While fight training, conditioning and cardiovascular exercises are all essential parts of an MMA fitness plan, that's not the whole picture. A good fighter also needs to focus on nutritional needs and create a balanced diet that provides enough energy to endure not only the tough workouts that are required, but also to withstand rigors of actual fighting.
No diet plan is one size fits all, and your nutritional needs can be drastically different from another person's needs. That said, there are certain foods that lack nutritional value for all people and these are the types of foods that should be avoided by everyone, especially when training for a fight. This includes just about every type of fast food as well as most drinks, from soda to juice drinks to energy drinks. Fresh, whole foods are always the best choice, especially if you are training, so avoid junk and processed pre-packaged foods as much as possible.
When you are shopping for foods, search for food that is in its original form with nothing added, but if you do buy something packaged, check the ingredient list. If it contains more than three or four ingredients and it contains ingredients that you cannot even pronounce, put it back on the shelf. Many pro fighters have talked about how they have eliminated most processed foods from their diet, and most pay strict attention to what they eat. When it comes to supplements, always research the ingredients before taking anything. Not only are some ingredients banned by fight organizations, some also just not good for you in general.
While eating healthy foods is essential, the type of diet you choose is less important, so consider selecting a type of diet that you enjoy. There are successful MMA fighters that follow the "caveman" diet, as well as MMA fighters who are vegan or vegetarian. The caveman or paleo diet is based upon the idea that we should eat foods that the earliest people ate such as meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. Practitioners of this diet, such as Stephen Meeks and Frank Mir, typically avoid dairy as well as grains and any foods that are processed.
On the other hand, fighters such as Mac Danzig, Nick Diaz and Jake Shields avoid meat and eat foods that are either vegetarian or vegan. This can be healthy for fighters as well, provided you eat enough protein each day. For vegans, this means eating legumes, beans, grains such as quinoa and protein-rich vegetables. Foods made from tofu or soy as well as seiten and tempeh also can be included, as well as nut products. Vegetarians can eat all of this as well as dairy and eggs, both good sources of protein.
Some fighters not only follow a specific type of diet plan, they eat the same foods every day, especially right before a fight. Of course, you don't have to restrict yourself to any one specific type of diet plan and you don't have to eat the same thing every day. You can eat paleo one day and go vegan the next. Everything just needs to be in a positive balance of protein, healthy carbohydrates and healthy fats. If you cut out all junk food and stick with healthy food and drink plenty of water, your body will work well. The amount of food you need depends on the amount of calories you burn in a day or week, so talk to a nutritionist or trainer about how much of these healthy foods you need to maintain the right weight for your body.
No diet plan is one size fits all, and your nutritional needs can be drastically different from another person's needs. That said, there are certain foods that lack nutritional value for all people and these are the types of foods that should be avoided by everyone, especially when training for a fight. This includes just about every type of fast food as well as most drinks, from soda to juice drinks to energy drinks. Fresh, whole foods are always the best choice, especially if you are training, so avoid junk and processed pre-packaged foods as much as possible.
When you are shopping for foods, search for food that is in its original form with nothing added, but if you do buy something packaged, check the ingredient list. If it contains more than three or four ingredients and it contains ingredients that you cannot even pronounce, put it back on the shelf. Many pro fighters have talked about how they have eliminated most processed foods from their diet, and most pay strict attention to what they eat. When it comes to supplements, always research the ingredients before taking anything. Not only are some ingredients banned by fight organizations, some also just not good for you in general.
While eating healthy foods is essential, the type of diet you choose is less important, so consider selecting a type of diet that you enjoy. There are successful MMA fighters that follow the "caveman" diet, as well as MMA fighters who are vegan or vegetarian. The caveman or paleo diet is based upon the idea that we should eat foods that the earliest people ate such as meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. Practitioners of this diet, such as Stephen Meeks and Frank Mir, typically avoid dairy as well as grains and any foods that are processed.
On the other hand, fighters such as Mac Danzig, Nick Diaz and Jake Shields avoid meat and eat foods that are either vegetarian or vegan. This can be healthy for fighters as well, provided you eat enough protein each day. For vegans, this means eating legumes, beans, grains such as quinoa and protein-rich vegetables. Foods made from tofu or soy as well as seiten and tempeh also can be included, as well as nut products. Vegetarians can eat all of this as well as dairy and eggs, both good sources of protein.
Some fighters not only follow a specific type of diet plan, they eat the same foods every day, especially right before a fight. Of course, you don't have to restrict yourself to any one specific type of diet plan and you don't have to eat the same thing every day. You can eat paleo one day and go vegan the next. Everything just needs to be in a positive balance of protein, healthy carbohydrates and healthy fats. If you cut out all junk food and stick with healthy food and drink plenty of water, your body will work well. The amount of food you need depends on the amount of calories you burn in a day or week, so talk to a nutritionist or trainer about how much of these healthy foods you need to maintain the right weight for your body.
About the Author:
Rod Bourgoine loves blogging about mixed martial arts benefits. To get more details about San Diego MMA classes or to find San Diego jiu jitsu lessons, check out The Arena MMA website today.
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