Dietary Needs Of MMA Athletes

By Nolan Barias


While hitting the gym each day and diversifying your exercise routine with conditioning, Muay Thai, boxing and Jiu-Jitsu to make you a more well-rounded fighter, there are other steps you can take to improve your physical condition. A proper diet will make your body stronger and you will be able to work harder and suffer fewer injuries.

One tip that should always be remembered is that you should never skip breakfast. Providing your body with a healthy mix of foods will give you a huge burst of energy in the mornings. Consider a protein-rich egg white omelet combined with a bowl of oatmeal or a smoothie that contains a mix of fresh fruits, hemp protein and almond milk. Add a scoop of natural, organic peanut butter or nut butter for extra protein and taste.

Fighters burn a lot of calories, so eating a good amount of complex carbohydrates is imperative. This type of carb provides quick energy, but whatever energy you don't use is stored in your liver and muscles for later use. This is not true of simple carbs, such as processed white bread and sugary drinks, which provide energy that is burned very quickly and then it is gone. So that so-called "sugar crash" you sometimes feel is the energy seeping out of your body. Eat complex carbs and you won't have those crashes.

There are many options for adding healthy, complex carbs to your diet. Whole grains such as oats, wild rice, brown rice and buckwheat are high in complex carbs. If you love pasta, opt for the whole grain or whole wheat pastas and you will be making better carb choices. Apricots, plums, pears and oranges are among several fruits with complex carbohydrates. When it comes to vegetables, most of them are full of complex carbs so feel free to eat a wide variety of vegetables.

You don't have to drink protein shakes all day to get this necessary dietary component in your body. Protein helps your muscles stay strong and helps you heal faster after a tough fight. Protein is a huge part of your diet, but again, rather than just down mixed drinks, opt for food in its most natural form as much as possible. Fish and eggs are good choices, as is yogurt and other lower fat dairy options.

Athletes talk a lot about bulking up on protein, and protein is important because it keeps your body strong and aids in recovery. However, you shouldn't have protein be the majority of your diet, as everyone's body needs a balance of foods. There are many excellent sources of proteins, including eggs, low-fat yogurt and lean meats and fish. When you opt for animal products, select the highest quality meats possible. Grass-fed beef is far better for you, as the animals are fed a healthier, more natural diet with less corn and fillers.

Of course, it is only natural to want to cheat now and then, but keep those cheeseburgers and cookies few and far between. They will add nothing to your body, and the more frequently you eat healthy foods, the easier it will become to avoid the junk.




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