Meng Fanjie, Zhong Yuming, Zhang Zhao, Ren Zihan
Department of Martial Arts and Traditional National Sports, Henan Sport University, Henan, China.
School of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
PeerJ. 2025 Jul 9;13:e19709. doi: 10.7717/peerj.19709. eCollection 2025.
Kickboxing is a dynamic combat sport (CS) in which two competitors engage in full-force strikes using their hands, elbows, knees, shins, and feet. To ensure athletes compete against opponents of similar body size and weight for fairness, kickboxing competition is classified according to weight classes. Previous studies revealed that CS athletes tend to intentionally lose weight to gain a competitive advantage over their opponents. However, little is known about weight loss (WL) practices in kickboxers and the perceptions of CS athletes about WL. The aim of this study is to investigate the WL practices and perceptions of Chinese male kickboxers.
A total of 152 Chinese male kickboxers completed the adapted Rapid WL Questionnaire. Participants were categorized by age group, weight category, competitive level, attitude toward impact of WL on health, and performance.
Sixty-eight percent of kickboxers purposefully engaged in WL practices. The average habitual WL was 6.0% of body mass (BM), with the average highest WL being 8.8% of BM. Most participants reduced 41-60% of their total planned magnitude of WL between 60 days and 9 days before the weigh-in, 21-40% between 8 days and 2 days before the weigh-in, and 0-20% within 1 day before the weigh-in. Coaches (67%) were most reported as the primary guides for WL. The primary reason kickboxers engage in WL is competing against lighter opponents to increase the chances of winning (70%). Most participants believed that WL had no impact on health (42%), improved performance (57%), and did not lead to unfair competition (73%). Significant differences were observed in both the highest WL% ( = 0.005, = 0.018), the habitual WL% ( = 0.005, = 0.018), the age beginning WL ( = 0.005, = 0.018), and the annual WL times ( = 0.005, = 0.018) across age and competitive level, but not observed across weight category, and attitudes toward both the health and performance impacts of WL (all > 0.05). No significant differences were found in habitual weight regain after weigh-in/habitual WL (%) after weigh-in across all groups (all > 0.05).
The prevalence of WL among Chinese male kickboxers is relatively low when compared to other CS, but the magnitude is relatively higher compared with previous studies. Their WL practices are mainly guided by kickboxing coach, and the primary reasons of WL is to gain a competitive advantage and improve performance.
自由搏击是一项充满活力的格斗运动，两名参赛者会用手、肘、膝、小腿和脚进行全力击打。为确保运动员能与体型和体重相近的对手公平竞争，自由搏击比赛按体重级别进行划分。此前的研究表明，格斗运动运动员往往会故意减重，以获得相对于对手的竞争优势。然而，对于自由搏击运动员的减重做法以及格斗运动运动员对减重的看法，我们所知甚少。本研究的目的是调查中国男性自由搏击运动员的减重做法和看法。
共有152名中国男性自由搏击运动员完成了改编后的快速减重问卷。参与者按年龄组、体重级别、竞技水平、对减重对健康影响的态度以及表现进行分类。
68%的自由搏击运动员有目的地进行减重。习惯性减重的平均值为体重的6.0%，最高减重平均值为体重的8.8%。大多数参与者在称重前60天至9天内减少了计划总减重幅度的41%-60%，在称重前8天至2天内减少了21%-40%，在称重前1天内减少了0%-20%。教练（67%）被报告为减重的主要指导者。自由搏击运动员进行减重的主要原因是与体重较轻的对手竞争以增加获胜机会（70%）。大多数参与者认为减重对健康没有影响（42%）、能提高表现（57%）且不会导致不公平竞争（73%）。在最高减重百分比（P = 0.005，P = 0.018）、习惯性减重百分比（P = 0.005，P = 0.018）、开始减重的年龄（P = 0.005，P = 0.018）以及每年减重次数（P = 0.005，P = 0.018）方面，年龄和竞技水平之间存在显著差异，但在体重级别以及对减重对健康和表现影响的态度方面未观察到显著差异（所有P>0.05）。在所有组中，称重后习惯性体重恢复/称重后习惯性减重（%）方面均未发现显著差异（所有P>0.05）。
与其他格斗运动相比，中国男性自由搏击运动员的减重发生率相对较低，但与之前的研究相比，减重幅度相对较高。他们的减重做法主要由自由搏击教练指导，减重的主要原因是获得竞争优势和提高表现。
