The general rules of a good diet apply for anyone involved in sport. It's especially important for active people to meet requirements for all nutrients to ensure that performance is optimum and that health is maintained. For a boxer, about 55 % of energy should come from carbohydrate, 20% from protein and less than 25% from fat.
It's difficult for many people - especially boxers - to get all the vitamins and minerals they need from their diets alone. Vegetarian boxers, for example, must ensure they get sufficient iron and zinc. Many of the B vitamins, which help to convert carbohydrate into energy, are also missing from the diets of many vegetarians.
To reduce the risk of a vitamin or mineral deficiency interfering with your training, you may want to consider the use of a vitamin and mineral formula. Many multivitamin formulas come in hard, vacuum packed tablets, which means you'll probably end up digesting just half of what you really need. To avoid this, make sure that the vitamins you use are packaged in easy-to-digest capsules. This makes them far more effective. Protrient is one good example of a complete formula that contains all the vitamins and minerals you need.
Cooking and composition
At all times, your diet must supply adequate energy. Food should be grilled, steamed or baked whenever possible. Boiling food causes the loss of many vitamins, and fried food should be kept to a minimum due to its high fat content. The consumption of large amounts of fatty foods can lead to increases in body fat levels and weight gain which not only affect performance, but long-term health. A high-fat diet will not fuel the high intensity effort needed for boxing performance, only carbohydrate can do this, hence the importance placed on its intake for athletes.
Carbohydrate
For a healthy diet, it is recommended that carbohydrate should come from 'complex' or 'starchy' sources such as pasta, rice, bread, noodles and potatoes. However, close to competition, boxers who are not easily making the weight often rely more on simple carbohydrates in the form of sugar and sweets. When repeatedly having to make weight, boxers may want to rely on liquid foods such as sports drinks, supplemented with small snacks of sweets, so that shifts in weight are minimised.
Many sports drinks on the market actually cause you to lose water. Take the popular 'red buzz' stimulant drink for example. 'Red buzz' contains large amounts of caffeine - a powerful diuretic. In other words, it causes you to lose water - increasing your risk of dehydration during a fight or training session.
Unfortunately, you can't rely on thirst to tell you when to drink. As soon as you feel thirsty, it's too late. You've already lost enough water to seriously damage your performance. It doesn't matter how much training or sparring you do — if you're dehydrated, you will never fight at your best. Instead, many boxing experts now recommend you use a specially formulated sports drink containing carbohydrates, electrolytes, and branched chain amino acids.
A sports drink containing these nutrients will help you avoid the risk of serious dehydration, boost your endurance and accelerate recovery. Sports drinks containing minerals and electrolytes normally lost in your sweat (including calcium and magnesium) are especially valuable. These minerals need to be replaced not just when you fight, but every time you train. A good rehydration energy drink in line with the above criteria is called Viper from Maximuscle.
Protein
A boxer's diet should contain sufficient quantities of protein from low fat food sources such as lean meat, fish, or chicken. During competition, with repeated bouts over several days, it is important to maintain a moderate low-fat protein intake for optimal performance. Specific types of protein (such as whey protein) have also been shown to prevent muscle loss during a low-calorie diet.
For a boxer wanting to maintain speed and punching power, it's vital to hold on to as much muscle as you possibly can. Whey protein contains high levels of branched-chain amino acids, which prevent muscle loss. A protein powder derived from whey protein digests easily and can be taken at breakfast, during the day or at bedtime, when conventional foods are too much hassle or you just don't have the appetite for a whole meal. Check out Promax, Britain's best selling protein powder. It contains whey protein, digestive enzymes is very low in fat and carbohydrates, mixes instantly with water, comes in numerous flavours (even orange and caffe latte!) and tastes great.
Creatine – you may consider using the most well used of all supplements, 'Creatine'. Creatine has extensive research showing its ability to increase strength, preserve lean muscle and improve explosive power. If you want to bulk up you should use around 10gms taken with a simple carbohydrate. For strength and muscle preservation, use around 3-4 gms, which is best taken in a capsule form.
Fibre
Fibre is important to keep the bowels regular. Good sources of fibre include cereals, grains, fruit and vegetables (particularly their skins). Be aware that too much fibre can cause excess wind and fluid retention.
Fat
Fat intake is a necessity in any healthy diet and is of real importance in a boxer's diet. The amount of energy coming from fat should be lower for mature boxers than in child and adolescent boxers.
Good sources of healthy fat include oily fish, extra-virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocados, nuts and seeds. These types of foods should be taken in small amounts on a daily basis. The type of fats to avoid are the saturated ones which are in pastry, hard cheeses and all full fat dairy products, biscuits and cakes, chocolate and the visible fats on meat.
New research has also shown that certain types of fat can also speed up fat loss. CLA, for example, has been shown in several studies to speed up fat loss, while also preserving lean muscle and strength. As a boxer, you'll need 4-5 grams of CLA each day. Look for one that contans 1000mg per capsules. CLA-1000 is a good product.
