Ask Doc Max

I just wrapped up an "Eating to Win" seminar with the 2010 NC National Team wrestlers that are heading to the "tournament of tournament" for high school freestyle wrestling. The challenge: getting a group of talented and gifted athletes to recognize they will be "giving" away their matches if they don't pay attention to what they eat. Think of it this way,.... Imagine your body as a NASCAR engine. Would you want to put High Octane Fuel in a race car, or diesel? What kind of performance can you expect if you fuel a race car with diesel? The same rules apply to wrestlers. You can sabotage your performance but not eating the RIGHT foods for performance.

To view the powerpoint presentation used at the Training Camp, click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9--uTFpKso

Addressing with this area of performance for athletes is WAY overdue. However, the dietary success of the high school wrestler depends on the willingness of the parent(s) to transform the eating habits at home, and the consistency of the coaches SHOWING their kids the best lifestyle habits that leads to success on the mat and off the mat.

So coaches and parents of future olympic wrestlers, you can transform your health through the same guidelines as well. For more info on HOW to use the same nutritional program that is being used successfully with the US national wrestling team, check out http://www.maximizedliving.com/Programs/MaximizedNutritionPlans/Overview.aspx

Hey Parents, this would be a GREAT fundraising idea for teams or clubs that host tournaments, don't you think? Get a few blenders, get an oversized cooler, pack it with fruit, ice, yogurt, flavorings, peanut butter, etc. You'll have a tournament full of wrestlers who will THRIVE and recover faster between matches. PLUS, spectators will crave and pay for something different other than the typical concession stand junk food () served at tournaments.

Which team parent is willing to introduce their wrestling team to healthy living?

-Dr.Max

For those who read the first post on this area of nutrition for performance, just avoiding the foods that IMPAIR performance will help performance significantly

Here is a list of great food choices a wrestler (and a wrestler's family) can make.
-Fruits (apples, oranges, bananas)… the fiber helps evacuate the gut between matches
-Whole wheat pasta (marina sauces, not cream-based sauces)
-Salads with proteins (chicken, fish)
-Whole grain/whole wheat sandwiches with peanut butter, almond butter, or sesame seed butter…energy source and easy to digest
-Dried Fruit…energy source, easy to digest
-Nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, brazil)
-Oatmeal (not the “instant” packets)…
-Omelettes, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, poached eggs… a great source of fat
-Butter (Not margarine)… a good source of fat
-Yogurt (full fat, not low fat)
-Milk Substitutes (almond, rice, oat, coconut milk)
-100% fruit juices (orange, apple, grapefruit, pomegranate)
-Fruit smoothies with yogurt, milk substitute, coconut milk
-Water
-Chicken breast, turkey breast (not processed pieces) added to salads or sandwiches
-Pita, hummus
-Whole-Wheat bagels
-Foods/Drinks naturally sweetened with agave, stevia, or xylitol

These foods are not only great for athletes, but for anyone else who has energy "dips" in their day, frequent carb/sugar cravings, or who have hit weight-loss plateaus despite caloric restriction. FAT IS YOUR FRIEND . The RIGHT fats are GREAT for the body, and will even help you burn the "right" calories without breaking down muscle for energy.

Anyone who follows this plan will be helped in their performance. Try it out - I'd appreciate to hearing your feedback

Looking back in my high school wrestling career, there are some key matches I lost merely because I didn't pack the right foods for the tournaments I competed in. However, my coaches and my parents didn't know any better back then. You are what you eat is more than a cliche - it's reality. Athletes can afford to take in a higher percentage of carbohydrates than the regular population, but its the QUALITY the carbs that either makes or breaks the wrestler, especially during all-day dual meets or tournaments.

The "poor" choice carbohydrates that impair performance:
-Pizza
-Soda
-Energy drinks with high fructose corn syrup listed as an ingredient
-Donuts
-Sugary cereals
-Baked pastries
-White bread (or any bread made with enriched flour)

Avoid foods that take long to be eliminated from the gut (pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, bbq). Also avoid foods that gets rapidly absorbed too quickly that creates a sugar spike or a quick "surge" of energy (like soda, donuts, white bread, energy drinks). In general very every spike there is a drop. Often it is a rapid one. Just by avoiding these, you'll also avoid a glycemic "crash", which means you wont have any dips in your energy levels throughout the day when you brain/muscles need the fuel the most, like right before a match. Wrestling moms and dads -please step up to the plate and nourish your young wrestler like an Olympic athlete. You can't afford NOT to. I hope the feedback from this post prompts the obvious question: Which foods SHOULD be eaten on tournament day?

Doc Max

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