There are many ways that athletes in all sports try to gain an edge over their opponents or just improve their performance in general. This can range from wrestlers spitting in cups and not eating to people taking things such as Jacked or Speed Xtreme to get an illegal advantage.
Wrestling is a sport that involves many things outside of the matches and practices that are used to gain an advantage.
“A lot of people don’t understand why a wrestler does what they do. I cut a lot of weight like other guys on the team,” said junior wrestler Tanner Collins. “Some days we go without eating or drinking at all. After weigh-ins, we hydrate and eat a little something to give us some energy before we wrestle.”
“I watched a lot of film in my free time,” said senior football player Sain Mathew. “It helps a lot to study the teams before you play them and see what they tend to do in certain situations. You can honestly never watch too much film.”
Some sports have more things that the athletes can do to prepare than others. Sports like wrestling require the athlete to do a lot more outside of practice than a sport like volleyball, where most of the work is done in organized practices.
Some athletes take supplements such as Jacked and Speed Xtreme to gain an edge. These are normally powders that you mIix with water and drink.
It is against the rules to take these substances, but they are still prevalent in some sports. It can be harmful to those who decide to ingest these things. They cause the heart rate to elevate by a large amount, and when this is paired with a sport that requires the athletes to push themselves to the limit, heart problems can appear.
People will always strive to find more ways to gain an edge over their opponents, no matter the sport. This can range from legal and healthy ways to unhealthy habits and things that are completely against the rules.