The recommended intake for CHO during loading phases is g per kg body mass. A CHO loading product i. liquid supplement is usually necessary in this situation as it can be extremely difficult to consume adequate CHO with food sources alone. FUEL LOAD has been specifically developed for athletes who want to CHO load and maximise energy levels for competition.

It provides an easy-to-consume slow-digesting source of CHO Palatinose that loads the muscle and liver with glycogen without causing major fluctuations in blood sugar or insulin.

Hydration is critical for performance in most sports, and it has been repeatedly shown that dehydration of even a small percentage of body weight impedes physiological function and performance. As some degree of dehydration is likely in order to make weight, targeted rehydration strategies are recommended after weigh-in.

A fluid source that contains a source of electrolytes like CHO CHARGE is better than water alone for rehydration. CHO CHARGE has the added advantage of containing a proprietary blend of CHO that can aid CHO loading and providing energy during competition.

This product can be a valuable asset during competition because it is specifically designed to provide a fast energy source while avoiding any stomach distress. Combat sports are usually held indoors with large crowds so the environment is often warm and humid which can result in increased sweat rates.

After training and competition, it is essential to replenish glycogen stores with suitable CHO intake, and adequately rehydrate with an electrolyte drink. A protein source that provides amino acids to fatigued muscles should also be consumed. This will help the body recover and help the athlete to be ready as soon as possible for the next training session or bout.

Co-ingestion of protein and CHO in supplement form such as RecoverAce Endurance or RecoverAce Strength is an ideal solution to kick-start recovery.

These formulations contain a high quality source of protein for muscle repair combined with an optimal ratio of CHO to maximise recovery processes. There is emerging evidence that protein supplementation, particularly essential EAAs and branched-chain BCAAs amino acids, during and after intense training can promote muscle protein synthesis and muscle adaptation.

The type, timing and amount of protein can be manipulated to enhance the adaptive response to training. A fast-digesting high-quality source of protein such as WHEY TRU or RecoverAce Strength, or isolated amino acids such as ACTI BCAA and ACTI EAA are appropriate sources.

In addition, micronutrient intake is another important consideration for recovery. AccoVit Performance and OmniFlex are two products designed to aid recovery. AccoVit contains micronutrients that aid energy metabolism and support the immune system, whereas OmniFlex contains a unique formulation of ingredients which reduces the inflammatory response to intense exercise.

Allow Cookies. Sport-specific physiological demands Martial arts mainly consist of a range of anaerobic, power movements combined with some moderate intensity aerobic exercise.

Nutritional considerations Nutrition considerations for martial arts are not unlike other combat sports, which, aside from providing energy and hydration for training and performance, require specific focus on optimising body composition and weight.

Making weight As athletes in martial arts are matched by body weight in different categories, optimum body weight and composition is critically important. After the weigh-in The main focus during training periods leading up to a tournament should be on foods that are highly nutritious and supply a sustained release of energy.

Hydration and fuelling Hydration is critical for performance in most sports, and it has been repeatedly shown that dehydration of even a small percentage of body weight impedes physiological function and performance. Recovery After training and competition, it is essential to replenish glycogen stores with suitable CHO intake, and adequately rehydrate with an electrolyte drink.

ROS Recommends Goal Why? Sign In. RecoverAce Endurance Gun Powder. RecoverAce Endurance RecoverAce Strength Omniflex. Blue Label Whey Target Whey Protein Calcium Caseinate. ISO BCAA Max mg ISO EAA mg Tablets. Trace minerals are required by the body in small amounts but can be toxic in large amounts, these include chromium, molybdenum, selenium, iodine, manganese, copper and zinc.

All minerals are necessary for health but a group of minerals known as electrolytes are likely the most important for sporting performance and body composition. The electrolytes sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, iron and magnesium carry a positive or negative charge, these are essential to control cell membrane permeability, which is important for the function of nerves, to allow all muscle types to contract and to monitor hydration levels and blood pH, although it will take a large imbalance in electrolytes to alter blood pH levels, because of this it is important to replenish electrolytes throughout the day, especially during and after physical activity when electrolytes can be lost through sweat, you can use electrolyte drinks to do so.

