For martial artists to keep making those wonderful moves, they require a clean diet. You probably want to know what meals will keep your body fuelled. A healthy diet enables one to have strong body coordination and balance. Why is this important? You stretch a lot, and you need to perform tactical moves like kickbacks.
Owing to the numerous diet opinions on the web, it is hard to make the right decision. Our guideline looks at the right diet for a martial artist. Without wasting any more time, let’s get started.
1. Drinking lots of water for hydration
Not drinking enough water means that you will be unable to produce excellent performances. Taking plenty of water while in training is crucial because of the rapid loss of sweat. Dehydration causes muscle fatigue and poor body coordination. Doctors recommend eight glasses of water per day for standard health requirements.
However, martial artists are allowed to exceed that amount. You can drink 500ml of water an hour or two before exercise or 250ml after 30 minutes of practice. Alternatively, you can drink 250ml at an interval of 20 minutes while training and 30 minutes after training. Note that the amount of water you take depends on the temperature and the amount of physical involvement.
2. Say no to sugary foods
From cookies and pastries to burgers, sugar-loaded foods can be harmful to your health. Researchers link these foods to lifestyle diseases, nasty moods, and reduced energy. To make it even worse, sugar is addictive and controlling the amount consumed is almost impossible. If you’re always withdrawn or in a bad mood, you can develop a habit of skipping training sessions or even quit.
Keep in mind that some foods with high levels of sugar are not necessarily sweet. For instance, French fries, frozen pizza, and fried fish convert into sugar, causing high levels of blood sugar in the body. No restrictions to your cravings though, you can have a ‘cheat’ day. For healthy sugars, you can use sweet potatoes, parsnips, and yams.
3. Adopt a gluten-free diet
Grains such as wheat and corn are found in most foods that we eat. The grain is either refined or whole grain. Whole grain is the nutritious option. Consider adopting a gluten-free diet to prevent eating foods such as bread and pasta cereals.
You must be wondering what gluten has to do with martial arts. Gluten can cause digestive distress and excess weight, which is unideal for an active athlete. Besides the grains can promote inflammation and chronic diseases like cancer. Try eating gluten-free grains such as oats, quinoa, sorghum, or brown sugar. Remember that a grain-free diet can lead to a deficiency of vital vitamins and can lead to constipation. Supplement it with the foods that contain vitamins and fiber like fruits and legumes.
4. Healthy proteins for flexibility
Doing intense workouts require you to increase the intake of your protein. Proteins are essential for muscle building, cell repair, and it’s a substitute source of energy when carb levels are low. For professional martial artists, muscle strength improves balance, body coordination, and kick power. You can rely on poultry, fish, lean beef and beans, and low-fat dairy.
But how much protein servings should you take? Your protein servings should be 2kg per body mass. A person weighing 60kg can consume up to 120g daily. You can also add protein supplements such as creatine and whey protein.
5. Start drinking juice for improved endurance
Mostly your work out session is long, and you need the energy to keep your muscles going. The mistake most athletes make is taking processed juice and energy boosters. Yes, they work, but only for a short time. Not to mention, they are unhealthy if taken regularly. Drinking homemade fresh juice can greatly improve your performance. Here are the benefits of juicing:
· Boosts endurance while exercising –it’s proven to work for cyclists.
· Controls blood pressure –crucial for rigorous practice.
· Cures hang-overs if you drink beer (don’t drink while training though).
6. Fats for prolonged training hours
Fats are yet to redeem their lousy reputation for a long time now. However, the villain is said to have essential nutritional benefits like helping you lose fat. There are three varieties of fat; saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Including all the three types of fat in your diet can insanely boost your health. You’ll require fats for improved metabolism, healthy body tissues, immunity, and the absorption of numerous nutrients in your body.
You must have taken saturated fats from your protein regimen. Foods with proteins also have a considerable amount of saturated fats like lean beef. For monounsaturated diet, start by taking olive oil, and nuts. Polyunsaturated fats are in fish oil, flaxseed oil, and mixed nut. Always include fats to endure long hours in training.
7. Fruits and vegetables
Including vegetables and fruits in each meal can provide significant health benefits. Eating plenty of vegetables keeps your body hydrated. To start, you can opt for colorful vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, and asparagus to get adequate nutrients.
Fruits are a good source of vitamins and minerals. They also boost your immunity and aid in weight loss. Lastly, fruits like bananas, cactus fruits, avocados, berries-all types are useful for vigorous exercise.
8. Avoiding processed foods
Processed foods contain crazy amounts of additives, which can be detrimental to your martial arts career. People love them because they’re quick to prepare and convenient for your busy schedule. Some of these foods include; pre-chopped veggies, canned meat, fruits, and packed milk.
Manufacturers tend to care about the longevity of the products as opposed to nutrition value. Fresh foods are great alternatives considering the said products are available on farms or grocery stores.
9. Drink green tea
Green tea ranks as the healthiest beverage in the world. In the martial arts world, green tea is the best alternative for coffee. A famous artist and film star, Bruce Lee, used to drink green tea to boost his performances. Besides, green tea increases the burning of fat and aid in physical performance by making fatty acids available for energy production. You can take 2-3 cups of green tea daily. It is known to work best after meals.
For a successful martial arts career, you need a proper diet. Don’t restrict yourself or adopt an unworkable diet; just take a balanced diet. Seek to implement the tips discussed in this post. If you follow these diet habits consistently, you will notice improved performance and overall body health in the process.
