Sunday, April 27, 2008 Quijano: Weighty matters By Jingo Quijano Last Round
TODAY’S column is in response to a query from “Don of Mandaue” who texted our Sun.Star Cebu Forum inquiring about boxers weighing more on fight time than during the actual weigh-in.
Well Don, that situation is actually the norm nowadays. This is necessarily so because weigh-ins are conducted a day before the fight and so the fighter has sufficient time to put on added weight or recover what he has lost in trying to come in under the weight limit. Plus, he is no longer required to maintain the same weight come fight time.
A recent example would be Manny Pacquiao who came in at 145 pounds for his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, after making the 130-pound limit the day before.
Now you may ask why this is so and what is the rationale for day-before weigh-ins.
Previously, weigh-ins were conducted on the same day of the fight (usually at noon), but this was viewed as a dangerous practice since boxers were still too weak from making the weight and could not recover in time for the fight. Hence, the advent of day-before-weigh-ins.
Nonetheless, the prevailing practice is also fraught with dangers and is not without its share of critics. KO Magazine Editor Nigel Collins refers to it as trading “one dangerous practice for another.”
ADVANTAGE. This is so because of another pervading belief that fighters ought to compete at the lowest weight class possible that his body will allow (during the weigh-in). The alleged wisdom being that he can then get bigger during fight time, and get that much needed advantage.
Hence, most fighters utilize that 24-hour window to get “bigger.” Even Manny Pacquiao himself admitted that he preferred to be bigger than Marquez come fight time.
But is bigger necessarily better?
GOODMAN. Renowned ring physician Dr. Margaret Goodman considers such a belief as a myth.
This is so because according to Dr. Goodman, there are several dangers inherent to purging and extreme dieting which sometimes accompanies a boxer’s efforts to make the weight.
Most boxers today do not maintain the weight during fight layoffs and the sport’s top fighters maintain a schedule of fighting only twice or thrice a year. This then becomes a problem if the weight is not properly managed in-between fights.
In an article on The Ring Magazine (Volume 5, 2005, pp 126) Dr Goodman states: “Training for a specific sport before the body matures can prevent the athlete from choosing the right weight class. This eventually produces a conflict whereby the athlete struggles against the natural physical changes as his or her body matures and grows.
Food equal energy, so without enough food our bodies will not perform. All organ systems are affected. Some of the most common symptoms include dizzines, fatigue, and loss of coordination, endurance muscular strength and speed, in addition to muscle cramps and overheating.
Dehydration typically results from not drinking enough fluids. A five percent decrease fluid consumption when a fighter is trying to make weight can reduce muscle capacity up to 30 percent. We tend to think of electrolyte imbalance resulting from dehydration but food deprivation can lead to the medical symptoms listed above and even proceed to seizures or heart attacks.”
Prevention must start with the athlete’s coach/trainer or parent recognizing the problem and taking it seriously. First, boxers need accurate information regarding nutrition, weight, and weigh loss so they can avoid unhealthy practices. Moreover, boxers must understand that it is a myth that he or she will perform better at a lighter weight…” (to be concluded)
THE LAST ROUND. It’s on Yakal buddy Joel Aquino who recently celebrated his birthday. Cheers!
