Would you like to be able to train at full intensity and perform well as a martial artist? Then it is important to eat well too. This does not mean simply eating a lot, but consuming the right nutrients at the right times.
This is important so that you have enough energy available during your boxing, kickboxing, MMA, Muay Thai, taekwondo or karate classes, etc. It is also essential for your body’s recovery, the development of your muscles, and achieving the right weight for a competition (in proportion to an optimal body-fat percentage). But how do you know whether you are consuming the right nutrients at the right times?
To arrange this as effectively as possible, an individual plan must be created for each person, tailored to that person’s DNA and circumstances. This means that a DNA test must first be carried out. Then, based on this information and the athlete’s physical and mental circumstances, a specialized sports dietitian prepares an analysis in order to create a suitable nutrition plan for the athlete. For most athletes, this is going too far.
First, it costs a lot of money to have this done (the athlete’s performance would therefore have to be highly profitable). Second, most athletes cannot realistically follow such a nutrition plan when they also have a job, etc. alongside their sport. It requires a great deal of discipline and time. Fortunately, there are also several nutritional guidelines that work for every martial artist. These guidelines are easy to follow, provided you have the discipline.
Nutritional guidelines for martial artists
Martial artists need to be fast and strong, which is why they generally have more muscle tissue than other people. People with more muscle tissue use more energy than average (even at rest). If you train intensively for more than 5 to 6 hours per week, it is advisable to follow the nutrition plan below.
1: Eat complete meals
Eat 4 complete meals a day, with about 3 hours between each meal. For example, the first at 8:00 a.m., then at 11:00 a.m., followed by 2:00 p.m., and the last at 5:00 p.m. Make sure that you do not eat an extensive meal less than 2 to 3 hours before your boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, MMA, taekwondo or karate training session or competition. Exercising on a full stomach causes complications.
But what should such a complete meal contain?
- Slow carbohydrates.Choose products such as whole-wheat bread, grains, potatoes, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and legumes, rather than sugar. These carbohydrates can be stored in the body as glycogen (which you use as an energy source during exercise without your performance suffering, unlike when you burn fat or body proteins during exercise). They also contain B vitamins and important minerals such as iron, magnesium, chromium and zinc.
- Complete proteins.These are proteins that contain sufficient (essential) amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of body cells, including muscle tissue, bones and blood. They are also building blocks for antibodies and hormones, etc. You must obtain essential amino acids directly from food. The body cannot produce these amino acids itself from other building blocks, but it needs them. You can obtain these complete proteins, including sufficient essential amino acids, by eating the following products: meat, fish, poultry (such as chicken), milk and dairy products, cheese and eggs. There are also plant-based products that contain complete proteins, such as bread, nuts, beans, lentils and soy. The latter is the only plant-based product that also contains essential amino acids.
- Polyunsaturated fats.We are generally better off using carbohydrates as fuel instead of fats, because excess fat is stored as body fat. Note: Excess carbohydrates and sugar can also be stored as body fat, but the glycogen stores are replenished first, and these are the stores you need for energy during exercise. But why do we eat fats at all? There is a difference between saturated fats (which mainly have harmful properties for the body) and unsaturated fats. These fats have properties that promote the body’s metabolic processes. Fats also often carry minerals and trace elements (vitamins) that are important for the body. Essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid and linolenic acid from vegetable oils such as flaxseed, soybean, sunflower and corn oil, as well as from margarine, low-fat margarine and oily fish, are particularly important for your body. Eat fat in moderation and choose foods containing polyunsaturated fats and essential fatty acids. For example, you can spread margarine or low-fat margarine on your bread, dress your salad with a dressing containing one of the vegetable oils mentioned above, eat nuts and seeds, or eat oily fish (salmon, herring, eel, mackerel, trout, etc.).
- Vegetables and fruit.Eat 1 piece of fruit or one serving spoonful of vegetables with every meal.
- Variety and sufficient nutritional value.Make sure you get all the nutrients listed above with every meal. However, vary the products you use. Each product contains different minerals and trace elements that you need. By eating a varied diet, you obtain all the necessary nutrients instead of repeatedly consuming the same vitamins, minerals and trace elements. There are many different types, and your body needs all of them. A deficiency can lead to health problems, but too much can also cause problems. So have a piece of fruit with one meal and a serving spoonful of vegetables with another, and vary the type of fruit or vegetables you choose. The color of vegetables and fruit also says something about the nutrients they contain. Eat green vegetables one time, red vegetables the next, and white vegetables another time, etc. This helps ensure that you are eating a varied diet. Also choose a different product each time to provide your slow carbohydrates, complete proteins and unsaturated fats.
