Best Food For Optimal Martial Arts Performance
Does your energy seem to fade when you need it most? Well, to have stamina like Ferguson, Poirier, and Khalib, besides training, you need to optimize your energy. These foods will help supercharge your body and prevent you hitting the wall.
First, you have to be careful of those energy drinks. They give you that instant pump, but they fade away quickly. And when they fade, you don’t just go back to normal. And that is not good going into the second or third round. So, understand food is the fuel needed for sustainable energy. Sustainability is the name of the game. Learn how to energize sustainability, rather than just energize. Know the best foods you need to eat to optimize your performance. Because, not all foods are created equal.
1. Water
Water is essential for hydration. Water is so basic, yet it is the most critical and often forgotten to drink. When your body is dehydrated, it is difficult to train. Visualize it; when your car radiator has no water, it overheats and stops. Your body is the same. Without water and hydration, you will diminish your training and performance, allowing your opponent to toss you around like a rag doll or pound you like a piece of meat.
Drinking water will keep you hydrated and your body functioning to prevent fatigue and enhance your energy.
Alternative- Gatorade
2. Eggs
You can eat eggs how you want, but try to avoid the butter and the oils used to cook eggs. That’s the stuff that turns your energy into slow dripping molasses. Scrambled or boiled eggs are best! What is excellent about eggs is that you can eat them about an hour before your training because they are easily digested within an hour. Protein is important to have before training, and the timing as well. Eggs are loaded with amino acids, protein, leucine, iron, and zinc. Now, understand, that eggs are not used for energy. They prevent your muscles from breaking down too much during your training.
That is why carbs are essential with eggs and what optimizes your energy. If there is a hole in the gas tank, you lose fuel. Same as the body, if the muscles are not functioning well, you lose energy.
Alternative- Whey protein powder
3. Bananas
Bananas are a perfect source of simple and complex carbs. Simple carbs are essential at the beginning of training. And as they wear off, you have the complex carbs kicking on. Bananas are great before, during (of course not while you are fighting, LOL), and after your training. There is about 300-320 grams of potassium in one banana. And potassium is essential for your cells and muscles to function correctly. Much of your Potassium is lost through sweating.
Alternative- Avocado or Mango
4. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are another simple and complex carbohydrate, mostly complex, that have a slower sustained energy release over time. However, sweet potatoes have a lot of fiber, making you less hungry and feel full. So, instead of trying to lean in and find that sweet stop on the scale to make you lighter, eat the sweet potatoes to make you full and eat less. They are loaded with vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium. Everything you need to get you into the more prolonged bouts of training and matches. If you want your muscles to adapt to training longer and harder, you need the sustainable energy to do it. Or else, it is like trying to drive your car without gas, well, I should say, strain to push it.
Alternative- Pumpkin or Squash
5. Nuts
Nuts are a great after-training snack. They replace energy quickly, and you only need to eat a few handfuls when driving your car home from training. So, instead of stopping at Burger King, which will trash your energy and recovery, keep a bag of nuts them in your car. Nuts have a ton of fiber, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and sodium—everything you need to rebuild cells and muscles and replace energy.
Alternative- Pumpkin seeds
6. Chia Seeds
Chia is another excellent and easily digested nutrient to optimize your performance. First, it stabilizes your blood sugar. And, from sweating a lot, which I knew you all do, will help replace and stabilize potassium and magnesium lost from sweating. Chia’s powerful benefits don’t stop there. They contain antioxidants like omega-3 and quercetin that keep your immune system strong. And, they have about 5-7 grams of fiber. Chia is great! You can put them on your eggs or sweet potato, drink them in your water, eat them with your banana, or combine them with nuts. There is no excuse not to use them nor like them. There is no taste. Just condensed power.
Alternative- Flax or hemp seeds
Learn More
Learn to boost your energy. Don’t fall into the fatigue factor from training hard. You can train hard; however, energy is needed to train and prepare your body to function better, longer, and more demanding. Again, do you want to drive your car or push it?
