The MMA diet

MMA

Martial arts have become very popular in the past several decades, they have become competitive sports included even in the Olympic Games. Martial arts offer great physical shape and also certain knowledge regarding how to physically defeat an opponent. For those who are interested in something more than a mere physical aspect, there is also spiritual moment, especially in those martial arts that are focusing traditional forms.

In the past decade or so, a new form of martial arts has appeared, Mixed Martial Arts – MMA, which is a form that excludes all but physical aspect and effective techniques from all martial arts. It became so popular that more and more people are starting to practice it each day. Since there is a competitive element involved, it is obvious that not only training, but dieting has to be present too. So, what does a MMA diet look like?

Healthy eating

More or less, it all comes down to eating healthy and regularly. Since there is physical activity involved, eating regularly is very important. Some experts say that there should be at least two hours of not eating before the training session. Those two hours should be enough for processing some food that has been taken before so that it would not bother the exercising process. Also, when food has just entered the stomach, blood is diverted to that area, so that food is processed faster and that slows down the blood flow in other systems. This is why, for example, many people become sleepy after eating, which is not good for exercising.

Basic nutrients must be a part of any diet, including the MMA diet too. This means that there should be carbohydrates, creating 50% to 60% of daily menu, and those carbs must come from healthy food only. Proteins and fats must also be present with 20% and 30%. Fruits and vegetables must be included as well, since they are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals with very low value of calories. It is important to include all nutrients in required amounts because the body is put into physical exertion and it might start to suffer from dehydration and malnutrition easily if there is no caution.

Water is also very important part of the MMA diet. It has to be taken not to deal with hunger, but to help the body process the food faster and to prevent dehydration (a lot of water is lost during intensive training). Eating while training must be based on a healthy and balanced diet, which means that overeating, junk food, eating late must not be present at all, not if a person wants to achieve the best possible results.