Training issues
The average energy requirements of a boxer in training will vary considerably depending on their weight, job, training schedule and lifestyle. Food intake should normally balance energy expenditure during training. A general guideline to whether energy intake is suitable is if the boxer maintains a constant weight at which their health is good and they are able to train well.
A common problem is an unexplained lethargy and lack of sharpness and power. This is often due to a boxer consuming inadequate amounts of carbohydrate. This problem is made worse for two reasons: Often boxers train late at night and do not eat adequately to recover. Also, appetite is frequently suppressed after hard training. It may take up to 48 hours after a day of hard training to completely replenish carbohydrate stores in the muscles.
It is therefore essential that the boxer and coach understand the importance of resting and of eating plenty of carbohydrate and moderate protein to support training in order to allow energy stores to be refuelled between sessions. Sports drinks that contain carbohydrate can be useful immediately after training to serve the twin purpose of replacing lost fluids, and to start carbohydrate repletion immediately. This is easier for a boxer to consume than solid foods if training has taken place at the end of the day.
Weight manipulation
The severe restriction of a boxer's food and/or fluid intake to maintain a low weight will impair performance and is potentially dangerous. Sensible, safe weight making strategies should start well in advance of the contest with boxers aiming to lose around 1 kg per week. Overall energy must be in negative balance (i.e. more energy expended than energy consumed) either by reducing energy intake, (starting with cutting down on fat in the diet) or by a combination of reducing energy intake and increasing energy expenditure. This approach will help to reduce weight from body fat rather than muscular stores. Since the boxer will still be consuming carbohydrate, energy levels to continue with normal training should therefore be maintained.
Fat burning supplements can help a boxer shed those last few pounds of stubborn body fat. When you restrict your energy intake, your body responds by slowing down your metabolic rate, leaving you feeling tired, or fatigued. If you've ever had to lose a lot of weight before a fight, you'll know how bad it can feel.
Even worse, because your metabolic rate slows, the rate at which you lose fat ALSO slows down. This means to continue losing weight you have to do one of two things:
1. Eat less
2. Exercise more
Fat burners work by preventing your metabolic rate from slowing down, allowing you to easily lose one or two pounds of fat each week without starving yourself. Choose one which contains no stimulants (such as caffeine), and is completely legal to use for all boxers.
Obviously when training is being tapered in the final stages of preparation, energy intake will have to be decreased, since energy expenditure will be lower. Boxers should take regular but small amounts of food or liquid meal replacements rather than missing out meals. Meal replacement sachets and bars are extremely useful in this regard.
When choosing a meal replacement sachet, make sure it contains 20-25 grams of high quality lean protein and a balance of healthy fats (the same that you find in fish such as salmon or mackerel). A good meal replacement should contain many of the same vitamins and minerals found in fruit and vegetables to help avoid the risk of a vitamin deficiency
This encourages your metabolism to remain active, and is less likely to result in constipation and an inability to shift weight. Since food intake is often restricted at this time, various vitamin and mineral requirements may not be met. As mentioned before, meal replacement sachets and bars provide many of the vitamins and minerals your body needs.
Hydration
Hydration status has a major influence on the performance of a boxer and their well-being. Boxers should make sure that they take on fluid throughout the day, and particularly during the hours leading up to and the hours after training. Rather than having large volumes of fluid every 3 or 4 hours, it is better and more comfortable to sip smaller volumes every 20 minutes or so. If possible, boxers should take a drink bottle to their gym and take sips whenever there is a suitable gap in training.
Sipping on a carbohydrate/electrolyte drink during training is one of the best ways to stay hydrated. Make sure that your drink does not contain too much carbohydrate, as this can leave you feeling sick. When mixing your drink, use 6-8 grams of powder with 100ml of water. Research shows that drinks containing this precise ratio of carbohydrate and water provide optimum hydration.
Pre- and post-contest
Ideally, the volume of training for the two days before a contest should be low. The carbohydrate content of the diet should be maintained whenever possible so that the boxer has maximum energy stores prior to the contest.
Boxers who have problems with bloating due to fluid retention may want to avoid wheat based carbohydrates at this time, such as bread, pasta and cereals, choosing rice, potatoes, or carbohydrate drinks instead.
Having made the weigh-in, ideally the last meal should be eaten 3-4 hours before the bout. This should have a high carbohydrate content with protein and fat kept to a minimum. Some boxers may prefer at this stage to be having liquid only meals.
After this time, only small high carbohydrate snacks (such as wine gums, jelly babies or jelly beans) or sips of sports drinks should be consumed. This will ensure that the stomach is not full and that energy levels are high. It is important that boxers do not consume foods or drinks unfamiliar to them close to competition as these may cause stomach upsets. Wind-producing high fibre foods such as beans, dried fruit and very high fibre cereals (such as All-Bran) should be avoided by those not used to them, as should spicy or unfamiliar foods, since the bowels become more active as anxiety increases without further encouragement!
