Every wrestler should be concerned with his diet, regardless of his intention to lose excess weight or to maintain his present weight. In either instance, careful attention must be paid to the food and combination of foods eaten to insure that properly balanced and fundamentally sound diet practices are followed.
The purpose of weight reduction in wrestling is to make the individual a more efficient and effective competitor. It is therefore essential that the wrestler be at a weight where he feels strong and his body can function at its greatest potential. You never see a fat horse win the race, but neither does a scrawny, malnourished animal earn many purses at the track. A wrestler should "cut" to gain efficiency, and not try to make a predetermined weight without consideration of his ability to function at that weight.
The basic principle behind all weight control diets is that the body uses food as fuel to provide energy for all functions. This process of utilizing food, converting it into usable energy or storing it for later use, and the continuous need of the body for fuel must be considered if one is on a controlled diet. Since foods differ in energy-giving qualities, the CALORIE, or the amount of energy released when food is oxidized in the tissues of the body allows us to determine the fuel values of various foods. Every person needs a specific number of calories to meet his basic metabolic needs. These differ from person to person, but if we are able to determine the caloric content of the intake, and this amount is less than the basic caloric needs of the body, weight loss will occur since the body will utilize the stored fat as fuel to make up the differences between the lowered caloric intake and the actual metabolic needs.
It is generally recognized that for every 3600 calories a person reduces from his basic caloric needs, one pound of actual weight will usually be lost. As an example, if a man's basic need was 3600 calories per day and he ate 1800 calories a day, his body would have to utilize 1800 calories form some other source. In most cases, fatty tissues would used and in one week a deficit of 12,600 calories would result in about 3 1/2 pound weight reduction.
Although it is important to watch calories, one must not be merely a "calorie counter". The emphasis upon balanced eating habits cannot be overstressed. Vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, trace elements, and other essentials for efficient, strong and healthy body must be maintained in any diet regardless of the diet's purpose. To lose weight and to suffer from malnutrition as a result of a poor diet is foolish and unsound from a health viewpoint.
What constitutes balance? Generally speaking, the seven basic foods or four basic food groups so frequently mentioned, but so seldom utilized, constitute a guide for balanced eating practices. If such a menu is not available, it may be wise to supplement it with commercial aids such as Metrical type supplements of special concentrated foods that various dairy or cereal companies produce. In most cases, moderation in eating habits is sufficient.
The question often arises as to what are the caloric limits that a person can adequately handle. Most authorities stress that 1000 to 1200 low limit should be accepted. Generally speaking, 25 to 30 percent of the day's caloric needs is the lowest limit that a person should go in caloric reduction.
Often a dieter figures that missing a meal will speed up the reduction process. Obviously, this practice lessens the caloric intake, but reduced efficiency is the result. It has been shown that a missed breakfast lessens an individual's morning efficiency by 25 percent. The same is true of a missed lunch. Frequently, the increased amount that the meal - misser eats at his single large meal is greater than that which was saved from not eating a breakfast or lunch. The day long discomfort from an empty stomach surely is not worth the joy of a single large meal. Maintaining overall effectiveness and efficiency is the way to any diet. The dieter can increase or decrease his intake so that he can perform the necessary tasks and duties of his daily life. What is the purpose of a diet if you are unable to perform after you have lost the weight?
Water is an essential element for the proper functioning of the human body, and should be taken liberally. Sweating is merely the loss of this water through perspiration. It is wrong to assume that reduction from a reduction in water in the tissues will cause a temporary weight loss. In particular instances, such as making weight for a match, the individual may limit his drinking overnight in order to make his weight allowance. Misconceptions have arisen concerning the consumption of water. Many men have practiced liquid withdrawal as a part of weight reduction. Not only is long term dehydration a useless diet practice, it is downright dangerous to the health of the individual. To take fluid from body tissues and to upset the water balance of the system for long periods of time can result in serious deficiencies. Short term withdrawal of liquid can be utilized as a method of making weight, but this practice must be used for periods of 24 hours or less. Of all diet practices that have been used, this long term withdrawal from liquid is the one which can be most strongly condemned, and should be absolutely eliminated as a reducing method.
Importance should be placed upon the principle of slow reduction of weight, and the practice of rapid "cutting"should be discontinued. The method suggested here is slower, but once the desired weight is reached, it is easier to maintain. The first 7 to 14 days are the most trying. Little or no weight loss will be apparent, but after this initial period, the reduction will be small, but steady. Most wrestlers wish to reach a weight two to three pounds over their wrestling class and through dehydration lose these pounds on the day before competition.
Often during the first few days of practicing a reducing diet, the individual will feel weak. This is usually temporary, and will disappear as the diet is continued. However, if the condition continues, the individual should increase the caloric consumption; if it still continues, then the diet should be discontinued.
"Cutting weight" is hard. It takes determination and personal fortitude, but it can be done. Of course, if you do not have excess fatty tissue, you should not try to "cut", but in most instances maximum wrestling efficiency cannot be reached until the individual has removed the excess weight. Excessive and prolonged weight reduction is opposed, and the wrestler must consult the coach or doctor before he contemplates any action in this direction. The coach will carefully watch each individual and guard against too rapid reduction of weight, and prescribe remedial action in case of apparent dietary deficiencies. If parties, the coach, wrestler, and parents, work together and are guided by the individual welfare of wrestler and by sound diet habits, the results will be satisfactory.