Sample Meal Plan

Intro

This post is geared towards the nutritional needs for male high school wrestlers. the sport of wrestling uses all energy systems but predominantly anaerobic glycolysis. The ATP-PCr system is also used quite heavily. Due to this, nutritional needs and timing will favor a higher ingestion of carbohydrates and proteins within this athletic population. Below are some guidelines for macronutrient ingestion:

• The carbohydrate needs for wrestling fall between 5-8g/kg of body-weight
• Males performing exceptional activity levels such as wrestling require 58kcal/kg/day
• If the intensity of exercise is heavy and not exceptional that day, the requirement drops to 50kcal/kg/day.
• Athletes performing moderate training require 1.2 - 2.0 grams/kg/day of protein
• Athletes performing heavy training require 1.7 - 2.2 grams/kg/day of protein 
• High school wrestlers should aim to ingest .5-1.5 g/kg/day of fats within their diet

Nutrient Timing Recommendations

Pre-exercise

• A meal 4-6 hours prior to exercise
• A snack 30-60 minutes prior to exercise (30-50g of carbs, 5-10g of protein)
• Hourly meals consisting of .8g/kg/hr of carbs and .2-.4g/kg/hr of protein. 

During-exercise

• Fluid replacement of .5-1.0 liters/hour (water or sports drinks)      
• Exercise >90 min: 6-12 fluid ounces of carbohydrate-electrolyte solution every 10-15min   

Post-Exercise

• Carb/protein drink (1g/kg carb and .5g/kg protein) within 30min after exercise     
• High carb/protein meal <2 hours after exercise     

Supplementation Recommendations

Whey protein -  This protein is fast dissolving.  PDCAA score of 1. It is currently the most popular protein supplement on the market. This is in part to the rapid uptake of amino acids. It is often used immediately following a workout for fast replenishment. Wrestlers could utilize this following a practice or competition to ensure positive protein balance.

Casein Protein - This protein is the slowest dissolving of the three listed. PDCAA score of 1. This is a great protein to be taken by wrestlers due to the longer periods of fasting. It can be taken anytime dieting restrictions are in place to aid in making weight classes. Typically taken before bed it will help keep the body above the catabolic state due to its slower digestion.

BCAA's - It has been shown that BCAA's can play a role in fatigue, energy availability and muscle soreness. Improving damage mitigation is important especially at the intensities these athletes are pushed in wrestling. One study that saw significant changes in muscle mass and grip strength used 14g/day of BCAA's for 30-days (Kreider, 2019).

Mock Athlete Example

Athlete weight: 84kg

Activity level: Heavy

Calories: 4,200 kcal/day

Carbohydrates: 672 g/day = 8g x 84kg

Protein: 142 g/day = 1.7g x 84kg

Fat: 84 g/day = 1g x 84kg

Sample Meal Plan

The whey isolate should be taken in the morning along with breakfast for this athlete. BCAA's can be taken after the training session that they have for that day to refuel. Before bed the Casein protein can be taken to maintain a positive protein balance throughout their sleep. The diet itself may allow for supplementation to not be necessary if it is followed closely. The supplementation is just that "supplemental". 

Conclusion

It is feasible for a wrestler of this size to attain all dietary recommendations if they put effort into it. This may be difficult for some wrestlers to buy in to due to the sports inherent history of poor weight loss techniques. Though steps have been taken to promote healthy weight loss, there is still plenty of progress to be made to shift old habits. Wrestlers who are naturally at their weight class can benefit from a properly designed diet to ensure weight maintenance and adequate performance. 

References     

       Kreider, R. B. (2019). Essentials of exercise and sport nutrition: Science to practice. Raleigh, NC: Lulu.  

Muscle Building Supplementation

                                                                                                                                                                Recap 

    The athletes that this blog is focused on is male high school wrestlers. Muscle building and overall performance outcomes can be impacted through appropriate dietary supplementation. Three of those supplements are provided below. 