The most common mineral deficiency, particularly for vegans, vegetarians and premenopausal women, is an iron deficiency, this is particularly problematic for athletes because iron is an important part of red blood cells which is important for transporting oxygen around the body, iron deficiencies due to its lack of intake or absorption can lead to anaemia which is a decrease in the amount of healthy red blood cells in the body which are capable of carrying oxygen.

Non-heme iron is in an oxidised form and it needs to be reduced before it can be absorbed into the bloodstream and so less of it is absorbed, heme iron does not need to be reduced and so more of it is absorbed, heme iron is found in meat, whilst non-heme iron is found in plants, so choose your source of iron carefully, and vegans, vegetarians or those prone to iron deficiencies should consider an iron supplement.

Fibre is not needed for survival it is not an essential nutrient but it does have many health and fitness related benefits. Phytochemicals are another micronutrient that has limited research surrounding it, but evidence does suggest that it may contribute to a decreased risk of cancer, heart disease and they may improve bodily function, eating multiple servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables each day should ensure that you consume a good amount of different phytochemicals.

Nutrient timing and food composition. Depending on the individual I generally would recommend consuming between meals per day, with about a hour gap between meals except between the pre-sleep and post-sleep meal, and it has been shown that this period without food may be beneficial for gut health.

Leucine is an EAA which has been hypothesised to have a threshold which needs to be reached for it to maximally trigger muscle protein synthesis. Research suggests that this threshold is reached in young, healthy people after consuming 2g of leucine, or about 20g of high-quality protein, and for older people, it is likely double this, otherwise the protein will likely only have an anti-catabolic effect, eating any less protein than this may mean that it only has anti-catabolic effects rather than anabolic ones.

So every meal which you are consuming likely needs above g of protein and likely below 0. The slow-digesting nature of foods becomes more important the fewer meals you consume, consuming fats along with protein will help to slow down digestion further, which is important to keep you satiated between meals which are far apart.

Protein synthesis rates are most significantly elevated following the 2. If you do decide to consume a protein source shortly after a workout, mixing this meal with some healthy carbohydrate sources will likely maximise the anabolic effects of this meal if there are any, also I would recommend minimising fat in your post-exercise meal as it would delay digestion, it would be ideal to slowly introduce fat back into each meal you have following training, also, meals with multiple different foods are typically slower digesting than if any of the foods were eaten on their own, so keeping your food rather basic around exercise is likely best.

Carbohydrate absorption rates in the intestines is about 0. An additional benefit to this response is that more carbs are used for glycogen stores and less will be put towards fat storage, especially when considering that fat cells have shown to be less sensitive to nutrients post-exercise.

Your post-exercise meal should likely be fast digesting, such as cereal or a sandwich made with white bread, this will make the most of the post-workout period where glycogen resynthesis is elevated, and decrease the risk of gastrointestinal distress which is common following exercise.

Slow-digesting carbohydrates help you to stay full for longer and they are very important in the diet especially when considering that fruits and vegetables typically fall into this category, however, this is not always the case, white potatoes for instance are fast-digesting but despite this, they still seem to be very filling.

Pre-exercise a meal high in carbohydrates should be consumed to top glycogen stores which is needed to support high-energy training demands and to signal the muscles to become more anabolic which will enhance muscle retention and growth.

A sugary sports drink is a good fast-digesting meal to consume pre-exercise, as it is high in sugar, has no fat or fibre and is liquid which makes it quicker to digest.

If you do have your pre-workout meal close to training it may be made necessary to have an intra-workout very fast digesting carbohydrate-based meal to avoid sudden fluctuations in blood glucose, caused by the pre-workout meals rapid ingestion followed by the usage of its nutrients, this will be optimal for peak performance.

An intra-workout meal is only really for exercise lasting for longer than one hour but even then it is still not usually a necessity. Exercise lasting less than an hour means that your body will likely just be using stored fuel as long as you have consumed a pre-workout meal and are staying hydrated.

An intra-workout meal should contain a mix of fast-digesting carbohydrates and protein for anticatabolic purposes and to supply the body with more energy for peak performance. Your intra-workout meal should contain just about enough protein to reach the leucine threshold and up to the maximum carbohydrate consumption which you body can absorb per hour until you reach your next meal.

For very long training sessions I would recommend taking a break and eating a fast digesting meal with regular amounts of carbohydrates and protein and taking at least a minute break before easing back into training. Intra-workout meals are often ideally consumed in the form of a shake which can be sipped throughout the duration of training.

