Have you ever wondered what a wrestler goes through to cut weight? Although methods have changed over the years, eating very little to nothing and exercising  excesively seem to be the most common ways.
 In the past, wrestlers would go anywhere from dehydrating themselves to covering themselves in a trash bag and sitting in a sauna. These actions are not only harmful to their bodies, but now also illegal in the sport as well.
 “Now we do hydrations test, and you may only cut down as low as 7 percent body fat,” previous coach Jerry Post said.
 Do you think you could lose ten pounds in two days? For senior Nick Boysel it was hard, but he got through it. He practiced before and after school wearing sweats, and he ate little healthy things throughout the day to keep his metabolism working hard.
 This is actually how they suggest the wrestlers cut weight now.
 “Stay away from all non-nutritious foods, such as soda and chips,” Post said. “Eat six to seven small meals a day instead of three large meals, and of course increase exercise.
 Sophomore Nate Otero had a little more time to lose weight. He had to lose 11 pounds in a week. His method of cutting weight was eating very little—a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a bottle of water—until two days before weighing in, when he stopped drinking water and ate one protein bar.
 Otero said he’s probably not doing things the healthiest way.
 “I know there are smarter ways to do it,” he said, “but I do what I’ve got to do.”
 Boysel and  senior Martin Crawford think differently. They believe their method is healthy because they rarely go without eating anything at all.
 “I just have to really monitor what I eat,” Boysel said. “Since I do not eat a lot, I make sure what I do eat is healthy, and I also take vitamins in order to get nutrients that I might lack from my diet.”
 Crawford is among the number of wrestlers who had to cut twelve pounds in five days. He did this by cutting out fast food and pop. He also ate a lot of smaller meals instead of fewer bigger meals.
 Cutting too much weight in so little time can often cause a person to become sick or dehydrated, causing this person to not perform at their best, and in a serious matter  to become hospitalized. Luckily Crawford, Boysel, and Otero have not been hospitalized, but they said that they have been dehydrated many times.
 Also, a lack of routine in their diets can cause mood changes.
 “I usually get annoyed easier and argue with my parents and girlfriend,” Crawford said. “It’s also harder to pay attention in school; I tend to sleep a lot more.”
  Boysel and Otero agreed that they get annoyed more easily, which cause more arguments.
 Most people wonder if doing this weight cutting is worth all that they do to their body.
 “To me it is because I sacrifice in order to be better than my opponents,” said Otero.
 Boysel and Crawford feel that it also is very much worth it because they believe that wrestling at a different weight class than they do would affect the outcome of their match.
 Obviously, one might think the parents of wrestlers would be worried about how their child is doing this. Boysel and Otero both stated that their parents don’t say much because they understand why they are doing it and know that it is their own decision. Crawford’s parents, on the other hand, feel that he is becoming too skinny and believe he needs to gain weight.
 It has been said that men who participate in low-weight oriented sports such as jockeys, wrestlers, and runners, are at an increased risk of developing an eating disorder, such as anorexia or bulimia. The pressure to succeed, to be the best, to be competitive, and to win at all costs combined with any outside pressures in their lives can help to contribute the onset of their disordered eating.
 Boysel, Crawford, and Otero are only three of many wrestlers that must cut weight everyday. So what do you think? Is it worth it or not?