Reducing Soreness Part 2

Reducing Soreness – Supplements.

Hey Guys,

This is the second instalment of the Reducing Soreness series for BJJ.

Last month we had a look at recovery techniques and how to add them into your schedule to get the most out of your recovery.

This month we will look at specific supplements and when to use then to reduce soreness and help you perform better on the mats!

Before I go any further, this is the part of the article where I tell you that good nutrition beats everything. If your nutrition sucks then your recovery and training will suck. Nothing that I mention in this article will make up for poor nutrition. Having a well thought out nutrition plan will sort 90% of recovery issues. If you’re not sure on how to set up a good nutrition plan then please speak to your coach or a professional.

Also a supplement is just that, a supplement. They are there to supplement your diet with minor things that you may be missing to help give you the edge. Supplements can make a big difference to your training as long as you have your other recovery bases covered (diet, rest, recover etc). Also if you are on a budget then I should grab the following supplements first then work from there. The following will do more good when used regularly than most others.

·      A good quality protein powder.

·      Fish oil (at least 1000mg of fish oil per capsule high in EPA and DHA)

·      A multi vitamin.

Ok, with that in mind, let’s look at how we can maximize recovery and reduce soreness.

When it comes to supplements for recovery I have found that the best ones fall into two categories of during training and in normal diet. I have talked in previous articles about my opinion on intra workout nutrition and how it really is the next step in combat nutrition, so I won’t go into that here. Although I do recommend that you take a good look at it!

Ok so here is the first set of supplements to be used during training.

1.     The first supplement is a good fast acting, easily digestible carb powder to be taken just before and during training. This will give you the energy to get the most out of your training and the right nutrients to start the healing process almost immediately! How this works is that specific types of carbs (highly branch cyclic dextrin, isomulatose, vitargo etc) are digested and by the body pretty much as soon as they hit the stomach and get right into your blood stream available for your muscles to use. The two products that I use for most of my athletes is Biotests Plazma and Myproteins Pre:Pare.

2.     The second type of supplement that I highly recommend is a very fast acting protein to be taken during and after training. This is for the same reason as the previous supplement. As soon as you take it you are proving the body with what it needs to recover instantly. In my opinion the best types of protein for this are Peptopro, hydrolysed casein and whey isolate. As for brands I recommend Biotest MAG-10 and MyProtein Peptopro.

The other type of supplements that help dramatically reduce soreness can be taken anytime of the day but generally work best when taken with meals. For dosage I recommend following directions on the packet.

1.     Fish oil. Do I really need to cover this? If you don’t know all the massive benefits of fish oil then please Google it right now! No seriously, RIGHT NOW! I have never seen anything improve recovery in grapplers than the proper use of fish oil. Look for high values of EPA and DHA when buying.

2.     Curcumin. This is a great, little known supplement that helps reduce inflammation in joints which is great for grapplers! This will help your grip, flexibility, power and a whole host of other factors! Take a look in health shops or Myprotein MP MAX Joint Plus.

3.     This leads nicely into glucosamine. This to reduces inflammation in joints and can lead to reducing soreness in muscles. This can be found fairly cheaply in most health and supplement stores.

As you can see most of these supplements are not wonder tablets that will turn you into the next IBJJF world champion over night. They will however help you to recover from hard training and enable you get back on the mats as often as possible which can only lead to improvements in your game!

Get your diet and recovery in order and you will notice a massive difference in your performance and your recovery!

Stay healthy,

Mike