Protein For Combat Sports
Hey Guys,
Today I want to talk about protein. Now everyone knows that protein is essential for muscle growth and repair. They also know that it is always going to be part of a well thought out, smart nutrition plan.
But how much is too much?
How much is enough?
Is it REALLY that essential for combat athletes?
Well in this post I will look briefly into protein and what you might want to be aiming for. Now this is the point in which I say that not all people are the same and not one solution will fit everyone. As always, you should speak to your coach or consult a professional before you undertake any dietery changes.
That being said, lets look at a few scenarios in which you may focus on protein and what may be best for you.
Lets start with cutting down for a fight or simply dieting to be in better shape. Now protein is very important in this situation of the following reasons.
Protein is something that you want to focus on when dieting so that your body keeps the muscle that you have built during training. This is very important as this will keep your strength up to help you beat your opponent, help your metabolism run at a higher rate, aid testosterone production plus a whole other bunch of fantastic things. Now I normally start clients off between 1.5g - 1.25g per pound of body weight and the adjust from there. Does this mean that they stay at this range for the full diet?
No. This is just a starting point.
I will adjust a clients protein amount if they lose (or gain) weight, increase it in place of another macronutrient (fats or carbs), or drop it if I need to lower over all calories.The adjustments are purely based on the results.
I will also start a client within the same range when the are trying to gain muscle or move up a weight class and monitor, evaluate and adjust in the same way. I will say at this point that combat athletes generally have a lower protein amount than say body builders or physique athletes. The reason behind this is simply weight classes. While muscle mass (hypertrophy) is linked with strength, it is normally the latter that combat athletes chase first. Because of this I tend to keep the amount a tad lower.
Now a lot of people say that it is hard to over eat on protein. I'm not sure where these people got that from. There are plenty of high calorie meats out there that will pile on fat if you over abuse them (don't start with the 'a calorie isn't just a calorie' argument. Eat 2 pounds of steak every day for a month then we will talk). I would stick with sources like chicken breast, pork loin, white fish, turkey and lean game animals such as bison. While it is still possible to over eat on these foods, it is a little trickier.
Another point I will make is spend some time weighing and recording your food. Everyone tells you that they know exactly how much they eating, but if you're not recording it, how do you know for sure? An extra 50g of red mean is big amount of calories over a week, never mind a month.
At this point I would also like to mention a few things about protein shakes. Now I like protein shakes. I think that they are a great supplement to a well constructed diet. They are quick, easy and are a great portable source of protein. Plus certain ones really can make a huge difference to your training due to how fast that they can be absorbed by the body (and therefore the muscles). Now look back on what I just wrote. I said that they are a great SUPPLEMENT. This means that they must be added in to an already well though out and effective nutrition plan. This isn't an excuse to go out and make up a ridiculous diet comprised of just supplements (it doesn't work, I tried it).
Now I know that this is an extremely short post on protein (the scope of this topic is far beyond this blog post). However I hope that it has made you think a little more about what you put into your body.
As always, if you have any questions or thoughts, please comment below or hit me up on Twitter @mike_unorthodox
Stay healthy,
Mike
Today I want to talk about protein. Now everyone knows that protein is essential for muscle growth and repair. They also know that it is always going to be part of a well thought out, smart nutrition plan.
But how much is too much?
How much is enough?
Is it REALLY that essential for combat athletes?
Well in this post I will look briefly into protein and what you might want to be aiming for. Now this is the point in which I say that not all people are the same and not one solution will fit everyone. As always, you should speak to your coach or consult a professional before you undertake any dietery changes.
That being said, lets look at a few scenarios in which you may focus on protein and what may be best for you.
Lets start with cutting down for a fight or simply dieting to be in better shape. Now protein is very important in this situation of the following reasons.
Protein is something that you want to focus on when dieting so that your body keeps the muscle that you have built during training. This is very important as this will keep your strength up to help you beat your opponent, help your metabolism run at a higher rate, aid testosterone production plus a whole other bunch of fantastic things. Now I normally start clients off between 1.5g - 1.25g per pound of body weight and the adjust from there. Does this mean that they stay at this range for the full diet?
No. This is just a starting point.
I will adjust a clients protein amount if they lose (or gain) weight, increase it in place of another macronutrient (fats or carbs), or drop it if I need to lower over all calories.The adjustments are purely based on the results.
I will also start a client within the same range when the are trying to gain muscle or move up a weight class and monitor, evaluate and adjust in the same way. I will say at this point that combat athletes generally have a lower protein amount than say body builders or physique athletes. The reason behind this is simply weight classes. While muscle mass (hypertrophy) is linked with strength, it is normally the latter that combat athletes chase first. Because of this I tend to keep the amount a tad lower.
Now a lot of people say that it is hard to over eat on protein. I'm not sure where these people got that from. There are plenty of high calorie meats out there that will pile on fat if you over abuse them (don't start with the 'a calorie isn't just a calorie' argument. Eat 2 pounds of steak every day for a month then we will talk). I would stick with sources like chicken breast, pork loin, white fish, turkey and lean game animals such as bison. While it is still possible to over eat on these foods, it is a little trickier.
Another point I will make is spend some time weighing and recording your food. Everyone tells you that they know exactly how much they eating, but if you're not recording it, how do you know for sure? An extra 50g of red mean is big amount of calories over a week, never mind a month.
At this point I would also like to mention a few things about protein shakes. Now I like protein shakes. I think that they are a great supplement to a well constructed diet. They are quick, easy and are a great portable source of protein. Plus certain ones really can make a huge difference to your training due to how fast that they can be absorbed by the body (and therefore the muscles). Now look back on what I just wrote. I said that they are a great SUPPLEMENT. This means that they must be added in to an already well though out and effective nutrition plan. This isn't an excuse to go out and make up a ridiculous diet comprised of just supplements (it doesn't work, I tried it).
Now I know that this is an extremely short post on protein (the scope of this topic is far beyond this blog post). However I hope that it has made you think a little more about what you put into your body.
As always, if you have any questions or thoughts, please comment below or hit me up on Twitter @mike_unorthodox
Stay healthy,
Mike