Supplements

    Creatine monohydrate:

1. How does this supplement work?

        Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid compound. It can be acquired through the daily diet via red meat and seafood. Creatine binds to phosphate within the body to produce PCr (phosphocreatine). PCr can then be broken down to aid in ATP (energy) production for our athletes. The larger the pool of creatine available within the body, the more opportunity for bonds to be made and broken promoting the creation of ATP (Kreider, 2019).  

1. Why do you recommend this supplement for your athlete of focus?

        I recommend this supplement to my athletes to have increased ATP production for our high intensity exercise. Wrestling is almost holistically independent short bouts of intense exercise/training. Anaerobic glycolysis and ATP-PCr systems are utilized the most within our sport. How does all of this play into muscle building? The more time our athletes can spend exercising at higher intensities, the greater their adaptations will be. As they create micro damage to their muscles it open the door for rebuilding and an increased rate of hypertrophy. 

1. how much/often should the supplement be taken?

        The average individual needs to replenish roughly 3-5g/day of creatine for maintenance depending on muscle mass. It is also suggested that athletes involved in intense training may need 5-10g/day depending on training output (Kreider, 2019). 

1. are there any concerns or any other points worth mentioning?

        It was once speculated that creatine played a role in dehydration of athletes. This claim has been debunked over the years due to the fact that creatine has no diuretic properties associated with it. Creatine has been investigated heavily for its efficacy and safety in numerous populations. All population can safely take this product due to no adverse side effects. 

    Protein:

1. How does this supplement work?

        Protein supplementation can come in a few different forms. The two that are most prevalent are casein protein and whey isolate protein. Both types impact muscle protein synthesis (MPS) at different rates when ingested. Casein protein has a slower MPS than whey isolate. Due to this the timing of their use and ingestion becomes a factor. Preventing the body from being in a catabolic state is the primary goal when ingesting protein. Additionally, protein intake has been shown to improve fat free mass in various populations (Kreider, 2019). 

1. Why do you recommend this supplement for your athlete of focus?

        I recommend this supplementation to my athlete to improve recovery and increase muscle mass. Keeping my athletes in a positive protein balance is important for hypertrophy. additionally I recommend both types of protein that I suggested above. Whey isolate I suggest to be taken following our intense training and practices. Casein I suggest being taken before bed due to its slower release and MPS. Most of their recovery and rebuilding is being done during their sleep. Having casein maintaining their positive protein balance throughout their sleep is highly beneficial. 

1. how much/often should the supplement be taken?

        Protein intake should be at 1.4-2.0g/kg/day for these athletes (Kreider, 2019). They are involved in high intensity training and can ingest more proteins than the average and or sedentary population. 

1. are there any concerns or any other points worth mentioning?

        It is important to note that more does not mean better. Increasing protein intakes to extreme levels does not continue to increase fat free mass production. There is a physiological cut off for how much protein can be synthesized (excluding steroidal use). Increasing protein intake above safe levels can begin to tax internal organs and increase body fat (Kreider, 2019). 

    BCAA's:

1. How does this supplement work?

        BCAA supplementation effects muscle building and mitigation of muscle damage. It is speculated that ingesting BCAA's promotes and anti-catabolic hormonal profile. Additionally the Leucine within BCAA's has been speculated to increase the initiation of protein translation (Kreider, 2019). 

1. Why do you recommend this supplement for your athlete of focus?

        I recommend this supplementation to my athletes to reduce the opportunity for them to be in a catabolic state. Improving damage mitigation is important especially at the intensities they are pushed in wrestling. The quicker they can recover and bounce back to optimally performance, the better. This pairs well with the use of creatine monohydrate to create more opportunity of muscle damage and physiological adaptations. 

1. how much/often should the supplement be taken?

        There is a lot of speculation on the amounts of BCAA's that should be ingested. This is largely due to the investigations of degree of efficacy that is being observed within the literature. It seems that certain populations and training intensities warrant various dosages of BCAA's. The outcomes from studies still produce inconclusive results. One study that saw significant changes in muscle mass and grip strength used 14g/day of BCAA's for 30-days (Kreider, 2019). Inversely a study that utilized 9g/day did not see an impact on performance or body composition (Kreider, 2019). 

