The following are some ideas on what to bring to tournaments so that the wrestler has good fuel for the matches throughout the day.
After Weigh-ins: As soon as the wrestlers step off the scale, they should immediately rehydrate their bodies with water, Gatorade, Power Aid, Pedialite, etc. We don't want wrestlers not eating for days to make weight - not healthy and not good for performance. If a wrestler needs to cut a few pounds to make weight, it should be done through cutting calories and exercising to lose water weight on that last night or few hours before weigh-ins. So they need to be rehydrated immediately after they weigh-in.
First meal after weigh-ins: After the wrestler gets some fluids back in their body, they should concentrate on eating carbohydrate type foods that are light and digest easily. Things usually eaten are bagels, fruits, yogurts. Don't use cream cheese on the bagels, things like honey or jam are much better. Remember, they are going to be warming up and drilling within an hour of eating, and then wrestling two hours after weigh-ins potentially, they need to get food (fuel) without needing a tremendous amount of time to digest the food. Any food in their stomachs while wrestling, takes blood away from the muscles in order to go to the stomach to help digestion.
During the tournament: In the early part of any tournament, the wrestler will usually wrestle about once every 1 - 3 hours . No one wants to eat right after hard exercise, so after a match the wrestler should rehydrate - once again, water/Gatorade type fluids. You don't want to wait too long here, but as soon as the wrestler has cooled off, they should get what I call a handful of food to continue to give fuel for their body to compete. So a single piece of fruit, a bagel, a Powerbar, Cliff Bar, etc. is great food here. Water still being the main thing. They should be eating less than they did at breakfast, but a meal similar to breakfast. Even pasta salads would be a nice food and something different, just not too much. After lunch the wrestlers matches will probably come in shorter time increments, so most of the emphasis should be on fluids and start to eat smaller bits of food so that they have time to digest it. Whereas early in the day you want to eat some food, even if their not hungry; later in the day you don't want to eat unless you are really are hungry. If you have a nervous type of wrestler who tends to get an upset stomach when eating while nervous, there is nothing wrong with liquid energy drinks. NOT Rockstar caffinated drinks, but specialized carbohydrate drinks or even powders you add to water. There are even some carbohydrate goo type products (like triathletes use) that can be squeezed into their mouths. You have to buy goo (actually GU) at running stores like Fleet Feet. Stay away from sugary drinks. The emphasis should be on water and carbohydrates, as well as easy digestion.
