Based on those definitions, it could be argued that wrestling and many other combat sports require both anaerobic and aerobic systems in order to be successful. Most wrestling athletes may need to produce a sustained effort for longer than two minutes while grappling aerobic , but still be able to powerfully move or take down their opponent when the time arises anaerobic.

This will give you ample time to digest the energy you take in and minimize the chance of you beginning your workout with a bloated workout. Proteins like chicken, turkey, lean fish, and tofu specifically play an important role in muscle maintenance and repair and also helps with satiety, the feeling of being full, and not wanting to reach for another snack 30 minutes after eating.

Eating carbohydrates before a workout will provide the muscles with readily available fuel in the bloodstream that can be utilized during your wrestling practice.

Eating carbs prior to your workout will help you start and finish strong, with better focus and energy than if you had worked out on an empty stomach. Consider reducing your portion sizes if you are within an hour of practice.

Here are a couple of sample meals you can mix and match before your wrestling practice in the future portions should be about palm-sized for the protein and about handfuls for carbs :.

Disclaimer: This article is strictly for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

Feb , PM UTC. Feb 14, PM UTC. Feb · Resumes Today at AM UTC. Feb Dec 31 · Resumes Today at PM UTC. Feb Mar 31 · Resumes Wednesday at PM UTC. Feb · Resumes Today at PM UTC. Today · PM UTC. The way this works is that these specific antioxidants and compounds have been shown to improve the communication between cells in the brain and improve the connection between neurons as well.

Quicker reaction speed on the mat and the ability to make faster mental decisions in order to change the tide of a match or period. Incorporating berries in a performance nutrition plan can be as simple as including them in salads, yogurts, or even on their own as part of a snack between meals.

Most athletes have heard that omega-3 fatty acids are good for them, but may not know exactly why. The reason this compound is so highly touted is that omega 3's offer a huge competitive edge to athletes who consume them regularly over those who don't:.

They have amazing anti-inflammatory properties which can help wrestlers recover quicker after a workout and may even improve range of motion. Furthermore, a very specific type of omega-3 that is rich in something called DHA docosahexaenoic acid for any of you science enthusiasts may also help improve memory function as well.

Studies have shown that individuals who regularly consume omega 3-s, and DHA in particular, have higher average scores on memory and cognitive tests compared to those who do not regularly get omega 3's in their diet.

An added bonus? These compounds have been shown to improve mood and fight depression. Omega-3's that contain DHA are specifically found in fatty fish such as salmon and tuna as well as seaweed.

Hello, sushi. This might seem a little farfetched since it's not a typical beverage for a student, but the benefits of this tea will improve your athlete both on and off the mat.

Green tea contains a small amount of caffeine in each cup which has been shown to improve alertness as well as decrease the rate of perceived exertion during exercise, especially endurance drills.

That sounds great in and of itself, but green tea also contains one more powerhouse nutrient, and that's something called L-theanine.

In a lot of individuals, caffeine that is rapidly digested like in coffee can cause them to feel twitchy and anxious at times. L-theanine however combats this by intentionally delaying the release of caffeine in the body. Instead of feeling jittery, green tea will actually help wrestlers be able to focus more easily as the body only absorbs a small amount at a time.

If your wrestler is sensitive to caffeine or not at the appropriate age to consume even small amounts, scratch this recommendation; otherwise this drink is a great addition to any performance plan. Their entire day, from when they wake up to when they go to bed is booked solid with school, practices, mat time, homework, and even projects.

Combine this with the unique challenges of the sport that involve most wrestlers having to strategically watch what, when, and how much they eat in most situations it's no wonder the majority of wrestlers struggle with being able to concentrate and focus on a daily basis.

Luckily, there are plenty of foods that are packed with the right nutrients and antioxidants to help combat stress and improve a wrestler's ability to focus and performance in school and on the mat.

Every wrestler's performance plan should strategically include focus boosting foods to give them a competitive edge both as an athlete and as a student. Want a concentration boosting nutrition roadmap that you can incorporate into your wrestler's own performance nutrition plan?

Download it below! Concentration Boosting Nutrition Roadmap. Know exactly what to eat to improve concentration and focus on and off the mat. Does your wrestler have trouble focusing, especially during the season? If you've tried any of these tips with positive results, comment below and let us know what results your wrestler saw!

If you're interested in finding out how state champs make weight without starving, sweating or spitting for days on end, [ click here to check out the free training ] being hosted a few times this week.

Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. Share 0. Tweet 0. It honestly sounds exhausting just talking about it, let alone living it. What exactly does the food an athlete eats have to do with their ability to concentrate?

Smoothies are a great way to pack in a lot of nutrients in a quick and easy way. Blend together your favorite fruits and vegetables with some protein powder and milk for a delicious and filling snack.

Greek Yogurt with Berries. Greek yogurt is an excellent source of protein and calcium, which are essential for building and maintaining strong bones and muscles.

Add some fresh berries like blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries to your yogurt for an extra boost of antioxidants and fiber.

This snack is perfect for after a workout or to add some protein to a meal. Trail Mix. Trail mix is a great snack for wrestlers on the go.

It's easy to pack and provides a healthy mix of protein, carbs, and fats. Look for a mix that includes nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.

Apple Slices with Peanut Butter. Apples are a great source of fiber and vitamin C, while peanut butter is packed with healthy fats and protein. Together, they make a delicious and filling snack that will keep you energized for hours.

Be sure to choose a peanut butter brand without added sugars or hydrogenated oils. Hard-Boiled Eggs. Hard-boiled eggs are a great source of protein and healthy fats. They're also easy to prepare and can be stored in the fridge for a quick snack.

Eggs are a great source of choline, which helps support brain function. Try adding some salt and pepper or hot sauce for some extra flavor.

Hummus and Veggies. Hummus is a great source of healthy fats, and pairs perfectly with raw veggies like carrots, celery, and bell peppers. This snack is not only delicious but also provides a healthy dose of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Beef Jerky.

Beef jerky is a high-protein snack that is perfect for wrestlers on the go. Protein Bars. Protein bars are a convenient and portable snack that provides a quick burst of energy.

Believe it or not, popcorn can actually be a healthy snack option for wrestlers. Look for low-sodium popcorn or air-popped popcorn, and avoid those with added butter or salt. Tuna Salad with Crackers.

Tuna is a great source of protein and healthy fats, and is easy to prepare as a snack. Mix canned tuna with some plain greek yogurt, avocado, or olive oil mayonnaise and serve with whole-grain crackers for a filling and nutritious snack.

Focus on Whole Foods : Choose whole, nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Avoid processed and packaged foods that are high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats.

Hydration : Staying hydrated is crucial for wrestlers. Aim to drink at least eight glasses of water per day, and consider drinking a sports drink during workouts or competitions to replenish electrolytes. Timing : The timing of meals plays a crucial role for wrestlers.

Consume a well-balanced snack consisting of protein and carbohydrates approximately minutes prior to exercising, and replenish with a 20g protein-rich snack between hours following the workout. Portion Control : It's important for wrestlers to maintain a healthy weight for their weight class.

Focus on portion control and eat until you feel satisfied, not overly full. Consult with a Dietitian : Consider consulting with a dietitian who can help create a personalized nutrition plan that supports your athletic goals.

Wrestling nutrition is complicated. Bullard Nutrition is a resource for wrestlers who want to take their nutrition to the next level. Your simple carbs are fast digesting, which can be taken advantage of first thing in the morning and after a workout.

They give a quick but short boost of energy, and are absorbed faster by the bloodstream. Simple carbs usually come in the form of sugars, like glucose and fructose. It can be found in soda, candy, and other refined sugary foods. Fruit sugar is fructose, and a little slower to digest than glucose.

Slower digesting means the energy you get from it will last longer. One should carefully watch how many sugars he or she consumes though, because they can easily go overboard. These foods are not usually the most filling.

In addition to eating simple carbs first thing in the AM, there is another time you can consume these to yield awesome results During a workout or a wrestling match, your muscles use up glucose and glycogen forms of energy.

To refuel these energies, you should rush to eat something high in refined sugar after intense activity. A small handful of candy has worked best for me. This is why you see bodybuilders eating gummy candies after a workout. Stay clear from Soda though; the carbonation will get you sick during wrestling competition.

After wrestling or working out, you basically want to get a sugar rush and spike your insulin to get nutrients and proteins faster to your body.

This is a little "trick" used by bodybuilder and scientist Jim Stoppani Ph. He specifically eats gummies after his workouts. If you're still skeptical on this method, you can follow some others who use less processed sugars like oats, brown sugars, honey, and white rice to promote muscle retention and growth.

When I practiced bodybuilding, I usually ate a banana before a workout to also replenish my electrolytes. This fructose gave me energy to put my body to work. After my workouts, I always had a small bag of skittles handy my favorite candy. There are also special candies that are actually made for consuming after a workout.

