FOR THE WRESTLING STUDENT-ATHLETE

PHOTOS FROM NCAA PHOTOS ARCHIVE AND SHUTTERSTOCK I’m a college wrestler and train hard all year, but I don’t want restlers must use their strength to overpower, to struggle with my quickness to elude, endurance to outlast and mental weight. How can I Wsharpness to outwit their opponents. Wrestling manage my weight matches require a unique blend of power, endurance and throughout the year technique. Although they are scheduled to last seven “and give my body time minutes, matches can end at any moment with a fall or can to settle into my target extend to 11 minutes or more with overtime. Competition before fueling is critical, but often it’s just the tip of the performance the season starts? iceberg, because weight maintenance and can just as easily undermine performance as support it.

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NCAA is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. ©2014 Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN), ©2014 Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA) OFFSEASON metabolic rate, or strength. port maintenance of your lean tissue while The offseason is a time to develop Through normal training, if you are maintaining a calorie defcit. healthy fueling habits without the burden fueled and hydrated, your body will Note: The minimum safe body fat level of having to focus on making weight. Use naturally have shifts of up to 2 to 3% of 5% for college and 7% for high school this time to focus on performance fueling or more of your body weight in a single wrestlers should not be exceeded; if you and develop some fueling fundamentals workout, so when you complete two are below this level, you should consult that will also help you fuel throughout the workouts consecutively you can lose a your athletic trainer or sports dietitian to preseason and in-season cycles. Your fuel- total of approximately 5% of mostly fuid. determine the most appropriate competi- ing fundamentals should include: Thus, for most collegiate wrestlers, a tive weight class for you. 1. Purpose target weight approximately 5% above Focus your fueling to support your your weight class will enable you to Fuel Contributions for training objectives. • Protein (High). Consume These can include 1.5 to two grams of lean , protein per kilogram strength gains, of body weight evenly endurance, recovery throughout the day from injury, and to support muscle improved focus and maintenance. energy off the mats. • Carbohydrates 2. Quality (Moderate). Fill your plate with Temporarily moderate nutrient-dense foods your carbohydrate such as fresh and consumption to four to whole fruits and six grams per kilogram vegetables, and whole of body weight to grains. These high- enable the calorie quality foods will give defcit necessary to you more sustained burn body fat. energy, help you • Fat (Low). Limit fat recover from training consumption to 15 to and provide more 25% of overall calories. fullness per fueling. Still include some plant 3. Quantity and fsh fats but limit Optimal training animal fats. requires adequate energy (calories) to maintain your size and strength, while • Fruits and Vegetables. Include these support your energy expenditure. Any simply and safely making weight after a at every meal to obtain micronutrients weight-loss adjustments should be pair of workouts. for recovery and for fber for increased moderate and temporary, and made If your body weight when entering satiety and fullness at meals. outside the competitive season. preseason is greater than your target 4. Timing weight, your preseason goal should be COMPETITION PHASE/ Balance your daily fuel intake evenly to decrease body weight by maintaining CHAMPIONSHIP/ across the day while specifcally muscle and reducing body fat. Your body POSTSEASON targeting pre-and post-workout periods can only lose 1.5% of its weight from body The competitive season begins once to support training and recovery. fat stores per week, so you must limit your weight certifcations are completed. 5. Consistency caloric defcit; if you don’t, your muscles Upon reaching your target weight, weight Balance intake both within a day will break down and result in decreased maintenance should become your nutrition and between days to support your muscle strength and performance. focus. This requires balancing calories and metabolism. Each pound of weight loss per week shifting fuel types to support your training 6. Hydration requires a caloric defcit of 500 calories per and recovery needs. Blood delivers essential nutrients to day. Protein is the most critical fuel to sup- your muscles and organs while Fuel Contributions for Weight disposing of waste. Hydration Maintenance becomes even more critical during • Carbohydrates (Moderate to High). the competitive season because of its Consume fve to eight grams of carbs impact on making weight. per kilogram of body weight. • Protein (Moderate to High). Eat 1.2 to PRESEASON two grams of protein per kilogram of Your top nutritional priority during body weight. preseason should be to train your • Fat (Moderate). Include heart-healthy body progressively to a target weight fats from plant and fsh sources to that optimizes your training and allows reduce infammation and support you to safely make weight throughout recovery. the season. Caloric balance is critical to in-season Selecting Your Target Weight health and performance, so beware of Temporary weight loss of up to 5% under-fueling. Continual under-fueling and lasting not longer than a day has of your body’s energy and carbohydrate been demonstrated to have little effect on needs will undermine your training and fuel types; your food choices should now be energy-dense to give your body the fuel you need while helping to fush unnecessary food waste from your body.

