Nutrition for the Athlete

Most common questions How many calories do I need per day? How do I cut calories from my diet? How do I increase calories in my diet? What do I eat before a match? What do I eat when I am close to weight? What to eat after a match? How do I stay hydrated?

What you need to know A calorie is a unit of energy for the body. All foods have calories If you eat too many calories you will gain weight If you eat less calories you will loose weight If you don’t eat enough you won’t loose any weight

How many calories do I need to eat? BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) – BMR X (for 6-7 days per week of heavy exercise) – Athlete wants to weigh 119 and is 5 feet 5 inches – BMR is 1517 calories – Needs to eat 1517 X =2658 calories per day to maintain weight

How do I figure out how many calories I eat? You need to keep a food journal Mypyramid.gov can track it for you – Page.aspx Page.aspx

What's a correct serving size

Serving Sizes

How do I lose weight? Water weight is the first weight lost 1 pound of fat is 3500 calories – Cut 500 calories a day – Will loose 1 pound a week – Cut 500 calories and burn 500 with exercise will loose 2 pounds a week Too little calories and your body will go into starvation mode

Developing a diet plan Determine what you are currently eating – Portion sizes, food types – Decrease portion sizes – Cut out calories that are mainly from high sugar foods – If it is in a box, bag or can don’t eat it! Start by cutting 250 calories from diet a day – Should lose 1 pound Next week increase calories cut to 375 – Should lose 1 ½ pounds

Sample Diet 1900 calorie diet Breakfast Bagel (plain) – Cream cheese (regular) 8 oz Orange juice (100% juice) Banana Lunch Peanut butter & jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread Apple 16 oz water Snack (pre-practice) Granola bar 16 oz water Snack (post-practice) Chocolate milk, 1% (low fat) 6 Peanut butter sandwich cracker 16 oz water Dinner 3 oz Baked chicken breast (no skin) Cooked broccoli, green beans or carrots Baked potato, plain (eat peel) – Butter Tossed salad (lettuce and vegetables) – Low-calorie salad dressing 16 oz water Snack Cheerios 16 oz water 2600 calorie diet Breakfast Banana 2 cups Cheerios with 1% milk (low fat) 8 oz Orange juice (100% juice) 2 slices 100% whole wheat toast with butter Lunch Ham or Turkey sandwich on whole wheat with one slice of cheese 8 oz 1% milk (low fat) ½ cup Raw celery ½ cup Raw carrots Creamy dressing (ranch) Snack (before practice) Granola bar 16 oz water Snack (after practice) Peanut butter sandwich cracker 8 oz chocolate milk 16 oz water Dinner 8 oz 1% milk (low fat) Baked potato, plain or sweet Butter Wheat roll (part whole wheat) Butter 3 oz Baked chicken breast (no skin) 1 cup Cooked green beans or broccoli Snack 2 cups Cheerios (no milk) Apple 16 oz water 3200 calorie diet Breakfast Banana 8 oz Orange juice (100% juice) 2 slices 100% whole wheat bread All-fruit preserves 2 Fried eggs 8 oz water Lunch Ham or turkey sub with cheese on a Wheat sub roll (part whole wheat) Peanut butter sandwich cracker Flavored yogurt, low fat Apple (raw) 16 oz water Snack (pre-practice) ½ cup Trail mix (nuts, seeds, dried fruit) 16 oz water Snack (post-practice) 8 oz Chocolate milk, 1% (low fat) Fortified high energy bar (Powerbar) 16oz water Dinner 8 oz 1% milk (low fat) Baked potato, plain (eat peel) Butter 3 oz Grilled steak (eat lean only) Steak sauce (A-1) 1 cup Cooked broccoli Wheat roll (part whole wheat) Butter Tossed salad (lettuce and vegetables) Italian dressing (oil and vinegar) Snack Cheerios 16 oz water

Effects of exercise In all sports we take good care of our equipment. In wrestling your body is you equipment. During exercise we burn carbohydrates and protein. If on food restriction carbohydrate stores will be low. Your body will burn your muscles for energy

How do I gain weight? Increase calorie intake by 500 a day and gain a pound a week Get your increased calories from proteins not fats Use high protein recovery shakes 15-30min after workout Eat grams of protein per pound of body weight. – A 152-pound wrestler should consume about 91 grams of protein per day

Protein Builds and maintains muscles and repairs body tissues. Not a good source of energy – Egg whites contain about 3.5 grams of protein – 3.5 oz T-Bone has 25 grams – 3 oz Tuna (w/o bread) has 22 grams – 8 oz. Yogurt has 8 grams – 8 oz. Milk has 8grams – 1 oz. Peanuts has 7 grams

Complex Carbohydrates Are starches Build up Carbohydrate stores to use for energy later Baked potatoes are an easily prepared food that should become a staple in your diet. – Eat the skin! – Almost no fat and a minimal amount of sodium

Simple carbohydrates Sugars that are used for energy almost immediately Fruit, white bread, applesauce and jellies are most easily digested forms.

What do I eat before the match? You do not want to wrestle on a full or empty stomach It takes about 1 hour to digest 250 calories – if you eat at 5 and wrestle at 7 keep your meal around 500 calories Avoid foods that can give you gas – Fast food or fried food Eat low fat foods, high fat foods will not be digested quickly Carbohydrates and proteins will digest quickly and provide you with energy – Applesauce, crackers or cereal

Sample pre match meals Turkey or ham on whole wheat with a small baked potato or cup of cooked rice Peanut butter (all natural) and jelly on whole wheat with an apple or applesauce Bagel with light cream cheese or butter – Bagel pantry bagel is about 500 calories Pasta with sauce, butter or olive oil and NO cheese

What do I eat if I am close to my weight? Low water content fruits or dried fruits Nuts are high in calories and protein Peanut butter with no bread Baked potato or sweet potato Avocado slices Applesauce

What do I eat after exercise? 15 – 30 min after exercise you need to eat or drink something with 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio and simple sugars – This will refuel muscles – Decrease recovery time – Reduce fatigue – Decrease soreness time Peanut butter Honey Chocolate milk

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Hydration is Key Increases performance – Less water in body less blood available to muscles Increases body’s ability to burn calories Decreases Fatigue and extends workouts If you drink water before work outs you will feel better, sweat more and no calories will be added to diet. Will fill up stomach and decrease hunger

How to stay Hydrated Dink 2 cups of water for every pound of weight lost Urine should look like Lemonade NOT apple juice Eat high water content foods if not drinking enough water – Grapes – Kiwi – Soup – Ice chips

Weight certification Need to be hydrated before you can weigh in Lowest weight class is determined by body fat % If you have sub 7% body fat you must be on weight – If you want to go 112 and have 5% body fat you must weigh 112 in order to wrestle at that weight

H1N1 and other illnesses Getting sick or a skin infection is like having an injury Stay home if you have a fever, Do not bring the germs here with you Wash your hands Shower and wash all practice equipment Wipe out head gear