You can find these at GNC, Bodybuilding. com, or even the supplements aisle in Walmart. A healthy diet is all about proportioning.

The rest of your carbohydrates for your day should be complex. Your complex carbs are longer chains of sugars that come from foods without as sweet of a flavor such as bread, potatoes, rice, and oats. It takes longer for your body to break these down, thus dispersing energy over time; complex carbs are perfect to eat in good portions throughout the day to keep your energy up.

You will not crash if you have these dominate your carb intake. Fibers come from your green foods mostly in vegetables and fruit, and is a tool to clean and push food through your body; getting enough in your system is vital. Be careful though. Eat too much fiber and food will be traveling through your body too fast… this is the wrong kind of speed to have during a wrestling match it could potentially be your secret weapon though.

Meaning if you weigh lbs, you should be eating no less than grams of carbs. Your brain needs carbohydrates to function. Zero carb diets are usually short term tools used by professional athletes and actors with medical supervision, but have unfortunately become an online fad.

It's extremely difficult, especially in the USA, to go under 0. Because of it's difficulty, the harder it will be to become a lifestyle.

When you don't live a lifestyle, your progress will not last long at all This 1g per day minimum usually applies to protein as well. Like carbs, you should be getting at least 1 gram of protein per body pound per day according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Protein is going to help you build muscle, repair injuries, develop your bones, nerves, and so much more.

To have a strong healthy body you need to be tracking this required nutrient. Most Americans do not get enough proteins during their week.

I advise you to track your diets because you will be surprised on how little you may actually be getting. A handful can get you away with 32g. I found that eating meat was much harder to eat a lot of, so I suggest sticking with high protein foods before getting full. Stay away from pork for its high cholesterol and high saturated fat.

You may also choose to use a whey protein supplement, especially after a workout or wrestling match since it is quick to digest same principal as the simple sugars.

A casein protein supplement is slow digesting; it is good to take that right before you sleep to keep your metabolism going and your body healing, and also when you wake up. Dairy products like milk, yogurt, sour cream, and cottage cheese are casein rich.

This is a good alternative to the supplements;. the powder is convenient and cheap but remember it is no replacement for real food. Good times to consume casein are in the morning, before, during, and after a workout, and before bed. Your other meals should be real food. Spread your protein throughout the day.

It's generally believed that your body can only absorb 30g every two hours. Signs of low protein can be:. Easy injuries what I had. Bathroom problems. Mood swings. And lifting weights without gaining strength also an issue I had.

You will see the difference in your strength and muscle growth when you get enough protein. Fats are absolutely necessary, but they often get a bad rap from popular TV culture, low fat stickers on every thing we buy, and people who speak with little knowledge just to be popular on Instagram….

Cholesterol has an essential role to play in health, especially for men. It is the building block of testosterone , which will develop the body and help you stay motivated and aggressive. There are generally two types of cholesterol, HDL good and LDL bad and is related to having an artery clogging effect.

You will see how these types will play a role in determining good and bad fats. A note on cholesterol: it is a good practice to get as little as you can from food. Your body will manufacture all the cholesterol it needs from proteins and other foods.

Bad Fats. Saturated fats and trans fats both increase LDL and lower HDL. You can find saturated fats in animal products. A good way to spot it out is that it will turn solid when cold.

Trans fats are found in packaged goods like cookies, cakes, chips, and other snacks. Good Fats. Monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and Omege 3 Fatty Acids all work to lower LDL in your body.

Monounsaturated fats are found in your nuts, olive oils, canola oils, avocados and other natural foods. Olive oil is the best of these. Polyunsaturated fats can be found in a variety of vegetable oils and have been proven to prevent diabetes.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids is the best of fats and can be found in cold-water fish, walnuts, and flax seeds. Omega 3s work to reduce inflammation, improve your brain function, and even prevent cancer! A quick way to replace the healthy fats with the bad ones would be to stop going to fast food places, replace your snacks with nuts, replace your fatty meats, like pork and high fat beef, with fish, use olive oil margarine instead of butter, limit cakes and cookies, and use olive oil in your cooking instead of deep frying.

Since fat is more than twice the amount of calories than proteins and carbs, you should get a minimum of 0. When the big three come together, they should be proportioned as follows per body pound.

For a lb wrestler, he should at least consume g protein, g carbs, 90g fats. Protein and a carbohydrate each have 4 calories per gram. Fat has 9 calories. This diet comes out to be 2, calories, which for an active wrestler is actually losing weight!