In a sport like Jiu-Jitsu, it’s important to compete at the ideal weight and also with the ideal body fat percentage.
In wrestling, Seven percent (7%) body fat has been established by many medical authorities as the safe, minimal percent body fat for high school wrestlers. Body fat testing is the only scientific method of predicting a safe, minimal wrestling weight. By losing weight too quickly, or going below 7% body
fat, a wrestler risks losing muscle along with fat. This results in decreased muscular endurance and strength. Not every wrestler can, or should, attempt to reach 7% body fat. Most high school wrestlers will perform very well at a body fat percentage above 7%. If a wrestler is above 7% body fat, there is no reason to believe that wrestling performance will improve simply by losing weight.
Or will it?
How will increase in body fat percentage affect athletic performance?
Exercise professor and coach Dr. Todd Miller researched how increase of body fat affects athletic performance of various athletes at Penn State University.
In his research, he noticed that athletic performance tended to decrease throughout the season as body fat % in Penn State athletes increased {4lb increase in fat (2.9% of body mass) and a 6lb loss in muscle (4.4% of body mass)}
Generally speaking a lower body fat percentage is recommended for athletic performance but there comes a point when having a very low percentage simply isn’t healthy. The average male’s body fat is 15 to 20% percent.
Georgie Fear, R.D., author of Lean Habits for Lifelong Weight Loss, stated:
“A body fat percentage below 5 percent is regarded as a warning sign of poor health, even in elite athletes. Male bodybuilders typically go below 5 percent for competition, but don’t stay there in the off season.”
About 15-20 percent of body fat is required, so our bodies could function properly, and having fat percentage beneath that number has its negative effects. Male bodybuilders and competitive grapplers often go below 5 percent, which negatively effects:
Mood
Energy Levels
Cardiovascular System
Muscle Strength & Recovery
Bone Strength
Skin
Immune System
Major side effects of low body fat:
1.Your testosterone levels will drop:
Dr Spencer Nadolsky, medicine physician in Maryland, in his study International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance study of bodybuilders, found out that training for a competition, the average bodybuilder’s testosterone level dropped from 9.22 to just 2.27 ng/mL!
Dr Nadolsky stated:
Low leptin levels can mean even lower testosterone levels. Through a chain of signals in the brain’s hypothalamus and pituitary gland, low leptin levels tell your testicles to produce less testosterone.”
2. Sperm count drop and erectile disfunction:
Leptin (also known as “fat hormone”) is a hormone which regulates your energy. When one has a low leptin level, your brain will tell the testicles to produce less testosterone. This makes the athlete more fatigued, produces loss of muscle mass, a low sex drive, and mood swings.
Dr Nadolsky stated:
“Your body gets the message that it’s time to survive. It’s not time to reproduce.”
Erik “Captain” Wekerle, a BJJ practitioner, former competitive bodybuilder with a Degree in Exercise Science shares his experience regarding low body fat percentage and erectile dysfunction.
Wekerle is a former competitive bodybuilder and American Football player at the University of Kentucky. Be sure to check out his YouTube channel (ProtectYaNeckFitness): https:
Wekerle is also famous for explaining how BJJ athletes cheat the IBJJF PED Test.
Learning the leg attack game is a smart thing to do if you want to pursue the no gi, sub only game. Learning this game will give you an advantage of the standard points seeking fighter. So don’t be a fool, and start picking up leg entanglements and attacks. If you really want to improve this part of your game, then you need to check out Craig Jones new DVD Set “Down Under Leg Attacks.” Craig Jones is quickly becoming one of the biggest superstars in bjj due to his outstanding performance at ADCC 2017 in Finland where he was able to submit Leandro Lo. He recently competed at an EBI and submitted everyone on his way to the finals via inside sankaku heel hook. He almost got the king, Gordon Ryan in an arm lock in the finals but fell short!