1. are there any concerns or any other points worth mentioning?

        There have been no reported side effects of ingesting BCAA's. Multiple populations have been investigated with inconclusive results on increased performance of body composition. BCAA's may be beneficial for the sole purpose of buffering athletes from reaching a catabolic state following intense training bouts that deplete them. 

    Wrap-up:

    All three of the supplements that have been talked about have there place in an athletes repertoire. Not all athletes will need supplementation if they are conscious of keeping an appropriate diet. Those that have deficiencies or are struggling attaining certain dietary needs should look into supplementation. Additionally, the use of some supplements in conjunction can see beneficial outcomes through independent physiological outcomes. the human body is an interconnected network. Ensuring that there are no deficient or missing dietary links can impact performance and muscular growth at an enhanced level. 

References     

       Kreider, R. B. (2019). Essentials of exercise and sport nutrition: Science to practice. Raleigh, NC: Lulu.                                                                                            

Supplementation

 Introduction

    The athletes that are focused on in this article post are male high school wrestlers. We are going to first define what an ergogenic aid is. An ergogenic aid is "any training technique, mechanical device, nutritional ingredient, pharmacological method, or psychological technique that can improve performance capacity or enhance training adaptations" (Kreider, 2019). Nutritional supplements fall under the ergogenic aid umbrella if they are documented by peer-reviewed studies to enhance exercise performance or muscular hypertrophy. Two examples of ergogenic aids would be creatine and beta-alanine supplements. Beta-alanine aid in maintaining a pH buffer for an athlete. This allow the athlete to reduce intermuscular acidity and perform exercise bout for a longer duration before maximal fatigue. Additionally, creatine aids in turnover rate of the ATP-PC system. Acute energy for short and intense exercise bouts. The premise behind this is the more availability of creatine within the body, the greater the rate of binding to phosphate to generate ATP. 

    Dietary supplements are placed in a special category of "food" via the the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). Under this law, dietary supplements must be founded on the idea that they are used as a product to supplement the diet and thus contain a "dietary ingredient" (Kreider, 2019). Dietary ingredients fall under a broad range of products such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, organ tissue, enzymes, glandular extracts, and botanicals (Kreider, 2019). These dietary supplements are tested for quality assurance based on where the company send them for testing. Some companies send their products to for review by the FDA directly. Alternatively, other companies may send their products to be screened by third party testing. This method of third party testing does not guarantee that the supplements have no banned substances, but it does reduce the likelihood. Some examples of third party testing companies are NSF, Informed Choice, and Banned Substances Control Group (Kreider, 2019). Ideally, some questions should be asked when deciding whether or not to begin taking a new supplement:

• Does the idea behind the supplement have scientific logic?
• Is the supplement checked for legality and safety of consumption?
• Have studies been conducted on the use of this supplement?
• Were the studies methodologically concrete? (controlled properly, appropriate population, etc.,) 
• Were the studies results scientifically significant?
• Was the study published by a well known peer-reviewed scientific journal?
• Is the study itself able to be reproduced effectively with the same outcomes?

    When looking into all the questions, you can begin to sift through false claims and find the actual scientific foundations that most supplements claim to have. 

Research Example

    In this section we are going to do some research on Creatine supplementation and its claims to ergogenic benefits. 

    Basic Internet Search:

        

        Claim one - "helps muscle cells produce more energy" (Mawer, 2018)

        Claim two - "Speeds muscle growth" (Mawer, 2018)

        Claim three - "very little research in children under the age of 18" (Ratini, 2018)

        

        Claim four - "if you do take creatine, drink enough water to prevent dehydration" (Ratini, 2018)

    Peer-reviewed Internet Search:

        Claim one comparison - When claim one was compared to the peer-reviewed literature, it has                 scientific merit. Creatine supplementation has been shown to increase energy production and                 performance in athletes performing anaerobic exercise (Mielgo-Ayuso et al., 2019). 

