Weight Control:

Most wrestlers who struggle to maintain weight know that consuming sweets, soda, and other simple sugars will not have any benefit. What should your diet consist of?  Eating a diet that is high in complex carbohydrates, has some protein and some fat for reserves is essential for every wrestler. Proteins not only provide you with the essential calories and nutrition content you need but will also help you to hold muscle while you are cutting, causing you to loose fat instead of muscle and strength.

A common misconception is that carbs can be the enemy. This is not necessarily true. The key is to eat the proper type of carbs, or Complex Carbs. These carbs have a low rating on the Glycemic Index, which means that they are released at a slow and steady rate into you blood stream. This causes your body to use them as fuel instead of creating an insulin spike and the excess carbs stored as bodyfat. You can typically identify a “good” carb by its color, they are darker than higher rating carbs. For example, eat brown rice vs. white rice or sweet potato’s instead of baked potato’s.

You will also need to increase your number of meals, or “feedings”, each day. They don’t all have to be whole food meals, they can consist of snacks or protein shakes. But increasing these feedings will keep your energy levels up, prevent your body from burning your valuable muscle as fuel, and boost your metabolism which will help to burn bodyfat.

Make sure you are consuming the proper amount of calories each day. An easy way to figure that out is it to take your current bodyweight in pounds and multiply that by 13. (121 lbs x13 = 1573 Calories)  This will give you the minimum number of calories you should consume in order to control weight without losing muscle.

Water is essential for all of your bodily systems to function smoothly and efficiently. Even a slight state of dehydration, as low as 3%, can cause a significant decrease in performance levels! Many wrestlers manipulate water intake/hydration levels to cut weight for meets and tournaments. However, there is a BIG difference between water restriction and eliminating water completely. Without any water at all you are susceptible to cramping, becoming sluggish and weak and even your body systems not functioning properly. All of that adds up to a poor performance at best.

You can cut down water intake to make a weight class, but it has been cited that wrestlers need a minimum of 3-4 oz of water every 3 hours on days you are trying to make weight. When not trying to make weight, the average wrestler typically needs a minimum of 2-3 Liters of water per day to stay hydrated depending on their bodyweight.

Holding/Increasing Weight:

Most wrestlers decide to cut down one or even several weight classes for the season. Although it may not be the common choice of Georgia wrestlers, staying at your current weight or even going up a weight class can sometimes be a better option. Done correctly, it will result in increased strength, improved recovery, and enhanced performance.

However, to do this correctly a wrester must consume enough calories to hold or increase their weight. When you break it down it is very simple, your intake must be more than your expenditure. On average, a wrestler with these goals will need to consume enough calories per day to equal 17-19 times their current bodyweight. If you increase your daily caloric intake by 500 calories per day for a week you will add 1 pound of muscle to your body.

While increasing your caloric intake, you must consume the correct type of calories in order for it to equal muscle gain and improved athletic performance. Be sure to consume lean protein sources, such as chicken, beef, eggs, fish, and dairy. Your carbohydrate intake should come from those with low glycemic index ratings, like brown rice, whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat waffles, pancakes, etc. Good fats are very beneficial to your body and your performance. Each gram of fat contains 9 calories. Good fats can be consumed through nuts, fish, dairy, avocados, flaxseed oil, omega oils, canola oil, safflower oil, extra virgin olive oil.

Maintaining your hydration levels is a must. Drinking a minimum of 3 Liters per days of water is necessary. More is ok, less is not. Tea, pop, or anything else not water does not count.

A simple change that has a huge impact is to never go to bed hungry. It is essential to eat a good calorie dense meal before going to bed. This gives your body fuel while it is sleeping and keeps you in a positive calorie balance, helping to maintain an anabolic, or muscle building, state. A few examples can include a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat bread, meal replacement protein shake with milk, or cottage cheese with fruit.

One absolutely essential component to your success is to NEVER stop strength training once the season starts. Doing this will cause you to loose all of the muscle and strength you worked so hard to gain during the off season and you are going to need all the strength you can get when the critical time of the season comes. Also, while you are practicing, cutting weight for dual meets, and competing in tournaments, your body will begin to use muscle as fuel. This can be avoided by maintaining a consistent in-season strength training program.

Don’t leave your success this season up to chance! Develop a solid strength and nutrition plan and stick to it!