Nutrition for Fighters

Although there are many schools of thought as to proper nutrition for athletes and plenty of fad diets that come and go, true Mixed Martial Arts fighters understand there are certain basics essential to their craft.

It is better to eat many smaller meals throughout the days than a few larger ones. Carbohydrates are necessary sources of energy that must be replenished regularly while training. Complex carbohydrates from natural food sources such as oatmeal and fruit are ideal. Best practice is to eat them three hours in advance of a workout, unless of course you are using a quick boost energy drink during a session.

Try to eat natural foods, free of preservatives and dyes. Processed foods like white bread should be avoided at all cost in that they have very little nutritional value. Go with whole grain products instead. Sufficient protein must be eaten while training to support muscle healing and growth. While many fighters supplement their intake with protein shakes, adequate intake of lean beef, fish, and eggs, will also do the trick.

Avoid soda and other high sugar drinks and snacks. Nothing packs on unnecessary weight quicker. Drink plenty of water. Deep fried and fatty foods are a no-no for every fighter who takes his nutrition seriously. Baked and broiled items are much healthier. Watch your fat, especially saturated fats. They are killers. Don’t confuse them with essentially fatty acids found in fish. By following these few simple principles, maintaining or losing weight for a fight should require little additional effort, aside from intense fitness training.