        Claim two comparison - When claim two was compared to the peer-reviewed literature, it has                flaws in the wording used. Creatine supplementation aids in increasing lean body mass by                     reducing the amount of protein breakdown and potentially impacting variables of muscular                     hypertrophy. The claim that outright states that creatine speeds muscle growth though not                        incorrect, could be misleading (Ricci et al., 2020).  

        Claim three comparison - When claim three was compared to the peer-reviewed literature, it                    supported the scientific claims of the year it was published. By 2018 there was not significant                 evidence on the safety or efficacy of creatine supplementation for adolescents (Jagim et al., 2018). 

        Claim four comparison - When claim four was compared to the peer-reviewed literature, it had no         supporting scientific claims. Peer-reviewed literature consistently refutes old claims that creatine            supplementation causes increased chances of dehydration. Additionally, quite the opposite has                been observed. Due to the amount of water ingested when creatine loading and no diuretic                     properties of creatine itself, most athletes tested are hydrated (Kreider et al., 2017). The claims of         creatine causing dehydration were stated in the infancy of the supplement coming into the market,         since then there has been no new literature to back these claims. 

    Additional Information:

        The populations that could utilize creatine supplementation could be any athletic or fitness oriented population. Male or female athletes can benefit from creatine supplementation. The benefits observed are primarily during anaerobic exercise. The younger age group may still be cautioned about the use of creatine supplementation. The use within the adolescent population still needs more literature on efficacy and safety. This approach is out of an abundance of caution. No negative effects have been observed in the studies that have used adolescent participants and creatine supplementation. Dose intakes should begin with a loading phase of 20-30g/day for 6-7days followed by a maintenance phase of 5g per day (Mielgo-Ayuso et al., 2019).  

Conclusion

    It is important to do your own research on the claims that are made by and for supplements on the market. Whether you are a coach or an athlete, taking the time to inquire can spare disqualification and bans in the future. Additionally, investigating supplements for their efficacy and health risk factors should remain a high priority above improving performance in the short run. 

References

Jagim, A. R., Stecker, R. A., Harty, P. S., Erickson, J. L., & Kerksick, C. M. (2018). Safety of creatine             supplementation in active adolescents and youth: A brief review. Frontiers in nutrition, 5, 115.

Kreider, R. B. (2019). Essentials of exercise and sport nutrition: Science to practice. Raleigh, NC: Lulu.

Kreider, R. B., Kalman, D. S., Antonio, J., Ziegenfuss, T. N., Wildman, R., Collins, R., ... & Lopez, H.         L. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine            supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports             Nutrition, 14(1), 1-18.

Mawer, R. (2018, October 25). Creatine 101 - What Is It and What Does It Do? Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-creatine

Mielgo-Ayuso, J., Calleja-Gonzalez, J., Marqués-Jiménez, D., Caballero-García, A., Córdova, A., & Fernández-Lázaro, D. (2019). Effects of creatine supplementation on athletic performance in soccer players: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 11(4), 757.

Ratini, M. (2018, December 12). Creatine Supplements: Usage and Side Effects. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://www.webmd.com/men/creatine

Ricci, T., Forbes, S. C., & Candow, D. G. (2020). Creatine Supplementation: Practical Strategies and Considerations for Mixed Martial Arts. Journal of Exercise and Nutrition ISSN, 2640, 2572.

                                          

Hydration and Timing

Recap

    The population we are focused on is male high school wrestlers. The past blog posts have offered the recommended micro and macro nutrients for this group. Now lets focus on applying these nutrients at the optimal times.

