2008 Woodie Awards
Nutrition a vital part to success
By Brittany Cole
Rocket Contributor
Issue date: 12/2/05 Section: Sports Extra
Making weight and maintaining that weight is a wrestler's number one priority. To maintain the required weight, wrestlers must follow a healthy diet and vigorous exercise regimens. This is no different for the Slippery Rock University wrestling team.
Food and diet are a huge part of maintaining weight, and the diet is different for each athlete, SRU wrestling coach Derek DelPorto said.
These diets should be healthy, but some diets are not always done properly.
"Every diet should be healthy and nutritional, but not everyone follows a proper diet," said SRU 184-pounder, Charlie Pienaar. "Some people need to take short cuts in order to make the weight desired."
For wrestlers, the most important meal of the day is breakfast.
"Basically, we concentrate on low fat and low calorie foods," DelPorto said. "We eat our carbohydrates in the morning and afternoon and focus on muscle replenishment with the proteins at night. Throughout the day, we try and stay hydrated anticipating minor dehydration at practice time. The amounts of food will slowly decrease as the weigh-in for whatever competition we will have approaches."
Some of the more popular low fat and low calorie foods the athletes eat are fruit, water, rice, chicken and pasta.
"Not everyone really gets exactly what they need," Pienaar, a junior, said. "Breakfast is where one loads up on the carbohydrates and dinner is mostly protein, like steak and vegetables."
Sometimes it's very difficult to avoid snack foods, Pienaar said.
"It's hard to stay away from the chocolate milk, cookies, ice cream, french fries, cake, pie and even soda," Pienaar said.
Delporto agreed, but also said that sometimes it isn't bad to have a little snack.
"Once in awhile, you have to treat yourself to a snack, but you won't be catching too many wrestlers at the ice cream machine at (Wisenfluh dining hall)," Deporto said. "I hope not, anyway."
In the off-season, the diet probably is not the same for these athletes.
Food and diet are a huge part of maintaining weight, and the diet is different for each athlete, SRU wrestling coach Derek DelPorto said.
These diets should be healthy, but some diets are not always done properly.
"Every diet should be healthy and nutritional, but not everyone follows a proper diet," said SRU 184-pounder, Charlie Pienaar. "Some people need to take short cuts in order to make the weight desired."
For wrestlers, the most important meal of the day is breakfast.
"Basically, we concentrate on low fat and low calorie foods," DelPorto said. "We eat our carbohydrates in the morning and afternoon and focus on muscle replenishment with the proteins at night. Throughout the day, we try and stay hydrated anticipating minor dehydration at practice time. The amounts of food will slowly decrease as the weigh-in for whatever competition we will have approaches."
Some of the more popular low fat and low calorie foods the athletes eat are fruit, water, rice, chicken and pasta.
"Not everyone really gets exactly what they need," Pienaar, a junior, said. "Breakfast is where one loads up on the carbohydrates and dinner is mostly protein, like steak and vegetables."
Sometimes it's very difficult to avoid snack foods, Pienaar said.
"It's hard to stay away from the chocolate milk, cookies, ice cream, french fries, cake, pie and even soda," Pienaar said.
Delporto agreed, but also said that sometimes it isn't bad to have a little snack.
"Once in awhile, you have to treat yourself to a snack, but you won't be catching too many wrestlers at the ice cream machine at (Wisenfluh dining hall)," Deporto said. "I hope not, anyway."
In the off-season, the diet probably is not the same for these athletes.
