Why Eating Together Still Matters Throughout this series, we’ve explored what wrestlers should eat, when they should eat, how to recover, travel, hydrate, and prepare for competition. We’ve also discussed the important role parents play in supporting young athletes. Yet all of those lessons ultimately converge in one place that often receives far less attention…
Supporting Performance Without Creating Anxiety Parents play an extraordinary role in the development of young wrestlers. They provide transportation, financial support, encouragement, meals, and often become the emotional anchors that help athletes navigate both victories and disappointments. While wrestlers ultimately make decisions for themselves, parents shape much of the environment in which those decisions are…
Eating Well Away From Home Travel tournaments are exciting. They often involve airplanes, hotels, restaurants, teammates, and the opportunity to compete against athletes from around the country. For many wrestlers, those weekends create memories that last a lifetime. But travel also introduces challenges. Normal routines disappear. Familiar foods become less available. Schedules change. Sleep suffers….
Why Growth Happens Between Practices Throughout the Feed the Goal series, we have discussed how wrestlers should eat, hydrate, and support one another through the demands of training and competition. From building strength in the offseason to managing weight, recovering after weigh-ins, and understanding supplements, one theme has emerged repeatedly: The body responds to stress…
Food First, Supplements Second By the time wrestlers begin taking their nutrition seriously, it is only a matter of time before they start asking about supplements. Should I take protein powder? What about creatine? Are pre-workouts worth it? Do I need electrolytes? Which supplements actually work? These are reasonable questions. After all, the supplement industry…
Why Most Wrestlers Are Losing Before the Whistle Throughout the Feed the Goal series, we’ve discussed building strength, preparing for the season, making weight safely, recovering after weigh-ins, and fueling performance on competition day. We’ve even talked about how families and support systems can help athletes stay on track. Yet one of the simplest—and most…
When I think nutrition for teens a few things immediately jump to my mind. Understanding maintenance calories, eating enough food, the proper food, and the timing of food. Before I dive into those things specifcially a couple non-food specific things that are very important. 8-9 hours of sleep every night consistently. Waking up and going…
Why Families and Friends Matter More Than You Think Throughout the Feed the Goal series, we’ve focused primarily on what wrestlers should eat during the different phases of the year. We’ve discussed building strength in the offseason, preparing for the season ahead, making weight safely, recovering after weigh-ins, and fueling performance during competition. But there…
Competition-Day Nutrition for Tournament Success Tournament nutrition is different from everyday nutrition. You’re no longer trying to build muscle. You’re no longer trying to lose weight. You’re trying to perform. And performance favors preparation. Think Fuel, Not Meals Tournament days are not buffet days. They’re fuel stops. Large meals often lead to: Instead, think small…
Post Weigh-In Nutrition and the Golden Two Hours For many wrestlers, making weight feels like the finish line. In reality, it is the starting line. The tournament begins the moment you step off the scale. Everything you do during the next two hours will determine how much of your strength, endurance, and explosiveness returns before…