Energy and Macronutrient Comparisons 

    In this section we are going to compare high school male wrestlers, high school male altra-endurance runners, and high school male golfers. The difference in energy and macronutrient intake is compared below (Kreider, 2019): 

    Wrestlers

• 45 to 60 kcal/kg/day
• 5 to 8 g/kg/day of carbohydrates 
• 1.2 to 2.0 g/kg/day of protein
• .5 to 1.5 g/kg/day of fats

    Ultra-endurance Runners

• 60 to 80 kcal/kg/day
• 8 to 12 g/kg/day of carbohydrates
• 1.7 to 2.2 g/kg/day of protein   
• .5 to 1.5 g/kg/day of fats     

    Golf

• 41 to 50 kcal/kg/day
• 5 to 7 g/kg/day of carbohydrates
• 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg/day of protein     
• .5 to 1.5 g/kg/day of fats    

 Hydration Recommendations 

     A typical athlete sweats .5 to 1.5 liters/hour during intense training (Kreider, 2019). 6 to 8 ounces of water or sports drinks should be ingested every 15 minutes during exercise to maintain fluid levels (Kreider, 2019). Athletes should be weighed before and after a training session to monitor fluid loss. One pound of weight lost results in roughly three cups of fluid lost (Kreider, 2019). If an athlete losses 2% of body weight from fluid loss in a training session, performance can be reduced (Kreider, 2019). Before the next training session it should be encouraged that the athlete replenish the fluid lost in order to prevent the risk of heat illness (Kreider, 2019). 2% to 4% of weight reduction through fluid loss can result in an increased risk of heat stroke and/or death (Kreider, 2019). All wrestlers should be encouraged to maintain appropriate hydration levels to allow for optimal performance and reduce the risk of heat related illness.  

Nutrient Timing Recommendations

    This section will be broken into recommendation for wrestlers pre-, during-, and post- exercise (Kreider, 2019).

    Pre-exercise

• A meal 4-6 hours prior to exercise
• A snack 30-60 minutes prior to exercise (30-50g of carbs, 5-10g of protein)
• Hourly meals consisting of .8g/kg/hr of carbs and .2-.4g/kg/hr of protein. 

    During-exercise

• Fluid replacement of .5-1.0 liters/hour (water or sports drinks)      
• Exercise >90 min: 6-12 fluid ounces of carbohydrate-electrolyte solution every 10-15min   

    Post-Exercise

• Carb/protein drink (1g/kg carb and .5g/kg protein) within 30min after exercise     
• High carb/protein meal <2 hours after exercise     

    Timing the meals and the appropriate amount of fluid replacement throughout the day will ensure an athlete is well equipped to handle a competition or training session. A wrestler will want to make sure that their glycogen stores are full going into practice and that they are well hydrated. Dehydration within the sport of wrestling is very common due to the sports culture of making weight classifications. In order to make weight, dehydration and rapid fluid loss is typically utilized followed by a quick ingestion of fluids and food following weigh-ins. Appropriate weight loss over time should be utilized in order for optimal performance.   

Training and Recovery

    For wrestlers it is important to eat enough to keep up with energy expenditure from practice and competition. Meals and fluid replacement should be monitored to ensure adequate uptake. Spacing out these meals and timing them for before and after training session will reduce fatigue and improve performance. Hydration can be one of the biggest obstacles for this population. During the weekly training sessions it should be stressed to keep appropriate fluid levels to reduce the risk of heat related illness. Nutritional supplementation can be used if time is a limiting factor for these athletes or if availability to healthy foods throughout the day is lacking. Rest between training sessions and adequate sleep overnight is essential for these wrestlers to recover. The periods of down time should be used to refuel macronutrients and hydrate in preparation for the next competition or practice. A large portion of muscle damage recovery is conducted during sleep, wrestlers should be made aware of this and it should be emphasized in their programming (Kreider, 2019).

Wrap Up

    Nutrient timing, macronutrients, hydration and sleep should be the four main takeaways from this blog. Coaches working with this group should look at all four of these aspects when programming for this population. It can be difficult to prescribe nutritional recommendations to adolescent athletes. Most of these athletes are at the mercy of their environment when it comes to nutrition. Nevertheless, stressing the importance of macronutrients, hydration and sleep will allow these athletes to make educated decisions when options are provided to them moving forward. 

Cited Sources

 Kreider, R. B. (2019). Essentials of exercise and sport nutrition: Science to practice. Raleigh, NC: Lulu.

Fat, Vitamins and Minerals

 Introduction

    The athletic population that we are working with is male high school wrestlers. This post will address the fat, vitamin and mineral recommendations for this population. 

