Do you want to train fully and perform well as a martial artist? Then it is important that you also eat well. This does not mean just 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. But it is also crucial for your body's recovery, muscle building, and achieving the right weight for a competition (in relation to an optimal body fat percentage). But how do you know if you are consuming the right nutrients at the right times?
To really optimize this, a personalized plan must be created for each individual, tailored to their DNA and circumstances. This requires a DNA test first. Then, a specialized sports dietitian uses this data along with the athlete’s physical and mental conditions to analyze and create a suitable nutrition plan. For most athletes, this goes too far.
Firstly, it costs a lot of money to have this done (so the athlete’s performance must be very profitable). Secondly, for most athletes, it is not feasible to stick to such a nutrition plan when you also have a job or other commitments alongside your sport. It requires a lot of discipline and time. Fortunately, there are also some nutritional guidelines that work for every martial artist. These guidelines are easy to follow, provided you have discipline.
Nutritional Guidelines for Martial Artists
Martial artists need to be fast and strong, so they generally have more muscle tissue than other people. People with more muscle tissue burn more energy than average (even at rest). If you train intensively for more than 5 to 6 hours per week, it is good to follow the nutritional plan below.
1: Consume wholesome meals
Eat 4 wholesome meals a day with about 3 hours between each meal. For example, the first at 8:00 AM, then at 11:00 AM, then 2:00 PM, and the last at 5:00 PM. Make sure not to eat a large meal less than 2 to 3 hours before your boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, MMA, Taekwondo, or karate training/competition. Training on a full stomach can cause complications.
But what should a wholesome meal contain?
- Slow carbohydrates. Choose products like whole grain bread, cereals, potatoes, (brown) rice, (whole wheat) pasta, and legumes instead of sugars. These carbohydrates can be stored in the body as glycogen (which you use as an energy source during training without performance loss, 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 for body cells, including muscle tissue, bones, and blood, as well as antibodies and hormones. Essential amino acids must be obtained directly from food because the body cannot produce them from other substances, but it needs them urgently. You can get these complete proteins with enough essential amino acids by eating: meat, fish, poultry (like chicken), dairy products, cheese, and eggs. There are also plant-based products that contain complete proteins, such as bread, nuts, beans, lentils, and soy. Soy is the only plant-based product that also contains essential amino acids.
- Polyunsaturated fats. Instead of fats, it is best to use carbohydrates as fuel because excess fats are stored as body fat. Note: Excess carbohydrates/sugars can also be stored as body fat, but first, glycogen stores will be replenished, which you need for energy during exercise. So why do we eat fats? There is a difference between saturated fats (which mainly have negative effects on the body) and unsaturated fats. These fats promote the body's metabolic processes. Fats are also carriers of minerals and trace elements (vitamins) important for the body. Especially essential fatty acids like linoleic and linolenic acid from plant oils such as flaxseed, soy, sunflower, and corn oil, as well as margarine, low-fat spreads, and fatty fish, are important for your body. Eat fats in moderation and choose foods with polyunsaturated fats and essential fatty acids. For example, spread margarine or low-fat spread on your bread, dress your salad with a dressing containing one of the above plant oils, eat nuts and seeds, or eat fatty fish (salmon, herring, eel, mackerel, trout, etc.).
- Vegetables and fruit. Eat one piece of fruit or a serving spoon of vegetables with every meal.
- Variety and sufficient nutritional value. Make sure you get all the above nutrients in every meal. But vary the products you use. Each product contains different minerals and trace elements you need. By varying a lot, you get all the necessary nutrients and not always the same vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. There are many different types, and your body needs them all. A deficiency can lead to health problems, but too much can also cause issues. So, have a piece of fruit with one meal and a serving spoon of vegetables with another, and vary the types of fruit or vegetables you choose. The color of the vegetables and fruit also indicates the nutrients they contain. So eat green vegetables one time, red the next, then white, etc. This way, you ensure good variety. Also, choose different products to supply you with slow carbohydrates, complete proteins, and unsaturated fats.
- Be careful not to eat too much, but eat as much as you need. Besides these meals, avoid snacks unless your body signals that you need them. Then consciously choose healthy snacks.
2: Drink enough
Drink 200 ml (= one glass) of water every hour. Water is very important for your body (which consists of 60% water), it is a transport medium for nutrients and waste products and also regulates body temperature. For good sports performance, fluid balance must be maintained before, during, and after exercise. Even a 1% loss of body weight in fluids negatively affects metabolism and reduces performance. If you only drink when you feel thirsty, it is already too late. Thirst occurs at a 2% fluid loss of your body weight.
To ensure your hydration level stays up during exercise, it is good to drink some extra water before training or competition. Not too much, as that is unhealthy and can even be fatal (water intoxication; the osmotic value in your blood is too low).
Do not drink a lot of water right before your boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, MMA, Taekwondo, or karate training/competition, as it will cause your stomach to slosh unpleasantly. Try to keep drinking during training as well. Normally, you need about 1 liter of water during one hour of martial arts practice. This is not always possible, and it is also good for your body to get used to competing with a slightly reduced hydration level. For martial artists who also compete in boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, or MMA, the advice is: 0.5 liters of water for 1 to 1.5 hours of training. But make sure to raise your hydration level before training!
3: Replenish your amino acids
After training, it is often necessary to replenish the amino acids in your body. This is especially important for the recovery of muscle tissue and other body tissues damaged during impact. But also for building new muscle tissue. Before taking these amino acids, you should first consume carbohydrate-rich food. This can be fruit or other fast carbohydrates (fast carbohydrates are quickly absorbed into the blood and can immediately serve as energy). If you don’t do this, your body will burn the amino acids as fuel to restore your energy levels. These valuable amino acids can then no longer be used as building blocks.
If your goal is to reduce your body fat percentage, you should not consume nutrients for at least an hour after training. During the first hour, only drink water. This is because your body continues to burn body fat after interval workouts (such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, MMA, Taekwondo, or karate training or competitions) to restore your energy levels. If you eat or drink nutrient-rich products now, your body will burn these new nutrients (which are easier to convert into energy than body fat) and stop burning body fat.
Guidelines for a Healthy Lifestyle
To perform well as a boxer, kickboxer, taekwondoka, karateka, Muay Thai, or MMA fighter, not only your nutrition but also your lifestyle is important. Here are some tips for a healthy lifestyle for athletes:
- Do not smoke or use drugs or doping.
- Sleep at least 8 hours per night and don’t go to bed too late. Top athletes should also rest during the day.
- Do not drink too much alcohol. Consuming more than two drinks in one day is already harmful to your body. Drinking no more than 2 glasses of beer or wine per day is not harmful if done once a week. Do not drink alcohol when preparing for a competition.
- Be sparing with sugars and saturated fats. Limit yourself to healthy snacks when you feel hungry outside of meals. A few times a week, you may have an unhealthy snack (unless you are close to a competition). This, like a small amount of alcohol, contributes to a positive mood.
Sports Nutrition and Supplements
Following the above nutritional guidelines and healthy lifestyle tips requires a lot of discipline. If you don’t have this and can only follow the guidelines for a short period, it is actually pointless to use sports nutrition or supplements. Your basic diet and lifestyle determine 80% of the success you can achieve through nutrition. The remaining 20% can be optimized by using appropriate sports nutrition and supplements. What you should use then is a separate story and very personal. But first, it is important to consistently follow the above guidelines so that the first 80% is optimal. If you can maintain that 80% consistently, then it makes sense to use sports nutrition and supplements. So first, follow the guidelines to become a healthy and physically strong martial artist, and then delve into 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 avoid errors.