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Wrestling Performance

Wrestling performance rests on strength, power, endurance, and technique, plus careful weight management. The evidence is strongest for creatine and caffeine, which are looked at for power, strength, and repeated high-intensity efforts, while beta-alanine has moderate support. Findings on body fat were thinner: beta-alanine showed no clear difference in 37 people, and chromium and zinc results came from very small studies.

Sources: PMID 22270875

Supplements studied
3
Graded outcomes
4
Trials
3
People studied
67

Evidence by supplement

  • Strong
  • Moderate
  • Limited
  • Very limited

3 supplements

Zinc: outcomes studied for Wrestling Performance
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Free Testosterone

Small Increase

Improves (the measure goes up)Small effect10 people
TestosteroneImproves (the measure goes up)3 studies10 people
Chromium: outcomes studied for Wrestling Performance
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Body Fat

Small Decrease

Improves (the measure goes down)Small effect20 people
WeightImproves (the measure goes down)12 studies20 people
Muscle MassImproves (the measure goes up)5 studies20 people
Muscular EnduranceImproves (the measure goes up)20 people
Power OutputImproves (the measure goes up)20 people
Beta-Alanine: outcomes studied for Wrestling Performance
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Muscle Mass

No effect

NoneNo effect3 studies37 people
Body Fat

No effect

NoneNo effect37 people
Muscular EnduranceImproves (the measure goes up)5 studies37 people
Power OutputImproves (the measure goes up)3 studies37 people

Key findings

  • Free TestosteroneZincImproves (the measure goes up)
  • Body FatChromiumImproves (the measure goes down)
  • Muscle MassBeta-Alanine

The Wrestling Performance Enhancement protocol

2 primary supplements · 3 supporting supplements

  • Creatine Monohydrate3–5 g daily (avoid excessive loading if weight-conscious)
  • Caffeine3–6 mg/kg body weight 30–60 minutes before competition

See the full protocol

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Studies cited

31 studies from PubMed

  1. Effects of resistance training and chromium picolinate on body composition and skeletal muscle in older menJ Appl Physiol, 1985 · PMID 9887110
  2. Impact of oral zinc therapy on the level of sex hormones in male patients on hemodialysisRen Fail · PMID 20446777
  3. The effect of exhaustion exercise on thyroid hormones and testosterone levels of elite athletes receiving oral zincNeuro Endocrinol Lett · PMID 16648789
  4. Effect of fatiguing bicycle exercise on thyroid hormone and testosterone levels in sedentary males supplemented with oral zincNeuro Endocrinol Lett · PMID 17984944
  5. Chromium effects on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in persons at risk for diabetes mellitusEndocr Pract · PMID 20634174
  6. Chromium picolinate supplementation for overweight or obese adultsCochrane Database Syst Rev · PMID 24293292
  7. The effects of chromium and copper supplementation on mitogen-stimulated T cell proliferation in hypercholesterolaemic postmenopausal womenClin Exp Immunol · PMID 11966762
  8. Chromium picolinate effects on body composition and muscular performance in wrestlersMed Sci Sports Exerc · PMID 9861607
  9. Effects of chromium and resistive training on muscle strength and body compositionMed Sci Sports Exerc · PMID 8775366
  10. The effect of chromium picolinate on muscular strength and body composition in women athletesJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 11710399
  11. Effects of resistive training and chromium picolinate on body composition and skeletal muscle size in older womenInt J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab · PMID 12187613
  12. The effects of inorganic chromium and brewer's yeast supplementation on glucose tolerance, serum lipids and drug dosage in individuals with type 2 diabetesSaudi Med J · PMID 11376359
  13. Beneficial effect of chromium supplementation on glucose, HbA1C and lipid variables in individuals with newly onset type-2 diabetesJ Trace Elem Med Biol · PMID 21570271
  14. Elevated intakes of supplemental chromium improve glucose and insulin variables in individuals with type 2 diabetesDiabetes · PMID 9356027
  15. Influence of chromium-enriched yeast on blood glucose and insulin variables, blood lipids, and markers of oxidative stress in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitusBiol Trace Elem Res · PMID 16632892
  16. Chromium treatment has no effect in patients with poorly controlled, insulin-treated type 2 diabetes in an obese Western population: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialDiabetes Care · PMID 16505499
  17. Role of chromium supplementation in Indians with type 2 diabetes mellitusJ Nutr Biochem · PMID 12550067
  18. Chromium supplementation shortens QTc interval duration in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitusAm Heart J · PMID 15990745
  19. Effect of resistance training with or without chromium picolinate supplementation on glucose metabolism in older men and womenMetabolism · PMID 10337851
  20. Chromium picolinate supplementation in women: effects on body weight, composition, and iron statusNutrition · PMID 17291720
  21. Short-duration beta-alanine supplementation increases training volume and reduces subjective feelings of fatigue in college football playersNutr Res · PMID 19083385
  22. Effects of β-alanine supplementation on performance and body composition in collegiate wrestlers and football playersJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 21659893
  23. Important role of muscle carnosine in rowing performanceJ Appl Physiol · PMID 20671038
  24. Six weeks of high-intensity interval training with and without beta-alanine supplementation for improving cardiovascular fitness in womenJ Strength Cond Res · PMID 20386120
  25. Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on body composition: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis.J Int Soc Sports Nutr · PMID 35813845
  26. Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on the onset of neuromuscular fatigue and ventilatory threshold in womenAmino Acids · PMID 17136505
  27. Effect of beta-alanine supplementation on the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) during treadmill running: Pre/post 2 treatment experimental designJ Int Soc Sports Nutr · PMID 20482881
  28. Beta-alanine and the hormonal response to exerciseInt J Sports Med · PMID 18548362
  29. beta-Alanine supplementation augments muscle carnosine content and attenuates fatigue during repeated isokinetic contraction bouts in trained sprintersJ Appl Physiol · PMID 17690198
  30. Effects of β-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta-analysisAmino Acids · PMID 22270875
  31. Effects of 28 days of beta-alanine and creatine monohydrate supplementation on aerobic power, ventilatory and lactate thresholds, and time to exhaustionAmino Acids · PMID 16953366