It’s one thing to have ambitious martial arts goals. It’s a completely different thing to finally realize them. To bridge that gap, you’ve got to get serious about your diet. Eating better helps you look more physically fit, have more energy and ability to push yourself, and hone your focus. To get there, here are a few food and diet tips to help you make your body your dojo.
Master Your Blood Sugar Levels
It is important to understand the glycemic index scale and how it can unlock your martial arts potential. This refers to the understanding that various foods have different impacts on your blood sugar levels due to the rates that they release glucose into your bloodstream.
Foods that are low on the scale include leafy greens, whole grains, and lean proteins; higher up on the index include white bread, potatoes, white rice, and sugar.
Why care about this index? It’s because you function better when your blood sugar levels stay constant. High levels in your blood sugar can lead to increased fat storage, loss of mental focus, and a bigger blood sugar crash later. Low blood sugar levels cause people to have low energy levels and feel hungry. People with health conditions like diabetes, depression, and thyroid issues, for example, experience these peaks and valleys much more severely. Even if you don’t suffer from these conditions, these are not prime mental states to be at when you’re trying to be the best martial artist that you can be.
Everything in Moderation
Yes, again, these energy spikes from changes in blood sugar are related to how much you eat. It’s often better to stave off being starving by snacking and grazing throughout the day. Small portions of healthy snacks (nuts, legumes, even dried fruit) between meals will ensure that the meals you do eat are properly portioned.
You won’t over-indulge and every bite will count if you’re simply hungry rather than famished. Definitely don’t starve yourself because that will put your body in starvation mode, where you’re more likely to store fat and eat too much when you finally do sit down for a meal.
Whether it’s before a preparatory workout or a martial arts session, a snack can go a very long way. Food will keep your energy up without causing your body to wear itself out digesting or hitting a low energy point from high glycemic foods. Proper snacks include almonds, cashews, roasted chickpeas, a slice of turkey, a boiled egg, milk or yogurt, certain dried fruits, and more.
Keep an eye on your post workout foods, too. Popular bars and shakes are incredibly high in sugar and are very high calorically. Here’s what to avoid following a workout; the same rules often apply following a class.
Big Breakfast, Small Dinner
If all of this sounds too science-y for you, then a simple way to work towards your martial arts goals is to try the “royal diet,” meaning a large breakfast, medium sized lunch, and a small dinner. Shape extolls the virtues of a big breakfast and small dinner for weight loss, but it also helps muscle gain and moderating energy levels.
Typical large breakfasts include protein rich grains like oatmeal or whole wheat toast with some fruit, egg whites, and a little greens. Lunch should be lean proteins like fish, tuna, or chicken with brown rice, whole wheat bread, or pita. At dinner, vegetables should pull focus, whether it’s a salad or a roasted vegetable medley with tofu, hard cheeses like parmesan with roasted nuts, or a minimal amount of bacon. Just keep it light.
What Are Your Goals?
At the end of the day, no diet will magically turn you into a Bruce Lee or a Chun-Li. It might seem silly, but it can be incredibly helpful to sit down and write out some martial arts goals, from short term to final dreams.
Whether you train in Mixed Martial Arts, Krav Maga Worldwide, or another martial arts discipline, once you see a path to your eventual goals, you’ll understand how a proper diet can assist you on your way.
