Stepping into martial arts is not just spending a few hours every day learning new techniques and skills. Instead, it is more about learning to treat your body in a much better way. One of the biggest impacts that you will notice is in the healing process so when you start the practice, you have to adjust your diet accordingly.
Here are some of the Nutrition Rules to help you improve your Martial Arts performance.
Cut the Portion Size and Increase the Frequency
Your portion size will determine how many calories you consume every day. If your portion size is huge, your body will take less time to digest but the overall calorie count will be huge. On the contrary, when it comes to high frequency and small portions you will fuel your body throughout the day, and still, the calorie count will be less because of the 30 minutes booster right after food consumption.
Add More Protein
The high amount of protein in your body will help you heal better and also improve the strength of your muscles. By adding more protein to your food you will be helping your body with martial arts and also with your overall health.
Avoid Simple Carbs
Simple carbs mean mono sugar which is very sweet in taste. Most people consume a lot of sugar drinks, candies, and sweets, when you opt for martial arts you have to stay true to your body by reducing the amount of sugar you consume every day. Your focus should be on the healthy sugar constant that you can get from fruits, honey, and dry fruits.
Reduce Complex Carbs
Complex carbs are good for health as they are considered the primary energy source. They take relatively longer to digest so the body does not feel hungry and the best thing is that they build a constant supply of energy so you don’t crave too much food. However, eating a lot of carbs also means that you will be spending a lot of time in digestion and since they are high in calories the surplus will be converted into fat.
Add More Fiber
A good amount of fiber will help you digest your food better and facilitate bowel movement. This will also help in the absorption of the right nutrients and keep the body healthy. Since most martial artists use a lot of protein in their diet, adding fiber also helps in the digestion of that nutrients.
Drink More Water
Water works as a cleanser for your body. The more water you drink, the better and easier it will be for your kidneys to function. It also facilitates the detox process so your body organs will get to work better and they will be healthier as well.
Stick to Fresh
Fresh food is a luxury now that most brands are offering ready-to-eat and frozen food. However, experts explain that consuming frozen food and other precooked meals impacts the strength of your body. They also impact the strength of your muscles and your digestion so the best way to stay healthy and work with full intensity is to stick to fresh food only.
Avoid Processed Food
Processed food usually has buffers, bleaches, high levels of sodium, a lot of salt, and sugar and they are refined for better taste. These food items might taste a little better than the whole food but they can actually harm your body. In fact, most of these items are high in calories and they impact your body, speeding up the weight gain and aging process. When you have an intense workout you cannot risk by consuming unhealthy food items that can impact your body so sticking to whole food is a much better option.
Add Some Fresh Fruits
Fresh fruits and vegetables are the keys to good health but when you are going to work out for at least a few hours your body will need to rely on them. The main issue is that our body requires minerals and vitamins for proper body functioning and fruits and vegetables are the only sources. The shelf life of these vitamins and minerals is very less and most of them die in high temperature, moisture, and sunlight so they cannot be preserved in the form of supplements.
Use Supplements
As a martial artist, workout and training are very intense which means you will need good food. Although the emphasis is on the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables so that you don’t have to face any deficiency, sometimes this is not enough. You have to make sure that you don’t eat too much or too little. In case you feel you are not eating enough, you can then add some supplements. Some of the best supplements that almost all martial artists recommend include protein powders and workout mixes. They are good for calories but most of them don’t have nutrients. To add healthy nutrients, you can then add calcium, potassium, fiber, phosphorus, and a healthy amount of vitamins and minerals.
Bottom Line
To sum it all up, it all comes down to simple steps. Although most people think about following the diet plan, stick to it just for a few months and then get back to their actual diet. However, if you want a longer impact, you need to take small steps that can help you stay true to your body for a long time.