Fuel Contributions Pre-Weigh-Ins (24 to 48 hours) • Protein (High). Protein promotes muscle recovery. • Fat (High). Oils, fsh and plant fats are best for flling calorie needs and reducing infammation. • Fiber (Low). Fiber contains weight, but no energy. • Sodium (Low). Minimize sodium found in added salt and processed foods. • Carbohydrate (Low). Moderating your carbohydrate intake helps shed the water bound in glycogen that makes muscles heavy, allowing lean tissue to be spared. Effective refueling post-weigh-ins will help replenish your partially depleted glycogen stores. • Hydration. Hydrate throughout the entire week of training. Only during the fnal 24 hours of pre-weigh-ins should you allow mild dehydration by incompletely replacing fuid lost through sweat during training. This can be done by adjusting food and fuid composition without drastically cutting calories. Using your target weight, you can ensure that excessive dehydration will be avoided.

Making Weight: Use the Natural Patterns of Training

EXAMPLE OF WEIGHT FLUCTUATION 156 lbs 155 lbs 154 lbs 153 lbs 152 lbs 151 lbs 150 lbs 149 lbs 148 lbs recovery efforts. temporary; after refueling post-weigh-in, Continued caloric defcit while training you should weigh the same when you step Friday Monday Tuesday can impact: on the mat or competition as you do when Thursday Weigh-in • Metabolism and muscle repair you train, i.e., your target weight. Fueling Wednesday • Physical energy your body as you train all week leading The weight shifts during training • Muscle endurance up to a competition will enable your body week are a result of fuctuations in • Fatigue to continue working effectively, while still hydration (fuid levels), glycogen and food • Cognitive function excreting food and fuid even as you are byproducts remaining in the body. As a • Injury and illness actively cutting weight; this is what allows result of these fuctuations, you can allow • Overtraining syndrome and burnout you to remain as much as 5% above your your body to be slightly heavier than your • Academic performance weight class until a day before weigh-ins. weight class as long as you are adequately • Nutritional status, including bone and Your energy balance (also known as hydrated and fueled. By riding the waves joint health “calories in versus calories out”) should be of normal training, you can fuel yourself neutral during in-season training, including effectively in-season without starving Making Weight during the 24 hours before weigh-ins. your muscles or excessively dehydrating. Continuing to fuel your body’s energy Maintaining calorie neutrality supports your Identifying and attaining your target weight demands is the core to safely and metabolism to repair muscles and maintain during preseason will enable your body to effectively making weight. Any shifting or improve body composition throughout receive the energy and nutrients it needs of food and fuids should be limited and the season. This requires adjusting your in-season to train and recover effectively. THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AND CUTTING Don’t … Do … • Eliminate meals or snacks in an attempt to cut calories. • Develop a weight management and descent plan early. • Wait until the season arrives to begin your weight • Determine a target weight that is appropriate for you. management plan. • Monitor your weight before and after practice to establish • Save calories for the end of the day. your practice weight fuctuation. This will help you to • Allow “cheat days” to destroy your weight management. develop your “target weight.” • Remain in a calorie defcit or carbohydrate-restricted state • Maintain a regular and balanced eating pattern all season throughout the season. long, especially after a tournament or match. • Allow weight cutting or to interfere with your training. • Focus on recovery fueling immediately after training, • Allow your body to dehydrate more than 24 hours before especially if in-season. weigh-ins. • Develop and practice a refueling and rehydration plan for after weigh-ins. • Take a multivitamin to fll any possible nutritional gaps.

Fueling for a Match or Tournament to fuel your upcoming match while appropriate, proactive and professional in Fueling effectively for your match or continuing toward glycogen repletion. your approach to managing your weight tournament can directly impact your • Protein (Moderate). Consuming 20 and it will allow you to focus on the fun performance by helping you to both refuel to 25 grams of protein can help part of the sport — wrestling! after weigh-ins and prepare for the upcom- muscles repair while aiding in fuid ing competition. absorption and tolerance in the stomach. Keys to Pre-Match Fueling • Fluid and Electrolytes. Fluids lost Keys to Tournament Fueling while making weight should be • Carbohydrates. Carbs provide the replaced immediately after weigh-ins. physical energy for matches. Grab Sodium is of primary importance in convenient options such as crackers, rehydrating muscles to regain power pretzels, granola bars, bread, cereal and endurance. It is found in a variety or an energy bar. of forms in both food and beverages. • Avoid excesses. Avoid excessive • Sugar. Supply your muscles with a fat, excessive or added fber and moderate amount of sugar (one to 1.2 excessive sugar. grams per kilogram of body weight) to • Fluids and sodium. Replace fuids stimulate muscle glycogen re-synthesis. and sodium consistently throughout Too much sugar may result in gastric the day. distress and low energy later in the day. Use a scientifc and systematic plan to • Carbohydrates (High). Starches dramatically decrease the amount of effort provide more sustainable energy and anxiety required to make weight. Be

Written by SCAN/CPSDA registered dietitians (RDs). For advice on customizing an eating plan to meet your nutrition goals, consult an RD who specializes in sports, particularly a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics (CSSD). Find a qualified RD at www.scandpg.org or www.sportsRD.org.