What You Should Be Eating After Weigh-Ins and Why
It’s Saturday morning. You’re walking up to the scale, ready to weigh in for the tournament. You step on, make it, then speed walk back to your bag to grab your cooler and start eating.
What are you eating first?
When you packed your cooler, were you thinking about what you need to eat to gain your energy back in time to wrestle?
Most of us have a general idea on food that gives us quick energy and food that takes a little longer. Either that or we pack our cooler with whatever sounded good the night before and let our body sort out the mess in the two hours between weigh-ins and wrestling. Regardless of whichever category you fall under, there is a specific formula for immediate post weigh-in eating that will give you the right type of energy you need all day long for tournaments.
The Post Weigh-In Formula
First, we need to keep in mind that different types of food digest at different rates. This is key when it comes to eating for performance, especially during competition. There are three components to this formula: immediate energy, energy volume, and long-term energy.
You get immediate energy from simple carbohydrates like fruit. Simple carbohydrates give energy after 15 minutes from digesting it and are quickly absorbed into your blood stream and muscles. You get long-term energy from complex carbohydrates like bread and oats which provide a slow release of energy over a 3 to 6 hour period.
Energy volume is more complicated as it can be obtained by simply eating more food or by eating more calorically dense foods. I recommend eating calorically dense foods for two reasons. First, when you eat more food in a single sitting, the digestion and energy output times slow down considerably. Second, when you’re wresting you don’t want to have a bloated stomach feeling, you want to feel strong, light, and full of energy. The best way to accomplish this is by eating fat. Fat gives over two times as much energy output as carbohydrates and releases energy slowly over a 3 hour period.
Bringing It Together
So when combining the pieces of the formula, we want to eat simple carbohydrates for immediate energy, complex carbohydrates for long-term energy, and fats for energy volume. There are several ways to achieve this. One option is a bagel with honey and peanut butter. Another option is two bananas with peanut butter and oatmeal or granola. Or an apple with peanut butter and oatmeal. There are lots of options and variations. Aside from peanut butter, any other form of nuts can satisfy the fat component. Keep in mind the timing of your meals so that you can replenish with more food and keep your energy maintained. Simple carbohydrates are best right after weigh-ins and 15 to 30 minutes before matches. Complex carbohydrates will likely need replenished every 3 to 6 hours, and fats will need replenished every 3 hours. Eating in this way will help you maintain a high energy level and perform at your best.
On a final note, be sure to stay hydrated throughout the day with low carbohydrate drinks or water. Protein will help your body recover throughout the day and should be periodically digested in moderate volumes.
If you have any questions about how to eat after weigh-ins for tournaments or would like help developing a plan, send me a message or email me at mmiller@championforlifetraining.com!
