Martial Arts Nutrition

Martial arts can be a demanding sport which requires a combination of speed, agility and pure strength. Muscle mass and strength is vitally important to a martial artist but they must also be lean and agile. Coming up with a perfect nutrition plan for martial arts is no easy task because the sport demands so many things from an athlete. This article will try and explain the basics of martial arts nutrition and how you can apply it to produce better results. The martial artist must have muscle mass but not too much bulk, stamina and endurance as well as being agile and strong. A marital artist that wants to be at the top of their game needs to work hard on getting a perfect nutrition plan to help them stay strong and also help them recover from the physical stresses place on the body.

The first think I would suggest to an athlete when it comes to martial arts is that, like a bodybuilder, they must make sure they take in enough protein to allow for muscle growth and repair. In order to gain muscle mass you have to consume more calories than you burn off and there is simply no way around this. The danger here is that it is easy to add too much body fat when doing a bulking up cycle and subsequently you need to think much like a body builder would, making sure that you only eat food that is nutritious and loaded with protein in order to minimize body fat gain. This basically means that if you are going to be in top shape, with muscle mass and low body fat, you are going to need to eat a very clean and healthy diet. In order to do this a martial artist must think of food as fuel for the body and cut out all refined sugars, alcohol and junk food. The better your diet, the leaner and stronger you will be. I have referenced bodybuilding a few times here simply because bodybuilders are better than anyone at getting big and strong but keeping their body fat extremely low and so in many ways the diet of a martial artist should be very similar to that of a natural bodybuilder, full of good carbohydrates, lean protein vegetables and healthy fats. There is nothing particularly complicated about good nutrition but I will go over the basics of what a good diet would look like for a martial artist.

Nutrition Basics

In order to maintain your muscle mass, stay strong and keep your metabolism running, you need to eat between six and eight small protein rich meals spaced out every two to three hours throughout the day.

You need to make sure you consume protein at every meal

Only eat complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, oatmeal and vegetables.

Make sure you consume about two or three litres of pure water each day to stay hydrated

Focus on eating healthy fats from nuts, olive oil and flaxseed oil.

These basic tips should give you a good starting point for your martial arts nutrition program. In the next section I will be listing all the foods you should be eating in order to compete at your best. If you eat more calories than you burn off then you will notice that your strength and size goes up but if you are trying to compete in a certain weight class you may find yourself dieting to cut down you body fat. The best idea is to train in cycles bulking up and increasing your strength for a few months and then focusing on dieting down but preserving your muscle mass for the next few months. It is impossible for a natural athlete to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time so you will need to think in terms of cycling your goals.

The Best Foods For Martial Arts

The following foods should be the main focus of your diet if you are looking to become a better martial artist. Nutrition is as important as your time in the gym or working on fitness. Without a good grasp of nutrition, you will never reach your potential as a martial artist.

Protein

Steak
Eggs
Chicken Breast
Whey Protein
Salmon
Low fat Cottage Cheese
Tuna

Carbohydrates

Oatmeal
Brown Rice
Wholemeal Pasta
Broccoli
Spinach

Fats

Olive Oil
Almonds
Flaxseed Oil
Fish

When you are competing in a fight, you will need to take in a lot of carbohydrate in order to provide you with the energy you will need so do not be afraid to eat more food before and after a fight. It will help you stay focused and can also help you recover much faster.

I hope this article will help you have a better understanding of marital arts nutrition. A good martial arts nutrition regime will really improve your performance dramatically both in the gym and in the ring. Always remember that if you eat junk then you will become junk. A good clean diet will make you faster, stronger, healthier and less prone to injury.