- Make sure you do not eat too much, but eat as much as you need. Do not eat snacks between these meals unless you notice that your body needs them. If so, consciously choose healthy snacks.
2: Drink enough
Drink 2 dl (= one glass) of water every hour. Water is very important for your body (which consists of 60% water); it transports nutrients and waste products and also regulates body temperature. For good athletic performance, fluid balance must be maintained before, during and after exercise. Metabolism is negatively affected and performance decreases with fluid loss of just 1% of body weight. If you only start drinking when you are thirsty, you are already too late. Thirst occurs at a fluid loss of 2% of body weight.
To ensure that your fluid level remains adequate during exercise, it is advisable to drink somewhat more water before training or a competition. Not too much, because that is unhealthy and can even be fatal (water intoxication; the osmotic value of your blood becomes too low).
Do not drink a lot of water immediately before your boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, MMA, taekwondo or karate training session or competition, as this will cause your stomach to slosh unpleasantly. Also try to keep drinking during training. Normally, you need 1 liter of water during one hour of practicing martial arts. This is not always possible, and it is also good for your body to get used to competing with a reduced fluid level. For martial artists who also compete in boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai or MMA, etc., the advice is therefore: 0.5 liters of water for 1 to 1.5 hours of training. But make sure to raise your fluid level before training!
3: Replenish your amino acids
After training, it is often necessary to replenish the amino acids in your body. This is particularly important for the recovery of muscle tissue and other body tissue that has been damaged by absorbing impacts. It is also important for building new muscle tissue. Before consuming these amino acids, you should first consume carbohydrate-rich food. This could be fruit, for example, or other fast carbohydrates (fast carbohydrates can be quickly absorbed into the blood, after which they can immediately serve as energy). If you do not do this, your body will burn the amino acids as fuel to restore your energy level. As a result, these valuable amino acids can no longer be used as building blocks.
Are you trying to reduce your body-fat percentage? Then you should not consume any nutrients for at least one hour after training. During the first hour, you may only drink water. This is because after interval training (which is what boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, MMA, taekwondo or karate training sessions and competitions are), your body continues burning body fat to restore your energy level. If you eat or drink a beverage containing nutrients at this point, your body will burn these new nutrients instead (the body has easier access to them at that moment, making them easier to convert into energy than body fat) and will therefore stop burning body fat.
Guidelines for a healthy lifestyle
To perform well as a boxer, kickboxer, taekwondo practitioner, karate practitioner, Muay Thai or MMA fighter, your lifestyle is just as important as your nutrition. Below are several tips for a healthy lifestyle for athletes:
- Do not smoke and do not use drugs or doping.
- Sleep at least 8 hours per night and do not go to bed too late. Elite athletes should also get rest during the day.
- Do not drink too much alcohol. Consuming more than two glasses in one day is already harmful to your body. If you drink no more than 2 glasses of beer or wine per day, doing so once a week is not harmful. Do not drink alcohol while preparing for a competition.
- Use sugar and saturated fats sparingly. And limit yourself to a healthy snack when you feel hungry between meals. You may have an unhealthy snack a few times per week (unless you are close to a competition). Like a small amount of alcohol, this contributes to a positive mood.
Sports nutrition and supplements
Following the nutritional guidelines and healthy-lifestyle guidelines above requires a great deal of discipline. If you do not have that discipline and can only follow the guidelines for a short period, then there is actually no point in using sports nutrition or supplements. Your basic diet and lifestyle determine 80% of the success you can achieve through nutrition. You could optimize the remaining 20% by using suitable sports nutrition and supplements. What would be best for you to use is another matter and also highly personal. First, however, it is important to follow the guidelines above consistently so that the first 80% is optimal. Only once you can consistently maintain that 80% at an optimal level does it make sense to use sports nutrition and supplements. So first make sure you follow the guidelines to become a healthy and physically strong martial artist, and only then learn more about sports nutrition.
For more information about healthy nutrition, visit:http://www.voedingscentrum.nl/ Some information about nutrients has also been verified on this site to prevent errors.
