Things I Have Learned About Weight Management In Wrestling

I recently was down at the NWCA coaches convention in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I learned a bunch of stuff from all the different sessions, but right now I am just going to talk about what I learned at one session. The session was on weight management and it was presented by Clint Wattenberg, who is currently the Coordinator of Sports Nutrition at Cornell University. Needless to say, Mr. Wattenberg knows a lot more about the subject than I do, so there was a lot to learn!

I am going to summarize the things I learned from Mr. Wattenberg in my own way with some of my own thoughts. I hope this will be helpful for wrestlers and coaches trying to get better at weight management.

First off...

Many of the weight management problems we face in wrestling could be solved by four simple words. "Don't be a turd." However, I realize this is not an overall adequate answer, so I will go into more detail, but I will try to keep it simple so people without a doctorate can understand it.

Summer Nutrition

The off-season is a great time to get ahead of your opponents physically. During the off-season wrestlers should focus on generally eating healthy and fueling their bodies for workouts. That means it is okay to eat a lot of food, it just needs to be healthy food. Food should also be eaten within close proximity of workouts for maximum benefit.

Certain wrestlers may have weight gain or loss goals during the summer, but most wrestlers should not be worrying about their weight during this training phase.

The easiest way to maintain healthy eating in the off-season is to just not eat junk food, which starts with not buying junk food. It is much easier to avoid junk food when it is not around your house or dorm. Junk food includes soft drinks, candy, deserts, and fried foods. Pretty much, if you think it is junk food, it probably is.

Another thing to remember is, no cheat days! (this applies all year round) Many people can eat right for a short amount of time, but very few can consistently eat like a champion. Consistency is key when it comes to nutrition (and everything else). Going out drinking on weekends or going crazy on wings, pizza, and Dr. Pepper during a Sunday afternoon football game will only hurt your training and your overall nutrition. There is a reason most people don't maintain discipline during the off-season. It is hard, but it is worth it if you truly want to be a champion.

Pre-Season (getting down to weight)

If you put the proper effort into your summer nutrition this phase should go smoothly. The main differences between summer and pre-season include the following:

• Eat within an hour of the beginning and end of every workout. 
• Eat small meals approximately every 3 hours.
• Eat more protein and less carbs. (Do not cut out carbs entirely)
• Get within 3-5% of your weight class. So a college wrestler who wants to wrestle 141 should get their walking weight down to 148 lbs. at a maximum. High school wrestlers should get within 3% or less of their weight class. 

In-Season

Once again, this phase will go much more smoothly if the previous phase was done properly. By the first day of practice every wrestler should be walking around within 5% or less of their desired weight class. I know many wrestlers like to wait until practices start to get down to weight. This plan is unacceptable. Losing weight during the season will hurt your training and lower your energy levels and performance. Here a the main points to know:

• Your weight before and after practice should fluctuate a lot during the season. (4-6 lbs. depending on weight class obviously) This means your metabolism is working and you are fueled and hydrated. If you wrestle 165 and you are only losing 2 pounds a practice your body has started to go into "starvation mode" and it is holding onto the fuel you put into it. 
• Eat more carbs. Your body needs them to maintain the workload. 
• Eat less fruits and veggies within 24-48 hours of a weigh-in. These foods are great, but you need to eat a lot of them to get substantial nutrients, so they will not help with making weight. Instead eat more nutrient dense foods like peanut butter, that are high in protein and high in fat. 
• Save some weight to lose right before weigh-ins. This will allow wrestlers to sleep a pound or two heavier than they normally would and they will also float more because they are less "sucked out". A good idea is doing the team warm-up before the weigh-in. 
• No losing weight in-season. I am repeating this because it is important. You should be eating more food in-season than in the pre-season. Your body needs it! There is a difference between cutting weight to make weight and losing actual body mass. The second should never happen in season. 

Quick notes to get you started

• Stop skipping breakfast.
• Eat small healthy snacks during the day.
• Drink tons of water. 12 pounds a day or more for bigger wrestlers. This applies all year round except for the 24-48 hour window when getting down to weight. 
• Wrestlers also need to be adequately fueled and hydrated to focus in class. 
• If you need to know what foods to eat and not to eat, google "nutrition for wrestling". (common sense also works) 
• And last, but not least. When in doubt, remember, don't be a turd. 

Matt Cross