Issue 149
The true test of any fighter is stepping up to championship level; the opponents are tougher, the stakes are higher and the fight is longer.
In MMA, championship contests see the duration of combat increase from three five-minute rounds to five; a huge increase of 40% and an extra 10 minutes of abuse on a fighter’s muscles from lactic acid and oxidative stress, not to mention their opponent.
Before detailing how a fighter should go about fueling this step up, it’s important to explain the different energy systems at work.
A fighter uses different types of energy for different types of activity, and these will require specific fuels during training and competition.
A host of different fuels can be used to generate energy in the usable form of ATP depending on the type of exercise. Matching your training routine to your menu will help you get fitter faster, and make these fitness gains more specific for power, endurance or strength.
AEROBIC RESPIRATION
Aerobic respiration is the complete oxidation (essentially burning) of fuel in oxygen. Exercising muscles can burn carbohydrate or fat from the blood or muscular stores whilst protein can also feed the energy-releasing pathway known as the Krebs’ Cycle.
Even doing short-duration, intense bursts of exercise, like those in mixed martial arts, increases the demand on the aerobic system as the number of reps (or rounds) increases.
ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION
As exercise intensity increases, exercising muscle becomes more dependent on burning fuel without oxygen as aerobic respiration becomes unable to fully support the demands of exercise. This ‘anaerobic glycolysis’ pathway is completely dependent on carbohydrate.
Your muscles burn their own store of carbohydrate (glycogen), producing lactic acid. We can tell therefore that when you’re ‘feeling the burn,’ your body is relying on carbohydrate metabolism and anaerobic respiration.
PHOSPHOGEN
The most readily available source of ATP is obtained by regenerating this molecule by breaking down Phospho-creatine.
There’s only enough for about six seconds of explosive exercise and is the preferred fuel of intense bursts of activity.
So, a championship bout requires a fighter to increase endurance without compromising their ability to be explosive; a fighter needs power-endurance and specific fitness.
Training revolves around being specific, i.e. making our training routines as close to the fight as possible. By matching your nutrition to your training sessions you can enhance these adaptations.
FAT CONTROL:
CYCLING CARBS TO GET YOUR WHEELS TURNING
'Depleted state training,’ or training without sufficient fuel, has proven effective for enhancing cardiovascular performance. It’s a necessity for many weight-making athletes, as although it doesn’t target fight-specific fitness, many athletes still build on their aerobic-base and target weight-loss with early morning runs.
Enhanced aerobic adaptations are seen following chemical signals resulting from low energy stores, which can cause the body to increase the relative proportion of energy derived from fat. This is the rationale for many low-carbohydrate diets; reducing energy-rich carb calories can help improve body composition and stimulate the body to get more efficient at accessing energy for endurance-exercise.
CARBING UP:
HIIT-ING THE TRAINING HARD? THEN DON’T BE AFRAID TO HIIT THE CARBS
At this point, we need to remember that a fighter doesn’t want pure endurance, but power-endurance! The bottom line is carbohydrates are the only fuel an athlete can use for high-intensity interval training (HIIT) which will, one, give the best sports-specific training effects, and, two, increase the fat burnt in recovery from exercise (raising your metabolism). Enzymes involved in explosive energy-release are stimulated by carbohydrates, and if you’re eating after intense training, carbs will be diverted to your muscle, rather than your fat.
This will increase fitness gains and aid fat-loss goals.
POST WEIGH-IN
It’s an inevitable fact that many fighters will ‘sweat down’ to their target weight in an attempt to be ‘big for the weight’ after rehydration. Whilst studies on lightweight rowers suggest that performance may be preserved with adequate fueling and rehydration strategies, combat sports involve taking shots to the head, and it’s likely dehydration will increase the risk of trauma, brain injury and cuts.
Regardless, a fighter should aim to hydrate fully, replacing 1.5 times any sweat lost in the final training sessions.
In addition, whilst carb-loading may not be as effective for events under 45 minutes, the intensity of combat, coupled with the likelihood of having eaten a lower carb diet during weight-making, makes the post weigh-in menu all about the carbs.
CASE STUDY: PRO BOXERS
Endurance is a key factor as fights can potentially last 10 rounds. An adaption to endurance is a necessity.
Runs in the evening after a moderate carbohydrate intake, and then recover with a small protein-rich meal before bed enables fighters to reduce their calories and carbohydrates before bed, without over-training. Seafood sticks are a low-carb snack of choice before a milky bedtime drink.
CASE STUDY: PRO BOXERS
Small portions of carb-rich foods with high-quality protein, should be adapted into post-training routines to maximize recovery despite the weight-loss. Here, portion-controlling the amount of baked beans, poached eggs and toast can be adapted over the course of training camp, allowing a carb-heavy treat and a mental break. Remember to eat specifically. If you exercise hard enough to feel a lot of lactate, eating carbs in recovery actually increases fat-burning. The body must restore muscular carb-stores and so switches to burning fat during this process.
