There are countless examples of successful athletes who have elevated their performance by changing their bodies. Usually, the change involves shedding excess body fat, and perhaps a bit of excess muscle. From training and fueling their bodies, and following proper diet and exercise plans, to understanding the benefits of proper body composition, it is important for athletes to manage their weight in order to perform at their very best.

When a wrestler reaches his optimum weight, he has the potential to experience his peak performance. In wrestling, reaching optimum body weight is extremely important. “The problem is that an apparent inability to reach optimal performance weight prevents some athletes from achieving peak fitness”( Fitzgerald 23). In order for an athlete to compete at his or her best, his or her body must be in peak condition. Reaching a body’s peak condition often involves sculpting its composition. Top athletes often strive to reduce their body fat percentage to little or no body fat. “What’s more, any excess body fat beyond the essential level required for basic health worsens endurance performance”( Fitzgerald 19). Excess body fat does not provide an athlete with any advantages. For that reason, if an athlete wants to reach peak performance, he needs to shed excess body fat. Optimal body weight plays a huge role in the challenge a wrestler faces when he wishes to reach his peak performance.

Not only are top athletes quite lean, but they also know exactly how their bodies work. Many athletes recognize the importance of prime body composition. “Therefore, as you train and fuel your body towards peak performance, your body adjusts its mass (and composition) to accommodate the demands you are making on it”( Fitzgerald 22). Top athletes sculpt their bodies through nutrition and the ways they train. Different sports require different body structures. It is important to put on muscle in certain spots and even shed some muscle in the proper places. Many athletes also understand some of the major benefits of having little to no body fat. “Also, as body-fat levels go down, aerobic capacity goes up, because muscle has less competition from fat tissue for oxygen and fuel”(Davis). Due to the fact that fat tissue competes against muscle tissue for necessities like oxygen and fuel, body fat places strain on an athlete’s body, therefore hindering the performance of an athlete. Top athletes know exactly how their bodies work and what will help them reach their goal of peak fitness.

A proper diet and exercise plan becomes a wrestler’s most useful tool when it comes to managing one’s optimal weight. Food intake is an important part of reaching optimal weight. “As a result, food intake is insufficient to replace all of the body fat lost during and between workouts, and athletes become leaner”(Fitzgerald 19). It is simple. To reach optimal body weight, athletes have to consume fewer calories and carbohydrates than they burn. As a result, they will lower their body fat percentages, and they will become leaner. What a wrestler puts into his body is very important. “A proper diet will help wrestlers lose fat weight without sacrificing muscle tissue or becoming dehydrated”( Landry). A proper diet is crucial. If a wrestler follows a proper diet, he will lose fat weight without sacrificing muscle. A proper diet will offer a wrestler countless advantages.

There have been several examples of successful athletes who have risen to the top of the sport of wrestling by perfecting the different aspects of the sport. One of the major aspects is realizing the importance of weight management. Top athletes take great pride in changing the composition of their bodies. This change often involves shedding excess body fat and perhaps a bit of excess muscle. The advantages of weight management allow a wrestler to succeed and excel in the sport of wrestling.