The shake could comprise of whey protein, very fast digesting carbohydrate sources such as Gatorade or dextrose powder, as well as a pinch of salt which increases the absorption rate of the shake in the intestines and serves the purpose of maintaining proper nerve function.

Before sleep, it is ideal to eat a slow-digesting meal which will supply the body with nutrients gradually throughout the night, which decreases the risk of or at least the severity of the body entering a catabolic state and more likely induces an anabolic state.

An example of macronutrient distribution throughout the day of a lbs They are currently on an isocaloric diet of 3, calories per day. Their protein intake is set at 1. Their carbohydrate intake is set at 2.

Their fat intake is set at 0. Example meal- Oatmeal made with semi-skimmed milk with a scoop of whey protein. Example meal- Two chicken sandwiches made with white bread. Example meal- Shake made with dextrose powder and whey protein powder. Example meal- Protein pancakes with some fruits.

Example meal- beef, white rice and veggies. Example meal- Scrambled egg on whole grain bread with a pint of semi-skimmed milk. Usually, hydration levels can be controlled by listening to your body and drinking when thirsty, but during exercise monitoring hydration becomes more difficult, although, hydration does not usually affect performance except for cases of extreme or consistent dehydration or hyperhydration.

Typically during intense exercise, you sweat twice as much fluid as your body absorbs making at least a small amount of dehydration inevitable during intense exercise, so if you feel thirsty during exercise you will not be able to catch up on your hydration levels no matter how much fluid you consume unless you stop exercise or at least temporarily reduce the intensity of the exercise, counter-intuitively acute dehydration slows the absorption rates of nutrients making it even harder to hydrate yourself once dehydration has began to set in.

As a general rule of thumb ml of fluid is required per 20 minutes of intense exercise, consuming electrolytes along with this fluid is recommended. To stay at a good level of hydration for performance in martial arts I would typically recommend consuming 2.

Monitoring urine colour can be used to stay on top of your hydration levels, ideally, it should be a light yellow colour, however, things such as sudden fluid or alcohol consumption can alter urine colour to a rather large degree, it is therefore best to monitor your urine colour over the day to see whether you need to drink more or less fluid.

Early signs of dehydration include thirst, mild fatigue, difficulty focusing and a reduction in strength and performance, it is important to rehydrate if you are experiencing any of these symptoms before they get worse, which can come in the form of overheating, cramping, chills, increased heart rate, increased respiratory rate, dizziness, muscle spasms and poor balance.

To rehydrate yourself post-exercise you can weigh yourself beforehand and then after to see how much fluid you have lost, you can then multiply the amount of weight you lost by 1. Most available supplements seem to have no effect on performance at all, and the ones which do seem to only have a small effect.

Supplements which are confirmed to have an effect on the body include caffeine, whey and casein protein, creatine, carbohydrate formulas, multivitamins, mineral supplements and omega-3 supplements. Caffeine activates the sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for increasing alertness, focus, pain tolerance, motivation and increase strength and endurance as well as decreasing hunger.

Whey protein is a naturally occurring protein found in milk, which can be separated once milk has been curdled and strained, it can then be turned into a powder which can be added often to milk, water, or as an ingredient to certain foods, it then serves as a great source of fast digesting, very high-quality protein.

Whey hydrolysate contains the most amount of protein although not by much , followed by whey isolate and then whey concentrate. Whey concentrate is often the best option because it is almost always the cheapest, and so it is the go-to unless you have gastrointestinal issues with it, in which case I would recommend switching to whey isolate because it contains less lactose, and if this still causes issues due to a very large lactose intolerance than you may consider making the switch to whey hydrolysate although the price of this can be too much for many individuals.

Casein protein along with whey protein is found naturally in milk and can be precipitated from skimmed milk by acidifying it or treated with rennet to produce rennet casein.

Casein can then be turned into a powder and added often to milk, water, or as an ingredient to certain foods, it then serves as a great source of slow-digesting protein, as it can take up to seven hours to fully absorb, this makes it a great source of protein in between meals to deliver a gradual amount of amino acids to the bloodstream which may decrease the likelihood of muscle being broken down for energy and it helps to reduce hunger, this means it is a great option between large gaps in meals, such as at night, and for individuals who struggle to manage their hunger, especially when a large meal can not be consumed, such as when on a hypocaloric diet.