Fat

    Fat within a wrestlers diet is essential for sustaining energy. Out of all of the energy systems, fat metabolism offers the most available energy. The catch to this is that it must be metabolized in the presence of oxygen. High intensity exercise will reduce the oxygen availability and reduce the capability of fat oxidation to be utilized as a primary source of fuel. Aside from a long lasting fuel source, fat also aids in the absorption of vitamins, promotes neural transmission, helps protect vital organs, helps maintain healthy skin and hair, and helps synthesize hormones (Kreider, 2019). High school wrestlers should aim to ingest .5-1.5 g/kg/day of fats within their diet. Ultimately, these athletes should not fall below 20% of their total energy needs from fat (Kreider, 2019). 

    A popular topic right now when talking about fat and carbohydrate consumption with athletes is the ketogenic diet. There have been positive and negative claims to utilizing this diet (Kreider, 2019). The answer to if an athlete should use this diet or not comes down to the energy expenditure within the activity they are performing. A wrestler operates at a very high intensity for three two-minute periods. Within this time, they are utilized the ATP-PCr, anaerobic glycolysis and oxidative systems at the same time. Fat oxidation can be utilized within a match when they go out of bounds and must reset or if they are slowing down the pace of the match physically. For a majority of the match the anaerobic system is being taxed the most. If wrestlers carbohydrate restricted as much as the keto diet suggests (10-40 g/day), these athletes would run out of gas in their matches. Their bodies would not be able to keep up with the physical demand and the lack of available oxygen due to the high intensity. A clear negatively impacted performance would occur. 

    The keto diet has been utilized in another way. Carbohydrate restrictions are utilized to train the body to optimized fat oxidation as the primary source of energy throughout the week. 3-5 days before competition, carbohydrates are added back into the diet and carbohydrate loading occurs the 2 days before competition as well as fat loading (Kreider, 2019). The results of this are inconclusive and have not shown a clear increase in performance outcomes (Kreider, 2019). additionally, wrestlers training throughout the week on low carbohydrates will continue to have a lack of fuel during practices. This does not allow them to sharpen their skills and prepare properly for a competition. 

Vitamins

    Vitamins and minerals are essential to an athletes diet and each play important roles in metabolic and physiological function. Vitamins are essential organic compounds that cannot be synthesized by the body. Vitamins are necessary in small doses and help maintain metabolic functions (Kreider, 2019). Minerals are essential inorganic chemical elements used to maintain proper physiological processes within the body (Kreider, 2019). Vitamins that would be helpful for wrestlers are listed below: 

1. Vitamin A - helps maintain healthy vision and reduces muscle damage received from exercise (Kreider, 2019). It has antioxidant properties and the RDA is 700-900 micrograms. Can be supplemented or achieved through the diet by ingesting eggs or fortified foods such as cereal. 

2. Vitamin D - Helps maintain healthy bones and enhances calcium absorption (Kreider, 2019). This can help reduce the risk of injury. The RDA is 5-15 micrograms. Can be found in fatty fish, fortified foods and egg yolks. 

3. Thiamin B1 - Helps in the removal of CO2 and a potential increase to anaerobic threshold (Kreider, 2019). RDA is 1.1-1.2 mg/day. Can be supplemented or acquired through the diet in beef, nuts, pork, eggs and fortified foods such as rice. 

Minerals

    Minerals help in the physiological processes of the body. These processes help build body structures like muscles, teeth, bone and regulate electrically charges ions (Kreider, 2019). Some minerals that would be helpful for wrestlers are listed below:

1. Calcium - Helps bone and tooth formation. This can help reduce the risk of injury by maintaining healthy bones (Kreider, 2019). Paired with vitamin D is essential for absorption. RDA is 1,000 - 2,000 mg/day. Can be supplemented or found in milk, cheese and other dairy sources. 

2. Potassium - Helps regulate fluid balance. Has effects on nerve transmission in the body. Primarily looked at in reducing the potential of cramping (Kreider, 2019). RDA is 4.7 g/day or 2000 mg/day. Can be supplemented or acquired through ingestion of bananas and baked potatoes.

