Nutrition in Wrestling

Over the last eight years of competing in wrestling, I have been constantly learning about
the best way to fuel my body. Nutrition is a major component of an athlete’s success in sport.
More specifically, timing different types of meals around training and competition is extremely
vital. Wrestling requires athletes to be light on their feet while generating great amounts of
power. Before I truly understood how to properly eat before and after training, my body would
be constantly fluctuating between optimal and suboptimal performance. Below I will discuss my
current eating routine around my training schedule.

Daily, I strive to eat a healthy and well-balanced diet with some flexibility. Focusing on
eating lots of fruits, vegetables, leaner proteins and whole grain carbohydrate sources has helped
me take in enough essential micronutrients. Before training and competition, my goal is to feel
light on my feet while having plenty of energy. If my training session is soon, I will typically try
to consume foods such as toast, banana with peanut butter, lean deli meats, etc. I have found that
my body can easily digest these foods. These types of pre-exercise meals have provided me with
sufficient energy leading into my training sessions. After a training session is when I will
typically include more fibrous carbohydrates and fattier proteins. A go-to post training meal for
me can include the following:

• Broccoli lightly seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil (baked in the oven)
• Sautéed peppers and onion
• Lightly breaded chicken breasts or thighs (breading seasoned with oregano, pepper, chili
  flakes) (chicken marinated with lemon)
• A small side of rice (depending on the intensity of the workout can determine how much
  rice I consume)

I have found meals like this to be very effective in replenishing my energy stores and helping me
feel refreshed for the next day of training. This is what has worked for me over the last few
years of training daily.

Written by: Francesco Fortino