examine the fluctuations in body composition and urine-specific gravity of elite wrestlers in a high-level wrestling competition. Thirty-one wrestlers in the Türkiye Senior Wrestling national team participated in this research. Wrestlers were divided into two groups as weight loss and non-weight loss groups, and changes in their body composition and urine-specific gravity were measured at three different times. The duration between the beginning of the camp and the competition weigh-in time was considered as dehydration process and the duration between the competition weigh-in time and before the competition was considered as rehydration process. In the data analysis, 2x3 repeated measures ANOVA was used. It was determined that during the dehydration process of wrestlers who lost weight, there was a decrease of 4.02%, 2,50%, 14,62%, and 2,66% in body weight, free-fat mass, fat mass, and total body water, whereas, during the rehydration process, there was a gain of 1.85%, 1,77%, 2,63%, and 1,87%, respectively. In addition, it was determined that wrestlers who lost weight had a 0.87% increase in urine-specific gravity during the dehydration process and a 0.41% decrease in the rehydration process. Additionally, the results show that wrestlers cannot regain the body weight and fat mass lost in the hydration fluctuation during a competition, but they can regain free-fat mass, total body water, and urine-specific gravity. However, although it was determined that the wrestlers were statistically able to regain free-fat mass, total body water, and urine-specific gravity, they were not able to return to the levels at the beginning of the camp. These results show that wrestlers could not reduce the change in hydration markers they were exposed to during the dehydration process to the initial level during the rehydration process. Therefore, it is thought that fluctuation in hydration during a high-level competition may negatively affect wrestlers' health and performance.