3. Sodium - Helps regulate fluid balance. Has effects on nerve transmission. Like potassium, it is used in reducing cramping and hyponatremia (Kreider, 2019). RDA is 1.5 g/day. Can be supplemented or acquired in the diet through salted meat, fish, poultry and nuts. 

Wrap-up

    Fats, vitamins and minerals are all essential to a high school wrestlers diet. Making sure that proper amounts are consumed will ensure optimal performance. Excess ingestion of fats, vitamins and minerals can have adverse health effects. It is important to know the RDA values for each of these substances and ensure that these athletes are within the healthy ranges. Too little or too much will not aid in optimal performance outcomes. 

Cited Sources

 Kreider, R. B. (2019). Essentials of exercise and sport nutrition: Science to practice. Raleigh, NC: Lulu.

Protein and Amino Acids

    Quick Recap

    The populations of focus for this blog post is male high school wrestlers. The activity level is high intensity exercise with intermittent bouts of rest (<30 sec). In accordance to ISSN recommendations: The carbohydrate needs for wrestling fall between 5-8g/kg of body-weight. Males performing exceptional activity levels such as wrestling require 58kcal/kg/day. If the intensity of exercise is heavy and not exceptional that day, the requirement drops to 50kcal/kg/day. 

    Topic

    This blog post will provide the protein and amino acid recommendations by the ISSN and their application to male high school wrestlers. 

    Protein for Athletes

    Protein is essential in an athletes diet. The positive effects of protein ingestion have been well documented. Some of the effects of protein ingestion are hypertrophy, repairing damaged cells, and aiding in metabolic activities (Kreider, 2019, p. 49). Wrestling has a substantial amount of wear and tear on the body. Maintaining a positive protein balance plays a pivotal role in staying healthy throughout the season. Additionally, If insufficient protein is ingested these athletes will be in a catabolic state and negatively impact their performance. Generalized protein needs have been provided by the ISSN to keep safe and functioning at an optimal level. Athletes performing moderate training require 1.2 - 2.0 grams/kg/day. Athletes performing heavy training require 1.7 - 2.2 grams/kg/day (Kreider, 2019, p. 49). Wrestlers in particular should lean towards the heavy training requirements throughout the season. Off-season and lighter weeks for de-load, the moderate protein intakes may be sufficient. 

    Protein Recommendations 

    Meeting protein demands can be difficult for those with high energy expenditure. However, identifying food with a high protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAA) will provide quality protein and help bridge the gap. A score of 1 is the optimal score and signifies the protein exceeds the essential amino acid requirements of the body (Kreider, 2019, p. 51). Below are some good suggestions for quality protein food within a wrestlers diet:

1. Chicken 3.5 oz. (light w no skin) - 31grams of protein, 4 grams of fat, PDCAA score of .8 - .92.

2. Eggs (1 Large) - 6 grams of protein, 7 grams of fat, PDCAA score of 1.

3. Milk 8 oz. (skim) - 8 grams of protein, .4 grams of fat, PDCAA score of 1.

    When intake from the diet is still insufficient in protein requirements, supplementation can be used. Choosing the right type of protein supplement can be beneficial depending on time of day, training demands and availability. Below are three types of protein supplementation that may be beneficial to male high school wrestlers:

1. Whey protein -  This protein is fast dissolving.  PDCAA score of 1. It is currently the most popular protein supplement on the market. This is in part to the rapid uptake of amino acids. It is often used immediately following a workout for fast replenishment. Wrestlers could utilize this following a practice or competition to ensure positive protein balance.                                                                                                                                                             

2. Soy protein - This protein is middle tier in its rate of dissolving. It is slower than whey and faster than casein. PDCAA score of 1. This is a great source of protein for Wrestlers who are vegetarian. It can also be taken immediately following a a competition or practice. Additionally it can be beneficial for wrestlers to utilize this source of protein due to its slower rate of digestion. Wrestlers often experience long periods of fasting due to rapid weight loss for making weight classes. The longer the digestion the longer these athletes may stay in a positive protein balance.

