Wrestling down a weight can give an athlete a significant advantage during competition, notes Oregon-based wrestling coach Andy Brick. A wrestler who naturally weighs 145 pounds, who cuts out fat and water weight to weigh in at 136 pounds, is larger and stronger than a wrestler who naturally weighs 136 pounds. To keep weight low, wrestlers should observe safe and sustainable weight loss standards.
Maintenance
Step 1
Eat a healthy and sustainable diet throughout the season, taking in enough calories to practice and compete, but not so many that you continue to gain weight.
Step 2
Make the most of the calories you do take in. Focus on protein, essential oils, fruits, vegetables and calcium. Dr. Mehmet Oz, co-author of "You: The Owner's Manual," recommends taking a daily multivitamin to make sure you get the nutrients your restricted diet might miss.
Step 3
Limit your carbohydrate intake except on game days. In his book "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy," Harvard nutritionist Walter Willett supports the idea that a high protein, low carbohydrate diet is ideal for high energy while losing weight.
Cutting Weight
Step 1
Weigh yourself one week prior to competition. If you're overweight, consider cutting weight.
Step 2
Cut your carbohydrate intake by 500 to 1,000 calories for the days before your match. Use an online calorie counting resource to get an approximate read on how much you can eat.
Step 3
Shed water weight during the two days immediately before your match. Run or cycle to sweat off a few pounds of water. When losing water weight, check in frequently with your coach or athletic trainer to make sure you're not becoming dangerously dehydrated
Step 4
Check your weight regularly while cutting weight. Ideally, you should shed a pound or two a day leading up to the match. Never try to lose more than five or six pounds in a week in order to make weight.
Tips and Warnings
- After you make weight successfully, eat and drink to recover as much fluid and energy as possible. Wrestling coach Andy Brick says not to gorge yourself, but to sip a recovery drink and eat a light meal of carbohydrates and proteins. This will rehydrate you, give you an immediate burst of energy, and provide long-term energy for your upcoming bout.
- Although some wrestlers use more extreme techniques to shed weight rapidly, the American Academy of Pediatrics and Mayo Clinic agree that this behavior is hazardous to teens and young adults. Aggressive weight cutting can lead to long-term eating disorders, impaired growth, organ damage and even death.
References
- "You: The Owner's Manual"; Mehmet Oz, M.D., et al; 2005
- "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy"; Walter Willett, M.D., et al; 2006
- Riverside Health: Cutting Weight
- Andy Brick, Wrestling Coach, Hillsboro, Oregon
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