Examples of pre-contest meals would be a moderate portion of potato or rice with tomato-based sauce, honey and banana sandwiches or a carbohydrate-based drink. High protein meals such as steak and eggs, or cooked English breakfast will not be useful at this time and should be avoided. Other high-carbohydrate choices may include crumpets, bagels or tea-cakes with jam or honey.
Boxers should be encouraged to refuel as soon as possible after a bout, bearing in mind that they will be required to make the weight prior to their next contest if competing at a multi-nation tournament. This is particularly important if they are competing or training again the next day.
Carbohydrate drinks are useful for this purpose, as many boxers find that their appetite is suppressed after a fight, and they don't want solid food. Losing weight gradually becomes of real importance when boxers have to make repeated weigh-ins. By losing body fat steadily rather than undergoing sudden severe food or fluid restriction, this will ensure that the boxer's body weight does not increase so much between weigh-in and competition that making weight for subsequent rounds requires drastic (dehydration) methods.
Forward planning
Prior to a boxing season starting it is important for a boxer to determine: (a) natural living weight (recorded during closed season), (b) training weight band (established during training cycle) and (c) realistic competition weight class. Weight gain during the closed season varies greatly between individuals and it is important that the amount of weight gained is controlled. A boxer returning to training usually establishes a training weight band within 5% of their competition weight.
Maintaining fluid balance
Boxers should get into the habit of weighing themselves before and after each training session. When weight making is not the primary focus of training a boxer should be encouraged to drink at least one and a half times the amount of weight lost in fluid (e.g. for every 1 kg lost, 1.5 litres of fluid should be drunk) to ensure that they are well hydrated. This does not have to be drunk in one go straight after training, but rather taken on in small amounts over the hours after training.
Fruit juice does not make a good rehydration drink due to the type of sugars found in fruit juice, it actually pulls water from the body into the intestines, and can cause further dehydration and sometimes diarrhoea. A sports drink is an excellent rehydration drink, and helps to replace the fluids and electrolytes lost during a fight.
Self monitoring
Thirst is a very poor indicator of hydration. By the time there is a feeling of thirst, this indicates that the person is already dehydrated to some extent. To avoid this, make sure that your sports drink contains some sodium. Sodium (salt) in a drink will encourage you to drink more often. Boxers should also get into the habit of monitoring their hydration status by observing the colour, volume and smell of the urine being produced.
When hydration is good, urine should be a pale straw colour, volumes will be large and the smell will be minimal. With dehydration, urine becomes more concentrated making it darker, stronger smell ing and produced in small volumes.
There are various vitamin supplements and foods which will colour urine (e.g. beetroot, some alcoholic drinks, powders used in Indian cuisine) and these things should be taken into consideration before a boxer becomes concerned about an abnormal urine colour.
Competing abroad
Travelling abroad can present particular problems when certain foods are not available, so the best advice is to plan ahead and if necessary take foods that may be unavailable at the venue. Powdered or UHT milk, cereals such as Weetabix or porridge oats that pack easily, tins of tuna or sardines, tinned complete meals such as tuna pasta or ravioli, powdered low-fat soups, noodles, blocks or pots of jelly, dried fruit and cereal bars may all be useful.
Meal replacement sachets can also be considered as excellent nutritious portable meals, and can help to ensure that you arrive at the fight in peak condition no matter where in the world you're fighting. As long as you carry a shaker, some mineral water and a sachet you can be guaranteed perfect nutrition wherever you are in the world. My personal favourite is Promax meal or Promax Diet - both comes in sachets so are easy to transport.
Boxers should make sure they take a supply of their usual sports drink (preferably a powdered one) they should not have any unfamiliar food or drink to avoid stomach upsets, and be sure to find out whether tap water is drinkable or not. Ice in drinks should be avoided.
I recommend Maximuscle supplements, as they are produced in line with the latest research to improve your performance and help you achieve your goals. Protein powders: Promax - available in 908gm tubs – 7 flavours I think at last look.
Energy/rehydration drinks: Viper – A research proven sports drink with branch chain amino-acids and electrolytes. Available in 20 x 30g sachets and 1kg tubs – 3 flavours
Meal replacement bars: Max-meal bars – available in boxes of 12 x 60g – 2 flavours. Great tasting, filling and high in protein , keep in your gym bag or car for great nutrition when you need it.
Multi-vitamin/mineral: Protrient – 60 capsules – 1 months supply
Creatine: Creatamax is available in capsules and plain powder and the special Extreme ‘all in one’ version. It’s a well researched and popular supplement proven to increase performance, punching power, speed and recovery
Fat burners: Thermobol - a strong and effective fat burner for losing excess fat prior to an event
Post training: Recovermax is designed to be taken immediately after training to deliver the correct amount of protein and carbohydrates for optimum recovery.
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