Proper Nutrition and Weight Management

In the late 1980's through the late 1990's in Wisconsin, the sport of high school wrestling was at an all time high in popularity. The high level of team and individual competition around the state was at a peak. This was the era of loud, full gyms for duels state wide. It was an awesome time to be associated with the sport. But this was also an era of almost unregulated weight cutting. The greatness of this time period in wrestling history was offset by some unsafe weight management choices by coaching staffs, parents and wrestlers across the United States.

The Whitehall Norsemen Wrestling Program does not advocate unsafe weight cutting for their athletes. We have many coaches on staff who wrestled in this era and do not prescribe to unsafe, short term weight cutting. Since the 1990's WIAA rules have been enacted and are enforced to make sure athletes are healthy and are choosing to safely manage weight.

Weight management in this modern era is about eating healthy foods, portion control, and maintaining a healthy weight with moderate growth through the wrestling season through personal discipline and good exercise. It is not about yo-yo dieting, cutting weight through spitting, or other unsafe methods. Frankly, the modern wrestler's idea of weight management will work well for those adults, long past their high school playing days, who wish to eat right and stay at a healthy body weight.

Here are some links from the WIAA on the subject:

The Wrestler's Diet

-This is the WIAA's booklet on safe weight management.

What to drink and how to drink for physical activity

Quick healthy meal ideas

Healthy high carb meals ideas for athletes

Food choices for muscle building protein

IN SEASON meal planning for weight management and athlete health (See below):

Here are three daily meal plans (choices A, B, or C.), to help you understand what good in season nutrition looks like:

Please don't mix and match items from the three meal plans

Breakfast

Morning Snack

Lunch

Afternoon Snack

Supper

Healthy snacks you can have anytime (when your weight is well managed):

Fresh fruit (apples, melons, grapes), raw vegetables (carrots, celery, peppers, edamame)

Dill pickles, water, steamed vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, carrots, corn, green beans)

Leaf vegetables (lettuce, spinach)

Raw plain almonds

Condiments you can use to season your food:

Salsa, spices like garlic powder, salt, pepper, balsamic or red wine vinegar, spray butter,

mustard, lemon or lime juice, hot sauce, honey, cereal pieces (for your salad as croutons),

peanut butter (watch amount), olive oil, Splenda (use sparingly)

Low calorie drinks:

Water, black coffee, no calorie drink mixes (Crystal Light), hot tea, diet soda (use sparingly)

Things you can eat as a treat once in awhile (but don't over do it):

Breads, dairy (cheese, milk), bbq sauce, ketchup

Things you should NEVER have in season (or it will knock you off your nutrition goals):

Anything with corn syrup listed as one of the first three ingredients, candy, fast food, pop,

fried food, creamy or cheesy sauces (or creamy salad dressings), chips, fatty meats (sausage,

ribs, chicken wings), butter.