Wrestlers worry about their weight more than athletes in many other sports, because they need to remain in their appointed weight class while still maintaining as much strength and power as they can. As a result, some grapplers engage in extreme weight-loss methods in the days before a match, which could have negative health effects and actually result in a weaker condition. However, wrestlers who pay attention to their diet throughout the season can avoid the dangerous weight cutting by keeping their weight at a safe and sustainable level.
Preseason Eating
Step 1
Know your competition weight a month or more before season begins. Don't cut weight by more than 10 percent below your natural body weight. Although wrestling below your natural weight may give you a competitive advantage, cutting too much weakens your body through malnutrition, stress and dehydration.
Step 2
Journal your physical activities for one week. Research the approximate calorie value of each exercise. Total the number and divide by seven. Remember to include wrestling practice and any support training -- like road work -- you do. The result is your average daily calorie burn.
Step 3
Eat a diet that puts your calories in at 250 to 500 fewer per day than step 2 predicts you'll burn. Cut out high-calorie, low-value foods when restricting your calories. Avoid fast food, sweets, soda and refined carbohydrates. Cut down on your milk and fruit juice, since they are high in calories despite their nutrition value.
Step 4
Eat primarily lean meats, vegetables and whole grains. These foods -- especially the meat and vegetables -- provide the most nutrition in comparison to the calories they contain.
Step 5
Maintain your weight-loss diet until you've reached your goal weight. If you find you're losing too slowly, up your preseason workout schedule rather than cutting out more calories. It's important to maintain solid nutrition even as you're trying to lose weight.
Maintaining Weight
Step 1
Eat about as many calories as you expend during the regular wrestling season, which helps keep your weight at around the limit for your class. You will need to recalculate occasionally, as changes in your training program and metabolism may raise or lower your daily caloric burn.
Step 2
Avoid drinking calories, other than sports drinks specifically for rehydration. High-calorie drinks are one of the easiest ways to accidentally take in too many calories.
Step 3
Compose your low-calorie diet mostly of lean meats and vegetables. The meat gives you lasting energy throughout the day, meaning fewer between-meal cravings for snacks. Veggies are great for filling up because of their high nutrition and relatively low calories by volume. Continue to avoid fast foods and sweets.
Step 4
Eat six small meals each day instead of three large ones. Frequent small meals help keep your blood sugar levels even and keep your body supplied with energy throughout the day.
Prematch Eating
Step 1
Pack a meal consisting of whole-grain breads, lean proteins, fruit and a sports drink the morning before your match. If you fail to plan your after weigh-in meal, you're more likely to eat foods that won't help your performance. The fruit and sports drink help you immediately rehydrate, while the whole-grain bread and lean protein provide energy that lasts into and through the competition.
Step 2
Sip your drink mouthful by mouthful, and wait at least one minute between sips. Guzzling your drink, although tempting if you've been on fluid restriction to make weight, puts you at risk of vomiting up your fluids.
Step 3
Chew each mouthful of food completely and swallow it before placing the next bite in your mouth. As with your drink, eating too fast can mean throwing up your meal -- and all of its accompanying energy.
Step 4
Stop eating when you feel satisfied, but before you feel full. Going into a wrestling match with a full stomach leaves you feeling heavy and slow. Save the rest for after you've finished your match.
Tips and Warnings
- Take a multivitamin every day to fill in any nutritional holes left by your calorie-restricted diet.
Things You'll Need
- Bathroom scale
- Journal
