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.