Carbohydrate formulas include liquid carb sources, such as Gatorade and Powerade these offer a very quick delivery of carbohydrates to the body. Carbohydrate formulas can also come in the form of powders. Dextrose is a form of fast-digesting carbohydrates, whilst waximase is a form of slow-digesting carbohydrates.

Fast-digesting carbohydrate formulas are useful to supply the body with the necessary glucose for performance during exercise, and perhaps replenish glycogen stores and maximise anabolism post-exercise. Slow-digesting carbohydrate sources are most useful to form a very easy and fulfilling meal, which can be consumed on the go, such as combining waximase powder with casein powder in a shake.

Creatine is found naturally in the human body. In muscle tissue, ATP is used for muscular contractions and once it is used it forms ADP and a phosphate, creatine holds onto a phosphate in muscle tissue, forming phosphocreatine, it can donate this phosphate to ADP to form ATP so that it can be used for energy and therefore muscular contractions again, creatine can then go and donate more phosphate to ADP.

The more creatine that is in the muscle tissue, due to creatine supplementation, then the more creatine can be used to replenish ATP this is not to say that there is no limit to the amount of creatine which can be contained in the muscle , this means that longer near maximal efforts can be made, this may mean for example that during a set of skull crushers which you can normally perform 14 reps with you can now perform 17 reps with after creatine supplementation for three weeks, creatine supplementation has also been shown to improve sporting performance.

Creatine allows for more reps of a set to be performed and it may lead to greater cell swelling which means that muscle growth may be easier to achieve with creatine supplementation. Red meat in particular is the greatest natural source of creatine and so vegans and vegetarians in particular should consider supplementing creatine.

The reason why creatine causes weight gain is because it causes water retention in muscle cells, although water retention and its associated weight gain will soon go once creatine supplementation is stopped, so those cautious of making weight for competition can simply stop supplementing creatine about 2 weeks before they need to make weight.

Creatine monohydrate is the go-to creatine source and it is a rather cheap supplement. Eating a healthy balanced diet will usually make multivitamin supplementation unnecessary, although it still can be used just to make sure you achieve adequate amounts of certain vitamins and minerals.

During a hypocaloric diet a multivitamin usually becomes more necessary as eating less foods often means fewer vitamins and minerals are consumed. Omega-3 is important for health and cognitive function, and omega-3 supplementation is very often needed to achieve adequate amounts of this essential fatty acid, unless you regularly consume fatty fish.

Weight cuts are very common practice across many martial arts, the idea is to cut weight in order to enter a weight class to compete with smaller opponents in order to gain an advantage, but little to no evidence has shown there to be an advantage when doing so, I personally believe it depends on the fighter, their ability to replenish nutrients in their body and their martial art.

Many weight-cutting methods are commonly used, many of which can even be combined, these include energy deficits, fluid loss through sweat or spitting, laxatives, diet pills, diuretics, enemas and vomiting.

The method you use for water loading will heavily depend on how much weight you wish to lose and how long it is between weigh-in and competition so that you have enough time to rehydrate. Usually, you are required to drink 2. Salt in the body will be responsible for a significant amount of water retention, so if salt intake is lowered days before weigh-in then it can help you to lose weight, although doing this too early in a weight cut can be perceived as a serious threat by the body which leads to a response where water retention is increased.

Hyponatremia is when salt concentrations are low in the bloodstream which puts your health and performance at a severe risk, so I would in fact recommend increasing your salt intake when water loading and being very cautious of hyponatremia when cutting out water and salt shortly before the weight in, especially being that the additional water intake causing you to urinate more will cause the lost of salt in the body quicker then what it usually would.

Hyponatremia results in cell swelling which can cause brain cells to get compressed up against the skull which can result in a severe headache, trouble breathing and even coma or death.

Carbohydrates are also responsible for significant water retention so lowering carb intake about days before weight in can help you make weight, however, you should give yourself enough time to replenish glycogen stores, otherwise, performance will be significantly impaired, and glycogen stores will still likely not be fully replenished even with a 24 hour window in between weigh-in and competition.

Fibre holds water and slows digesting which means that food may still be travelling through the gastrointestinal tract by the time you step on the scale for weigh-in, fibre should therefore be minimised 24 hours leading up to weigh-in. Weight cutting through caloric or carbohydrate restrictions has been shown to reduce muscle glycogen stores, which causes an early development of fatigue when competing.

