Fighter taken out by hot tub

This is the biggest problem in combat sports, said Andy Foster, executive officer of the California State Athletic Commission. Five or 10 percent of people are doping. The number of people dehydrating is much, much higher… It’s a traumatic event. Then the very next day, you combine that with another traumatic event, and that’s called a fight. Combine these two things, and you’re just asking for trouble.

The latest weight cutting incident was bizarre.

Undefeated Grant Dawson was cutting on Wednesday for his RFA debut, by immersing himself in a hot tub for 45 minutes at a time, repeatedly over a three hour period. The fighter was taken to the emergency room where he was diagnosed with first-degree burns and the onset of hot tub folliculitis, or Pseudomonas aeruginosa folliculitis, a condition is caused by an infection or inflammation of hair follicles.

“It was probably the most pain I’ve felt in my life,” said Dawson to Marc Raimondi for MMA Fighting. “It really felt like something was eating my skin and it was bad.”

“The chlorine levels in the hot tub were way, way beyond what they were supposed to be. It was so bad … the people in the steam room were feeling the chlorine in their eyes. That’s how bad it was. And we were in it. I was in it up to my neck.”

However, Dawson’s account was flatly contradicted by facility manager Dan Creamer, who cited an inappropriate length of time in the pool, and entering the hot tub without showering first, while sweating.

“All of our chemical levels were fine and everything like that,” said Creamer. “There’s a reason why you’re only supposed to be in the hot tub 10 to 15 minutes — not two hours.”

Dawson expected to be back training late this week. And hopes to fight for RFA sometime next year.

In the mean time, there is yet another party damaged by the dangerous weight cut. Opponent Clay Wimer drove over 500 miles to the event, and made weight.

“I was his opponent and I was on weight after driving from Rapid City SD, to Lincoln, NE,” explained Wimer. “I’m also undefeated, and I got screwed over not getting to fight. That’s the other aspect of cutting too much.”

The beginning of any change is education and awareness. Towards that end, Foster issued about the dangers of weight cutting, prepared by the Association of Ringside Physicians.

THE DANGERS OF CUTTING WEIGHT AND DEHYDRATING

Unhealthy and dangerous weight loss practices continue to be a serious problem in combat sports. One recent study found that 39% of MMA fighters were entering competition in a dehydrated state. Heat illness and death in athletes have already happened in the sports of wrestling and MMA.

It’s been shown that excessive weight loss, rapid weight loss, and repeated cycling of weight gain/loss causes decreased performance, hormonal imbalance, decreased nutrition, and increased injury risk. Other life-threatening problems associated with improper weight loss and dehydration include:
•Decreased Muscle Strength and Endurance: Decreased blood flow to muscles makes them work less well.
•Decreased Heart and Cardiovascular Function: The heart works harder and less efficiently.
•Reduced Energy Utilization, Nutrient Exchange and Acidosis: With decreased blood flow to tissues nutrients don’t get delivered, and the body’s waste products do not get
removed as well. A buildup of acid occurs which ch anges cells’ functions in the body.
•Heat Illness: This takes on four forms: heat cramps, heat syncope (loss of consciousness), heat exhaustion, and heat stroke (which may be fatal). Dehydration results in decreased blood flow to skin and muscles. This is followed by decreased ability to regulate body temperature. The ability to sweat becomes impaired and core body temperature can rise. This increases the threat of all of these to poorly hydrated athletes doing strenuous workouts.
•Decreased Kidney Function: Dehydration leads to decreased kidney blood flow and decreased kidney function. This contributes to the problems listed in the points here, in addition to decreased urine output, concentrated urine, and leakage of protein into the urine. (It is not known if these changes can result in permanent kidney damage.)
•Electrolyte Problems: Decreased kidney function results in imbalances of electrolytes such as unhealthy increases in potassium and sodium.
•Mood Swings and Mental Changes: All of the above contribute to increased mood swings, poor concentration and focus, disorientation and other mental changes.
•Eye Trouble: Dehydration can cause blurred vision and dry eyes.
•Increased Risk of Brain Injury: There are likely increased risks of brain bleeding and concussion.

DON’T:
•Don’t use extreme methods for making weight such as excessive heat methods (rubberized suits, steam rooms, saunas), excessive intense bouts of exercise, vomiting, laxatives and diuretics.
•Don’t use dehydration as a mainstay of making weight. In addition to the above, it puts you at risk of improper rehydration techniques when, in reality, proper re-hydration takes several hours to days. (Many cases intravenous fluids being used for rehydration after weigh-ins have been reported – this is a doping violation with several organizations.)
DO:
•Commit to year-round proper diet and training for proper weight control and body composition.
•By maintaining your weight year round near an appropriate competition weight and not competing in a weight class outside your appropriate weight class you will help avoid large swings in weight.
•Maintain a good state of hydration by drinking fluid throughout the day and staying hydrated during workouts.
•Follow nutritional programs that meet your needs for adequate amounts of calories from a balanced diet high in healthy carbohydrates, the minimum requirement of fat, and appropriate amounts of protein.
•Be wary of nutritional supplements as they are not regulated by the FDA and some have been shown to be harmful.

For more information visit: associationofringsidephysicians.org.