Good Nutrition and Healthy Athletes is Our Goal
OVERVIEW: As a wrestler, you want to be in peak athletic condition so you can perform at your best out on the mat. What you put on your body can make the different between pinning your opponent and ending up flat on your back at the end of the mat. By following a sound diet, you help ensure not only your success in wrestling, but your long-term health as well.
BALANCED NUTRITION: Getting a balance of the basic food groups is essential for everyone, but especially for athletes like wrestlers. Pay attention to the guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid plan. For a standard 2,000-calorie diet, you should be getting about 6 oz. of carbohydrates per day--half of which should come from whole grains--2.5 cups of vegetables, 2 cups of fruit, 3 cups of dairy and 5.5 oz. of protein from a variety of sources. Too much or too little of one nutrient on a regular basis--such as severely restricting carbohydrates--can affect your body's metabolism and cause ill effects at match time such as dizziness and fatigue.
FOCUS ON LIMITING FATS: Because you're trying to stay at your weight class, you want to focus on limiting the amount of fat you take into your body so you don't gain weight. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends no more than 65 g of fat in your diet on a daily basis. There are many things you can do to limit your fat intake, such as switching to skim milk over regular, cutting back on butter and fried foods and focusing on lean proteins like beans, nuts and lean cuts of meat rather than just red meat, which is higher in saturated fat.
PROPER HYDRATION: Keeping your body hydrated is part of your diet. As you practice and perform on the wrestling mat, your body loses not just water, but essential minerals through your sweat, such as potassium, calcium and sodium. Drink 1 liter of fluid for every 1,000 calories you eat during the day and drink more if you're exercising.
PRE-MATCH DIET: When it comes to properly fueling yourself before match time, you want to maximize your nutrients for the most effective results. Try to eat a meal three to four hours before your match so your stomach has time to digest the food and access the nutrients you'll need. Focus on lean protein and complex carbohydrates that will break down slower, providing you more energy over a longer period of time.
DANGEROUS DIET PRACTICES: Every wrestler wants to do their best, but dangerous diet and exercise practices can put your body at great risks and even potentially ruin your wrestling career. Starving yourself and using diuretics is a dangerous way to try to cut weight before an official weigh-in. Doing so can lead to severe hydration, which has been linked to electrolyte imbalance, muscle fatigue and weakness. If you have trouble staying in your weight class, talk to your coach about your options rather than using radical diet techniques that could hurt you.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/291232-what-is-a-healthy-diet-for-a-wrestler/#ixzz1WjyqHWNq
Meal Examples
GOOD BREAKFAST BAD BREAKFAST
Eggs, whole-wheat toast, white toast with butter, donuts,
whole grain cereals, fruit, skim or 2% milk pancakes with syrup
GOOD LUNCH & DINNER BAD LUNCH & DINNER
Salads, fruit, tuna, baked chicken, fried chicken, fried fish, tacos,
fish, cottage cheese, pastas, vegetables, French fries and burgers
baked potato, baked tortilla chips, lean steak
GOOD SNACKS BAD SNACKS
Fruit, juice, plain popcorn, baked tortilla chips Ice cream, sugared soda, potato
BALANCED NUTRITION: Getting a balance of the basic food groups is essential for everyone, but especially for athletes like wrestlers. Pay attention to the guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid plan. For a standard 2,000-calorie diet, you should be getting about 6 oz. of carbohydrates per day--half of which should come from whole grains--2.5 cups of vegetables, 2 cups of fruit, 3 cups of dairy and 5.5 oz. of protein from a variety of sources. Too much or too little of one nutrient on a regular basis--such as severely restricting carbohydrates--can affect your body's metabolism and cause ill effects at match time such as dizziness and fatigue.
FOCUS ON LIMITING FATS: Because you're trying to stay at your weight class, you want to focus on limiting the amount of fat you take into your body so you don't gain weight. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends no more than 65 g of fat in your diet on a daily basis. There are many things you can do to limit your fat intake, such as switching to skim milk over regular, cutting back on butter and fried foods and focusing on lean proteins like beans, nuts and lean cuts of meat rather than just red meat, which is higher in saturated fat.
PROPER HYDRATION: Keeping your body hydrated is part of your diet. As you practice and perform on the wrestling mat, your body loses not just water, but essential minerals through your sweat, such as potassium, calcium and sodium. Drink 1 liter of fluid for every 1,000 calories you eat during the day and drink more if you're exercising.
PRE-MATCH DIET: When it comes to properly fueling yourself before match time, you want to maximize your nutrients for the most effective results. Try to eat a meal three to four hours before your match so your stomach has time to digest the food and access the nutrients you'll need. Focus on lean protein and complex carbohydrates that will break down slower, providing you more energy over a longer period of time.
DANGEROUS DIET PRACTICES: Every wrestler wants to do their best, but dangerous diet and exercise practices can put your body at great risks and even potentially ruin your wrestling career. Starving yourself and using diuretics is a dangerous way to try to cut weight before an official weigh-in. Doing so can lead to severe hydration, which has been linked to electrolyte imbalance, muscle fatigue and weakness. If you have trouble staying in your weight class, talk to your coach about your options rather than using radical diet techniques that could hurt you.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/291232-what-is-a-healthy-diet-for-a-wrestler/#ixzz1WjyqHWNq
Meal Examples
GOOD BREAKFAST BAD BREAKFAST
Eggs, whole-wheat toast, white toast with butter, donuts,
whole grain cereals, fruit, skim or 2% milk pancakes with syrup
GOOD LUNCH & DINNER BAD LUNCH & DINNER
Salads, fruit, tuna, baked chicken, fried chicken, fried fish, tacos,
fish, cottage cheese, pastas, vegetables, French fries and burgers
baked potato, baked tortilla chips, lean steak
GOOD SNACKS BAD SNACKS
Fruit, juice, plain popcorn, baked tortilla chips Ice cream, sugared soda, potato
