• Charles Sturt PhD student requires male combat sport competitors for research
• Research investigates the effect of weight cutting and recovery in combat sport athletes’ exercise performance
• Participants will receive comprehensive personalised performance data

Charles Sturt University (Charles Sturt) exercise science PhD student Mr Grant Brechney invites male combat sport competitors from the Bathurst area to participate in a research project titled ‘Effect of weight cutting and recovery on exercise performance’.

The research project, led by the PhD student and supervised by researchers at the Charles Sturt School of Exercise Science, Sport and Health, aims to investigate weight cutting and recovery practices in combat sports and how these practices affect athlete performance.

The PhD student says the research will contribute significantly to better scientific understanding of the effects of weight cutting and hopes it will also contribute to the movement to have the protocols surrounding official weigh-ins changed to promote athlete health and safety as well as optimise performance.

Mr Brechney said the research project features two trials and requires participants to complete a range of light and high-intensity activities.

“In one trial participants will reduce their body mass by five per cent by completing light intensity exercise wearing a sweatsuit in a controlled climate chamber that exposes them to heat and humidity.

“During the other trial participants will still complete the light intensity exercise in the climate chamber, but will maintain their normal body mass.

“Further testing, including blood and hydration testing, will take place after each trial,” Mr Brechney said.

Participants will also be asked to complete an exercise protocol on an Assault Air Bike that will mimic the performance demands of an MMA competition, participate in strength and endurance tests, and complete an aerobic capacity assessment on a cycle ergometer.

Mr Brechney said the benefits for the athletes taking part in the study are that they will receive personalised performance data, such as a gold standard body composition analysis via DXA scan, whole body strength and power test analysis, and hydration data revealing their physiological responses to weight cutting.

“The top combat sport athletes rely on this kind of data, so the study offers a great opportunity for local combat athletes to use this information to improve their performance,” Mr Brechney said.

To participate in the research project participates must be male combat sport athletes aged 18 years or older who are currently actively competing, have two years’ experience in combat sport training, and are experienced using weight cutting practices.

Participants must have no recent history of performance enhancing drugs, and must not be medically suspended from relevant sporting authorities.

A full information guide pertaining to the study is available for anyone interested in the research.

For a copy of the guide, for more information on the study, or to express interest in participating in the study, please contact Mr Grant Brechney via email at gbrechney@csu.edu.au.

The research project is being supervised by Dr Jack Cannon, Professor Frank Marino, and Associate Professor Rylee Dionigi from the Charles Sturt School of Exercise Science, Sport and Health and Dr Ashleigh Moreland from the School of Health and Biomedical Sciences at RMIT University.