Eat Right to Fight, Round 2: Energy Nutrition

Written by Mark Mian of AlterCenter

Fighters are typically concerned about eating right to maximize their energy, control their weight, and recover from workouts (which includes building muscle). This week, I’ll explain the basics of how to eat for optimum energy before training and competition.

Not Created Equal
We’re all supposedly created equal in rights (sure), but we’re definitely not equal in body type. Every body has a preferred way of getting energy from food – and so not all foods behave the same way when put into different bodies. For that reason, it’s simplistic to ask which food, diet, exercise or training regimen is the best. It all depends on you: “One human’s fitness is another human’s fatness.” Know what I’m sayin?

Anyway, “biochemical individuality” is why my first nutrition posting was about helping you find your Metabolic Type with a simple online quiz. Your Metabolic Type determines how foods affect your energy and growth. While everyone needs carbs/sugars as their main source of energy, you also need the right balance of protein and fat to go with them.

Maximize Your Energy Here

Here is a simple two-step program for finding energy foods. It’s simple: eat the right combination of foods for your body, and then get the timing right.
1. Eat the Right Balance
Like I said, I already told you about how to do this. The food you eat at any given time should conform to the best ratio of carbs:protein:fats for your Metabolic Type.

2. Timing is Everything
Food isn’t really usable until it’s been processed by your digestive system. So “digestibility” is the first thing to respect when choosing what to eat when. Beef breaks down very slowly compared to a protein shake. So guess what? Don’t eat beef less than about 4-5+hrs before a fight. The trick is to time your foods so that they always deliver the right kind of nutrition when you need them.

Some General Rules:
1. Solid/dense/fibrous/gooey food digests slower.
2. Processed, refined, liquid foods digest faster.
3. Cooking proteins & fats/oils slows digestion (& less healthy).
4. Cooking vegetables & starches/grains speeds digestion.

A. Protein Timing
This is a ranking of how fast protein sources generally break down with approximate timing when eaten alone. Combining different foods & supplements will affect timing. Also, bodies will vary.

5-6hrs: Melted Cheese
4-5hrs: Pork & Game (Deer, Buffalo, Moose), Hard Cheese
3-4hrs: Beef/Lamb
2-3hrs: Turkey, Chicken
1-2hrs: Fish, Soy, Eggs, Nuts & Seeds
<1hr: Protein Powder

B. Carbohydrate Timing
A system called the Glycemic Index was developed to help diabetics choose carbohydrate foods that wouldn’t rapidly spike their blood sugar levels and harm them. The GI ranks foods in terms of how fast they go from food in your big mouth to sugar in your blood. The higher the number, the bigger the energy rush (and crash). A lower number means the energy will come in slower and last longer.

Since blood sugar is what supplies your mind and muscles with the fuel they need, the GI is especially useful for athletes. The closer you get to your workout, the higher the GI of your food can/should be. The highest GI foods are best consumed (with water) within your workouts when sugar burning is highest. But if you eat High-GI foods and then don’t burn off the sugar… it will likely get converted into bodyfat! In general, eat Low-GI foods when you’re not exerting yourself. Whole grains, beans/lentils, and fruit are best for carbs. Avoid sugars, candies, soft drinks!

High GI = 70+. Medium GI = 55-70. Low <55.

Click here to see the Glycemic Index for many foods.

The second part of the list ranks the food by number, so you can quickly find and pick ones appropriate for the time of day.

C. Burn & Crash
Blood sugar is what gives your mind and muscles the fuel to do their thing. It comes mainly from digestion, as well as from your muscles and liver. When you’ve burned out your steady supply of blood sugar, a condition called “Hypoglycemia” sets in, aka “Low Blood Sugar”. It’s all downhill from there if you don’t eat… but you won’t always feel hungry by that time!

The main symptoms reported by about 75% of 600 patients with Hypoglycemia were: Nervousness, Irritability, Exhaustion, Faintness/Dizziness, Tremor/Cold Sweats, Depression, Vertigo and Drowsiness. So, if you experience these during the day or while training – EAT something asap!

Conclusion
I hope that helped and wasn’t too complicated. Let me know. Otherwise, use the GI foods list above to experiment with foods around and beyond training and stop asking me if a Starbucks Frappucino is a good pre-workout meal.

*wai*

Mark/Alter