Study on How Rapid Dehydration Affects Sleep, Thinking Skills, and Muscle Activity in Male Combat Athletes Aged 17 to 28

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating how rapid dehydration-induced weight loss affects sleep quality, cognitive skills, and muscle strength in male combat athletes aged 17 to 28. The study aims to document both benefits and risks of rapid weight-cutting methods used in weight-class sports, providing guidance for safer athlete weight management and potential updates to international weigh-in rules. This research is sponsored by Abant Izzet Baysal University and contributes important insights to sports science. The study involves competitive senior male combat athletes undergoing a randomized crossover design with three trials two experimental trials involving 3% body weight loss through sauna-induced dehydration, and one control trial without dehydration. In the experimental trials, dehydration is achieved by repeated sauna sessions until the target weight loss. Measurements before and after dehydration include body weight, body composition, total body fluid, resting heart rate, body temperature, cognitive tests, and surface electromyographic sEMG responses during isokinetic leg strength testing. One experimental trial includes a night without rehydration to assess sleep quality effects, while the other allows rehydration overnight. Participants will undergo multiple assessments during each trial, including sleep monitoring, cognitive tests such as the Stroop test and Montreal Cognitive Assessment, sEMG recordings, and leg strength measurements. Sleep quality is recorded overnight using a sleep tracker. Measurements occur before dehydration, after dehydration, the next morning, and after rehydration when applicable. All tests repeat across three sessions spaced one week apart according to the randomized design. This thorough monitoring evaluates how dehydration and rehydration impact physical and cognitive performance, sleep, and muscle activity over time.

Effect of Dehydration on Sleep Quality, Cognitive Skills, and Electromyographic Responses in Combat Athletes