3. Casein Protein - This protein is the slowest dissolving of the three listed. PDCAA score of 1. This is a great protein to be taken by wrestlers due to the longer periods of fasting. It can be taken anytime dieting restrictions are in place to aid in making weight classes. Typically taken before bed it will help keep the body above the catabolic state due to its slower digestion . 

    Amino Acid Recommendations

    Not all amino acids provide the same roll within the human body. There are a total of 22 amino acids that can be used. These are placed into three categories: 9 essential, 7 conditionally essential and 5 non-essential. Breaking foods down further it is common for types of protein to be labeled as "complete" or "incomplete". "Complete" proteins sources contain all essential amino acids for the body. These protein sources are often derived from animals. "Incomplete" proteins sources do not contain all of the essential amino acids. These protein sources are often plant based. Essential amino acids are in fact "essential" for athletes during exercise and during recovery. These essential amino acids must be acquired through the diet or supplementation to aid in hypertrophy and repairing damaged cells. Conditionally essential amino acids should also be acquired through the diet or supplementation. The human body has a hard time synthesizing these amino acids much like the essential group. Non-essential amino acids are easily synthesized by the body and do not need to be acquired through the diet or supplementation. 

    Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA's)

    Within the essential group of amino acids there are three that are heavily researched. These three are Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine. These three are grouped together as they are all a branched chain complex. For wrestlers, this group of amino acids would benefit them if taken prior to training bouts. It has been shown that BCAA's can play a role in fatigue, energy availability and muscle soreness. This is completed through direct effects on lactate, ammonia, free fatty acid, glucose, and creatine kinase within the body. Lactate and ammonia levels correlate to fatigue. Free fatty acid and glucose correlate to energy. Creatine kinase correlates to muscle damage (Hormoznejad et al., 2019). Foods that are high in BCAA's are complete and often high quality. Chicken, Eggs and Milk as listed above are an excellent source of dietary BCAA's. Supplementation is also an option and has become popular since its development. 

    Wrap Up

    Protein is important in an athletes preparation and recovery throughout training and within the season. Knowing the different types of protein and timing of ingestion will aid in optimal performance and recovery. High school wrestlers should look into their dietary intake and assess if protein supplementation is necessary. Due to often large dietary restrictions to make weight, most wrestlers within this age group could require some form of supplementation. 

            

    Sources

    Kreider, R. B. (2019). Essentials of exercise and sport nutrition: Science to practice. Raleigh, NC: Lulu.

    Hormoznejad, R., Javid, A. Z., & Mansoori, A. (2019). Effect of BCAA supplementation on central fatigue, energy metabolism substrate and muscle damage to the exercise: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sport Sciences for Health, 1-15.

Carbohydrates and Calories

    Introduction

The population of interest in this blog is male high school wrestlers. The typical activity type for this population utilizes the anaerobic energy system. High intensity exercise in a short bout followed by a limited amount of rest (<30 sec). This blog post will highlight the carbohydrate and kcal recommendations for this population.  

    Carbohydrates

The carbohydrate needs for wrestling fall between 5-8g/kg of body-weight. The wrestling weight classes in high school range from 47kg-130kg. There are fourteen weight classes in a high school lineup. The carbohydrate needs will vary for each individual wrestler based on the size of the wrestler and the estimated energy expenditure. 

    Calories

Caloric estimates are based on body-weight of the individual and the intensity of exercise. Males performing exceptional activity levels such as wrestling require 58kcal/kg/day. If the intensity of exercise is heavy and not exceptional that day, the requirement drops to 50kcal/kg/day. 

    Carbohydrate Supplementation

There are three carbohydrates that could be effective in improving athletic performance or reducing injury potential for high school wrestlers.

1. Glucosamine - Improves joint and cartilage health. Glucosamine can be implemented into the diet through supplementation or ingesting shell fish. Recommended daily value is 1,500mg/day. Adding this supplement to the athletes diet may reduce the risk of injury.