Also, long periods without carbohydrates may make the body adapt to become more reliant on ketones and less reliant on glycogen stores for energy, it is unsure as to whether this impairs performance but it may.

Water cutting causes a decrease in blood plasma and blood volume, which will likely impair cardiovascular function, muscle blood flow and thermoregulatory capacity, replenishing blood plasma to baseline levels depends largely on the severity of dehydration and the time between the weigh-in and competing, a hour window to replenish blood plasma levels has been shown to be sufficient, however, other evidence contradicts this.

Haemoglobin mass has also been shown to decrease due to weight cutting which would likely hinder aerobic performance, although, there is limited evidence to suggest this. Even slight dehydration through water cutting can alter electrolyte concentrations in the body which can influence cells' fluid balance, and their metabolic processes which will therefore impair neuromuscular function causing decreased endurance and force output.

Electrolytes are essential for membrane electrochemical potential, however, dehydration effects on this are yet to be fully studied. What almost appears certain is dehydration's psychological effects, as it likely will negatively impact mood and cause mental fatigue which will decrease performance.

Fluid loss in the body in order to make weight for competition has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular issues, the decrease in blood plasma causing an increase in blood thickness will increase the risk of stroke and ischaemic heart disease heart weakening caused by reduced blood flow to your heart.

Dehydration has also been associated with changes in brain morphology, decreasing cushioning forces which will increase the risk of brain trauma, such as concussion, in striking martial arts. Dehydration causes a decrease in the body's thermoregulatory function which increases the risk of heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke.

In addition, weight cutting has also been associated with suppressed immune function, changes to insulin sensitivity, bone loss and hormonal imbalances, this likely leads to decreased mineral density, impaired adolescent development and blood glucose regulation.

A common misconception is that loss in water weight should come right at the end of an energy deficit diet, when you should in fact cut calories to lose weight through bodily tissue long in advance before competition so that you are at the desired weight 4 plus weeks before you begin to lose weight through fluid loss, the advantage of this is that so prior to your water cut your body can obtain a good amount of nutrients for the high-level intense training which usually occurs before competing, your body's glycogen stores will be full and ready for performance and your body is still well adapted to use glycogen stores as a fuel source.

It is only required that you lose weight through calorie restriction if you have gained weight in between competitions. If you do decide to go up a weight class for your next competition I would recommend taking your time to enter a slight calorie surplus and slowly bulk up to a weight a considerate amount above the weight class which you want to enter, and then slowly entering a calorie deficit and slowly cut to lose any excess fat which was put on from the bulk, whilst making sure to perform hypertrophy training throughout the bulk and cut, those who are not used to hypertrophy training can easily increase muscle mass with little to no fat gain if done carefully and so there will not always be a need to enter a calorie deficit with them, your finishing weight should leave room for a water cut if you wish to do so if you believe that it will maximise your chances of winning.

When bulking and cutting there are certain pieces of information regarding calorie intake which you need to know for everything to run smoothly, first to gain or lose one pound of any tissue you must consume a calorie surplus or deficit of 3, calories.

Weight gain phases should consist of 0. Weight loss phases should consist of 0. Maintenance phases following a hypercaloric diet are less important and the maintenance phases should usually come naturally when a maintenance phase is needed anyway for training because it has become less stimulative and your body needs to be resensitised to it, during this phase you should almost always be performing an isocaloric diet.

After your weight cut it is essential to replenish carbohydrates, electrolytes and body fluid. It is recommended to consume g of carbs per kg of body weight per day after making weight in order to replenish glycogen stores and gain weight, if you only have a short period of time before you need to compete it is important not to cut carbs too much when weight cutting as there is evidence that short recovery periods are insufficient to replenish glycogen stores, longer recovery periods on the other hand likely gives the individual enough time to replenish glycogen stores.

When given shorter recovery periods you must also be cautious to minimise gastrointestinal distress which will hinder performance, to do this it is recommended that you consume fast-digesting foods which can be digested before competing, such as sandwiches, pasta and rice, in competitions where the recovery period is very short it may be useful for more of your nutrients to come from liquid sources, when given longer recovery periods more high caloric solid foods can be ingested with more protein which may replenish glycogen stores to a greater extent.