What Is The Lightest Food For Wrestling?

Wrestling is probably the sport in which athletes pay the most attention to their body weight. This is because the weight class structure of wrestling competition gives an advantage to athletes who compete in a division below their natural body weight. Light foods for wrestling will vary, based on how much weight you need to lose.

Basic Weight Loss

In reaching and maintaining their competitive weight, wrestlers should follow the same healthy techniques that others do when shedding pounds. Foods for this stage of weight loss include lean protein like chicken, tofu and lean cuts of beef. If weight is an issue for a wrestler, he needs to stay away from fast food, pastas and fruit.

Cutting Weight

In the days immediately before a match, wrestlers don't worry about how fattening a food is, but rather whether it is physically light or heavy. At this stage, the actual weight of the food will show up on the scale, not the fat or muscle the athlete gains from eating it. At this stage, leafy vegetables are the lightest food. They provide the most volume compared to their actual mass.

Recovery Period

During the period between successfully weighing in and their match, wrestlers need to restore energy and hydration to their bodies. At this stage, light refers to how heavy or light the food sits in the stomach, since a heavy meal can mean nausea and even vomiting during competition. Fruits and light liquids are the best foods at this stage. They combine easily accessible calories, low grease and sodium, and a high fluid content.

Avoid Extreme Measures

Although it's tempting to rely on extreme weight-cutting measures, and a Vanderbilt University study indicates more than 75 percent of wrestlers have done so, it's unsafe. Some methods used by competitive wrestlers include extended fasting, intentional dehydration and using diuretics or laxatives. These practices have severe long- and short-term affects on your body and should be avoided.