Developing a State Wrestling Weight Control Program

1
Developing a State Wrestling Weight Control
Program

• Jon Almquist, VATL, ATC
• Fairfax County Public Schools
• Virginia High School League

Shane Caswell, PhD, VATL, ATC Athletic Training
Program Director George Mason University
2
Goals

• Share what Virginia has learned through the three
  years of a mandatory WCP
• Identify other requirements needed in
  developing a state WCP
• Share pros and cons of different body fat testing
  procedures

3
WHY DO IT?

• Required by the National Federation of High
  Schools beginning 2006-07
• Must include identification of minimum weight at
  7 (male) and 12 (female)
• Must include a hydration test
• Must include a schedule of weight loss per week
  of 1.5
• Reduce the risk of unhealthy weight loss by
  wrestlers

4
Components the NFHS Leaves to the State
Associations

• Who can do testing?
• Specific testing protocols
• Skinfold/Bio-Impedance/Hydrostatic/DEXA/BodPod
• Time frame for testing
• Appeals process
• Accountability
• Record keeping
• Eligibility rules
• Nutrition Education for Coaches, Athletes and
  Parents

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BASIC COMPONENTS OF VHSL WEIGHT CONTROL PROGRAM

• Hydration assessment
• Baseline weight assessment
• Skin fold assessment
• Determine 7 (male) 12 (female) minimum weight
• Establish (pounds per week) weight loss schedule

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Urine Specific Gravity (Usg)

• Normal hydration is 1.010 1.020
• Moderate dehydration is 1.021-1.030
• Severe dehydration is above 1.030
• Usg must be taken at time of weight measurement
• NFHS has now determined that 1.025 and below is
  acceptable

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FORMULAS FOR CALCULATING MINIMUM WRESTLING WEIGHT
USING SKINFOLD

• LOHMAN EQUATION
• FOR CALCULATING BODY DENSITY (BD)
•  SUM SF TRICEPS SF SUBSCAPULAR SF ABDOMINAL
  SF
• BD 1.0973 - (SUM SF X .000815) (SUM SF)2 X
  .00000084
•  
• BROZEK EQUATION
• FOR CALCULATING PERCENT BODY FAT (BF)
• BF (4.57/BD - 4.142) X 100
•  
• CALCULATING WEIGHT AT 7 BF
• WEIGHT AT 7 BF 1 - (BF/100) X CURRENT
  WEIGHT / .93

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Virginia High School League (VHSL)

• 3rd year of mandatory program
• 300 schools
• Virginia private schools have implemented VHSLs
  WCP (2005-06)
• Over 18,000 Usg BF test records on file
• Post season analysis at State Championships on
  random sample

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Coaches Concerns

• Unfair to athlete
• Errors between testers
• Too expensive
• Too much paperwork
• Too difficult to monitor athletes weight on
  daily basis
• I lost 12 15 pounds before every match, whats
  wrong with that?
• Many, many more

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What Have We Learned In Virginia?

• Include coaches in development
• Identify committee of experts
• Establish formal training program for measurers
• Reach out to all medical professionals
• Education must be key component
• Rules must enforce WCP compliance
• Coaches will push the envelope

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TIMELINE

• Assessments to certify minimum weight class are
  to be completed during a 3-week timeframe, one
  week prior to the VHSLs first wrestling practice
  date and two weeks after. (Nov. 7th Nov.
  29th, 2005)
• Athletes joining team late must be assessed
  within one week from the first day they practice
  and before any competition
• Unofficial assessments may be performed earlier

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Program Implementation

• Equipment needed
• Accurate scale
• Refractometer (99) or Uristix (50)
• Calipers (Lange/Baseline) (99)
• Tape measure
• Computer spreadsheet

Equipment purchasing information is available in
manual
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Athlete Education

• Hydration Tip Handout
• Arrange schedule with coaches
• Speak with athletes
• Set up testing location and procedures

• Ongoing Nutrition Education for Athletes, Coaches
  and Parents

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Hydration Assessment

• Collect urine
• Measure Usg
• Record on worksheet

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STRATEGIES TO PREVENT FALSIFIED URINE TESTS

• Athletes who present with a urine sample that has
  been altered in any way will be subject to a
  one-year suspension of VHSL participation.
• Athletes being tested should wear lightweight
  shorts, no shirts (males) and no shoes.
• Bathroom facilities should be arranged such that
  a sink is not accessible.
• Place food coloring in the toilet (blue or
  green), refrain from flushing between samples.
• Check for athletes carrying any container.
• Usg test should be completed first, with weight
  immediately after.
• When in question, request a repeat sample

