Choosing the right foods can be especially challenging for wrestlers who need to keep their weight down to make weight each week while still fueling intense workouts. Eating six small meals a day can help wrestlers keep the metabolism high and maintain energy for training. Wrestlers should choose foods high in protein, fiber and healthy fat for satiety and to keep their weight in check.
Why Six Small Meals Works Better for Athletes
Athletes such as wrestlers undergo grueling training schedules and burn large numbers of calories through exercise every day. Eating six small meals rather than three large ones ensures that their glycogen levels are always high, keeping them prepared for daily workouts. Wrestlers who need to keep their weight down to make weight may find six small meals to be especially beneficial. According to Dan Benardot, a nutrition professor at Georgia State University, staying within a range of a surplus or deficit of 400 calories throughout the day, which occurs when you frequently eat small amounts of food, can help people prevent weight gain and promote fat burning by keeping the blood sugar stable. Stable blood sugar levels keep them from becoming too hungry, which can lead to overeating or burning muscle for fuel, or too full, which can make workouts difficult and lead to fat storage.
What to Eat
Athletes should focus on ingesting protein, carbohydrates containing fiber and a source of healthy fat with each meal. Protein is crucial in repairing muscles after exercise and helps promote muscle growth. Lean protein such as turkey and chicken, egg whites, low-fat dairy, tofu and legumes can help you recover from workouts and build lean muscle mass that will burn calories all day. Fiber-rich foods, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains, promote satiety and help you fill up on very few calories, and a steady supply of carbohydrates throughout the day keeps muscle glycogen stores full. Healthy fats are especially important to athletes because fat provides fuel for exercise and takes longer to digest, which can help you stay full even when cutting calories to make weight.
Sample Meals
Your ideal meals will contain whole grains, a fruit or vegetable, and a source of lean protein and healthy fat. For breakfast, try an egg sandwich on a whole grain bagel with reduced fat cheese and a side of fruit. Lunch ideas include a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with lettuce, tomato and avocado or a salad with tuna and balsamic vinaigrette with a side of whole grain pretzels and a piece of fruit. For dinner, try a vegetable and chicken or tofu stir-fry over brown rice or salmon salad on a whole grain wrap with a side of steamed vegetables.
Sample Snacks
The key to selecting proper snacks is to focus on nutrient-dense foods that offer lasting nutrition between meals. For athletes, snacks should contain about 200 to 250 calories each and provide a balance of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fat. Choose peanut butter on whole grain crackers or fruit, vegetables with hummus or bean dip, a protein bar with a piece of fruit, and low-fat yogurt with cereal and berries to keep energy levels high between meals.
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