Issue 124

In the world of MMA, the old adage of there being two battles during a fight camp - the scale and the actual fight - is a common belief among most fighters. However, a new diet created by Dr. Caroline Apovian suggests that a fighter's weight-cutting woes may be over - all they need to do is incorporate a little bit more sleep into their schedule.

According to Dr Apovian, ‘The Overnight Diet’ has its users on a high protein diet for six days and a liquid diet for one day. Add that together with a healthy amount of sleep and the weight should soon drop off.

Apovian, who is an associate professor of medicine and pediatrics at the Boston University School of Medicine, and also the director of nutrition and weight management at the Boston Medical Center, explained: "That first night, you go to sleep, you sleep your eight hours, you are down two pounds. If you continue to get enough sleep every night, you won't get those hunger pangs.

“The hunger pangs come from lack of sleep, which induces the hunger hormone to get secreted from your gut.”

Could this new diet be the key to making weight cuts for combat sports enthusiasts a less dangerous proposition?