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Weigh-In

• Use accurate scale
• Record weight on sheet under ACTUAL WEIGHT

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Skinfold Measurements

• Measurements should be taken prior to exercise
• Athletes skin must be dry
• Hydration assessment, weight and skinfold taken
  during same time frame

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CaliperPlacement

• Place calipers at MIDPOINT of fold
• Calipers should be perpendicular to fold
• Calipers should be 1 cm below finger pinch

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Triceps

• Arm should be positioned along side
• Flex elbow 90 degrees

• Determine midpoint between acromium and olecranon
  for horizontal mark

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Triceps

• Make vertical mark to intersect horizontal line
  on midline of posterior aspect of triceps
• Straighten elbow by relaxing arm for measurement
• Pinch a vertical fold with overhand grip, one
  centimeter above mark

21
Triceps

• Apply calipers at intersecting
  marks perpendicular to the long axis of skin
  fold.
• Arms should be relaxed by side for measurements
• Calipers should equilibrate for 2 - 4 seconds
• Record measurement on data sheet to the nearest
  0.5mm

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Subscapular

• Mark a diagonal line below the scapula that is an
  extension of the natural hollowing of the skin.
  (45 degree angle between left shoulder and
  right hip)

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Subscapular

• Locate the inferior angle (lowest point of
  scapula)
• If necessary, internally rotating arm will cause
  scapula to protract, identifying the inferior
  angle

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Subscapular

• A mark intersecting the diagonal line 1 cm below
  the inferior angle should be drawn

Dot marks inferior angle of scapula
1cm down from angle
Bisect diagonal line
Place calipers here
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Scapular marking
Internally rotate arm only if you are unable to
locate inferior angle of scapula. Arm MUST be
relaxed and down for marking inferior angle
1st dot should be located directly over
inferior angle of scapula 2nd dot should be 1cm
below first dot Perpendicular line should be
drawn from 2nd dot bisecting the diagonal line at
90 degrees
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Subscapular

• Pinch an oblique fold 1 centimeter above
  intersecting mark

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Subscapular

• Apply calipers at intersecting marks
  perpendicular to the long axis of skin fold.
• Arms should be relaxed by side for measurements
• Calipers should equilibrate for 2 - 4 seconds
• Record measurement on data sheet to the nearest
  0.5mm

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Abdominal

• Mark a vertical line 3 centimeters to the right
  of the midpoint of the umbilicus

lt 3cm gt
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Abdominal

• Intersect a horizontal line 1 centimeter below
  the midpoint of the umbilicus
• The athlete should be standing relaxed on both
  feet with abdominal muscles relaxed

__ 1cm ____
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Abdominal

• Apply calipers at intersecting marks
  perpendicular to the long axis of skin fold.

• Arms should be relaxed by side for
  measurements

• Calipers should equilibrate for 2 - 4 seconds

• Record measurement on data sheet to the nearest
  0.5mm

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Rotate through the three sites three times
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APPEAL PROCESS

• Athlete can appeal for any reason
• Appeal must be requested within 2 days of
  contested measurement
• Appeal requires complete re-test, actual weight,
  Usg, and skinfolds
• Appealed results will be prevailing even if it is
  less desirable to the wrestler

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APPEALS continued

• 1st appeal to be completed by original certified
  measurer when possible
• Test and first appeal must be requested within
  initial 3-week testing window
• 2nd appeal will be re-tested by Regional Master
  Tester
• Results of 1st and 2nd appeals will be ADDED to
  spreadsheet

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WEEK TO WEEK ELIGIBILITY

• Addition of Buffer for weight loss per week
  eligibility criteria

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SUMMARY

• Discuss testing scheduling with coach
• Discuss protocols with athletes, include
  hydration tip sheet
• Set up testing procedures at location
• Secure all necessary supplies and helpers
• Input data into computer spreadsheet
• Name and save file to diskette
• Print off Coach-Official Report and discuss with
  coach
• Upload file to VHSL

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Skinfold vs Bio-impedance

• Preliminary review of comparison

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Pilot Study

• Purpose
• Compare Skin Fold to Tanita TBF-300 Pro Body Fat
  Scale
• Subjects
• 37 High School Age Wrestlers
• 175.3 40.0 lbs
• USG 1.023 .005

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Skin Fold vs. Tanita Scale

• Skin Fold
• Day One 16.4 6.8
• Day Two 17.0 7.4
• Tanita Scale
• Day One 14.8 7.7
• Day Two 17.2 9.3

• Test Re-test Reliability
• Skin Fold .88
• Tanita Scale .52

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QUESTIONS?

• Complete VHSL version 905 CD is available
• Jon Almquist, ATC
• Jon.Almquist_at_fcps.edu