Issue 057

December 2009

Fighters thrive on intensity; most people would throw in the towel before a punch is thrown. You have to be on top of your physical, technical and mental game, but one area that can confuse those who train MMA is what to do about their diet. 

In the days and weeks before a fight, many fighters dramatically cut calories, eliminate carbohydrates and severely dehydrate themselves to make weight. To be at your physical and mental peak you need to be focused in your training, and your nutrition should be no different.  

Not everyone takes fighting quite so seriously, but whether you’re a recreational athlete or just training for health and fitness, getting your weight right can have a massive effect on your life. Rather than simply diet for the sake of dieting, it is easier to reach your target weight by working to a specific time frame. Take a leaf out of the pros book with the following:  

The Off-Season 

It’s important to not let yourself get too far out of shape in the off-season. I’m not suggesting you stay at your fighting weight year round! But staying within three to seven kilograms makes things much easier when the time comes to make weight. If you fight at 84kg but let your bodyweight rise to 100kg, all your focus will be on weight loss when you should be focusing on technical training and physical conditioning. 

Eight Weeks Out 

Eight weeks is an arbitrary time frame; for those fighters in good shape, eight weeks is a sensible pre-fight training camp – for you, it should be plenty of time to reach your goal. For those carrying excess body-fat, more time may be needed. It’s better to bring your weight down slowly to your target weight as opposed to crashing. Invariably, crashing will lead to a drop in performance or piling the weight back on. 

Assuming eight weeks is our starting point the first thing to do is assess how much work needs to be done. If you have a fair bit of weight to lose, all is not lost. Presumably, there’s a reason you’re out of shape: too many calories and / or not enough training. Start by increasing the frequency and intensity of your training and eliminate unnecessary calories from your diet. Alcohol, crisps, sweets, etc, are big no-no’s!  

Four Weeks Out

Hopefully four weeks of increased training and eliminating unnecessary foods has made a difference. It’s important to reassess how far out you are from your target weight. If not, training volume will need to increase and calories will need to be gradually reduced. Reduce carbohydrate content away from training; the majority of your carbohydrates should consumed at breakfast and post-training to aid recovery. 

Last week 

For fighters, the last week is tough. Fighters will use weight-cutting techniques to drop a large quantity of their ‘walk-around’ weight for the weigh-in, so they can replenish and step into the cage with as big an advantage as possible. Weight cutting is very difficult and should not be attempted unless you are under supervision. Unless you’re competing, this shouldn’t even be considered as it is a potentially dangerous process.  

If you’re coming to the end of your eight-week cycle, things can go one of three ways. For those who are on track, everything is fine and you reach your target weight with no hassles. Some people who are on track will actually become a bit obsessive about their diet in this last week and under-eat, overshooting their target weight. If you’re not close enough to your target, there is the temptation to crash diet in order to ‘make’ weight – this will only lead to you piling the weight back on. Adjust your goal accordingly and get ready to set a new target for the next training-cycle.  

Dropping weight requires three things: good training, quality 

nutrition and a genuine commitment on your part.  

5 Basic Nutrition Tips  

Eat small, eat often 

Regular small meals can speed up your metabolism and provide your muscles with the nutrients and energy they require.  

Avoid fruit juices 

Freshly squeezed fruit juice immediately after training is okay, but concentrate is nothing more than sugar with a bit of flavor and coloring. The nutrients are lost and they are no longer healthy.  

Stick to complex carbs, not simple sugars

Sugars raise your insulin levels, elevating your blood sugar and converting the excess sugar in your body to be stored as fat. Complex carbs provide sustained energy; go for wholemeal pasta, brown rice, oats and vegetables.  

Fat doesn’t make you fat

Eating correct fats is essential for maintaining good health. Avoid saturated fats and go for essential fatty acids such as hemp oil, flax oil or oily fish.  

Consume protein last thing at night

A high-protein food will not only help you sleep, but preserve muscle tissue as well. Try cottage cheese for a slow release of amino acids.