Pound for Pound, Champion Wrestlers Weigh In on Eating

Three state champion wrestlers at Cary High School fight the stereotype that they starve themselves for days at a time. Well, at least two of them do. Heavyweight Eloheim Palma has a luxury few in his sport have. "I have to eat, because if I don't, I'll be dropping pounds like crazy," says Palma, who is about 260 pounds, 25 under the limit of his weight class. Even though Gabe Brotzman (152-pound champ) and Ben Creed (103) are rarely on the see-food diet, they, too, understand the importance of nutrition. Wrestlers burn plenty of calories, sometimes 1,200 per workout, so fuel is a necessity, even when they have to keep an eye on the scale for weekly weigh-ins. "You definitely have to have nutrition or you won't be able to do anything," says Brotzman, who is bound for Brown University in the fall. "I'd say wrestlers are among the healthiest eaters. You can't afford to eat anything that's fatty or junk food, because that will weigh you down. What you need is complete energy." Disciplined eating, not crash dieting or purposeful dehydration, is the key for this threesome of Imps. They have learned what their body responds to, how to keep their weight or cut back when necessary. When wrestling is over, they're more likely to be intelligent eaters as adults. Palma's key is fuel, plenty of it. Even though his high school career ended more than a month ago, he's still training - Palma is ranked No. 1 in the nation at heavyweight and is still choosing from a host of college offers - and fears that losing too much weight will limit his effectiveness. "You may look at me and say I eat a lot, but actually I need to eat more," he said. "I work my body pretty hard." Brotzman, part of Cary's dynastic run through the 4A wrestling ranks, realized early in his career that the key was getting his day started right. That meant a big, nutritious breakfast. "The one thing I always did, and still do, is every morning I would eat breakfast," he said. "Usually, it would be a big breakfast. Even if I knew I was over (the desired) weight, I would still eat it. That's energy that I need." Brotzman would eat his mom's fruit muffins and oatmeal pancakes and sometimes a large bowl of Raisin Bran. He admits he skipped a few lunches, but only when he knew he had the calories from breakfast to last all day. Creed had the toughest time, because he was in between weight classes. He won the state title at 103 pounds as a freshman in 2008 and was about 108 pounds during the early part of his sophomore season. He got down to the necessary weight, but he says he did it the smart way, forgoing sodas and junk food and having small lunches on his own - away from the cafeteria. "In the media, they always talk about how there's all these obese kids," Creed said. "Nobody should be eating a sloppy joe or a cheeseburger every day for lunch. Me not being able to eat that might actually be a good thing." Bobby Shriner, the longtime coach at Orange High in Hillsborough, agrees that cafeteria food should be avoided by wrestlers - and probably the rest of the population. "We're fat people in America; a little diet wouldn't hurt," he said. Shriner wants his wrestlers to eat three meals a day, the examples being oatmeal for breakfast, a turkey sandwich and fruit for lunch and lean meat and vegetables for dinner. Instead of combo No. 5 at the local burger joint, which by definition includes a sugary drink and loads of starch and fat in a burger and fries, water and fresh food should be staples of the diet. Sometimes, family circumstances make it difficult for wrestlers to eat right; fast food is not only convenient but also cheap. Sometimes, education is what's needed. For example, Shriner stresses wheat bread over white, a minor point often lost on kids, especially those who grew up not knowing any better. Shriner and Cary coach Jerry Winterton agree that the N.C. High School Athletic Association's regulations make it hard for a wrestler to go to extreme circumstances to make a certain weight. "With the weight restrictions, it's not a problem," Shriner said. "You can only lose a certain amount of weight each week." NCHSAA guidelines allow for a 1.5 percent decrease each week. For example, say an athlete who just finished football season shows up for wrestling practice Dec. 1, weighing 220 pounds. If he wants to compete in the 215-pound class, he has to wait at least two weeks, for his weight to decrease 3.3 pounds the first week (1.5 percent of 220) and then 3.25 pounds the next week (1.5 percent of 216.7). Shriner thinks at the higher weight classes, a higher percentage of weight loss should be allowed, but he understands the reasons behind the guidelines. He also says it's vital for coaches to be involved. "You have to check in with your guys and make sure they're doing the right stuff," Shriner said. The NCHSAA requires each coach follow national guidelines for measuring the weight and body fat percentage of each wrestler. Yes, it's a fact of the sport that someone like Creed might elect to eat a banana and take a nap instead of joining his friends in the cafeteria on taco day, but the habits these athletes pick up - learning about proteins, complex carbohydrates and the like - will stick with them. And by forming good in-season habits, wrestlers know how to fuel up for the short run, say a weekend invitational. They have discipline, they have a routine, and they have go-to food. After a morning weigh-in at a tournament, Creed will immediately eat a banana. "It's so I don't cramp up during my match; the potassium is really good for that," he said. "Then I take a bottle of water and put in a packet of Crystal Light. I eat a plain bagel with that." Brotzman will have Gatorade immediately, followed by fruit, such as a pear, and an everything bagel. As he gets close to match time, he'll have a Power Bar. "It gives me a little boost," he said. Palma likes canned fruit, the kind your mom might have put in your lunch box. And he likes salad: plain salad, from McDonald's, but plenty of it: "I'll get maybe five of them." Nope, that's not exactly the stereotype of the starving wrestler.