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Letters to the Editor
"Keeping Up Energy at Long
Tournaments?"
Bill,
You've been around the game a long time and I'm still
fairly new to all this. My son Jake has a heck of a
time with matches later in the day. He's usually
nervous and doesn't eat/drink well, although he's
getting a bit better. Might I ask what you suggest to
try and keep the energy levels, both mental and
physical, up when you have eight or nine matches
through a 10-hour day? Is this just something they get
used to? Kids he can work over easily early in the day
can beat him if he wrestles them late in the day just
because he can't keep enough gas in the tank to
finish.
Nic Holbrook
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Editor's Response
The thing that seems to work best with my
kids is protein. Sugar can give them a boost shortly
before a match, but the longest lasting energy is protein.
So I try to keep things like beef jerky on hand. It stays
with them, and the salt helps them a little in terms of
not getting as dehydrated. Other than that, I keep things
like fruit leather, because it’s not a lot of mass, but
has a pretty good punch, so they don’t get sick wrestling
on a stomach that’s too full. And other snacks like chips
or crackers are good for a carbohydrate punch, so they can
get some energy without a real meal. (Of course, they
always have a good breakfast before wrestling that
morning, too.)
The kids do adjust to the stress levels,
but those are some things that I try to do. When my kids
start feeling like they need more protein and I’m out of
jerky (or they’re just tired of it for the day), they come
ask if they can get a burger or a hot dog. I don’t think
that they realize that they’re asking for protein, it’s
just their bodies telling them what they need.
I hope that’s helpful. I don’t claim to
have a silver bullet. But that seems to work with my kids.
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