Fuelling your training sessions (general information)
If you want to get the most out of your lessons, it is important you have the energy to keep you going.
A car does not run without fuel, and neither does your body.
Your pre-training meal should be relatively high in carbohydrate with a moderate amount of protein
The carbohydrate you choose before training should be from whole wheat sources such as brown bread, brown pasta, brown rice or jacket potato (including the skin). These sources contain more fibre than the white pasta, white bread varieties, which slows the digestion down. This will fuel your muscles and allow you to train harder for longer.
The protein should come from non dairy products, and due to the time it takes to digest red meat, it is not highly recommended either. Fish, chicken and turkey are all good sources of protein.
You should aim for about 200 calories for every hour left before you train (If you eat at 5 for a 7 o'clock
training session, aim for 400 calories).
During Training
Keep yourself hydrated throughout the session by drinking 100 ml of fluid every 10 minutes. Water is one of the best drinks to have during a training session lasting around an hour. However, if you intend on sparring after the main hour class, then you can supplement your energy by drinking a sports drink Lucozade Sport, Powerade, or their TESCO/MORRISONS own brand alternatives).
After Training
Eating after training is the biggest influence on how much energy you will have for your next training session, and how quickly it will repair itself.
This is the only time of day that you should have simple carbohydrates, such as white bread and pasta, a glucose drink Lucozade or cheap alternative (be aware that these usually contain caffeine, which may keep you awake), or even jelly beans or similar.
Again you should be consuming protein with the carbohydrate.
The optimum recovery quantity is approximately 3 grams of carbohydrate to every 1 gram of protein.
Outside of Training Times
Try to slowly rid yourself of junk food such as crisps, sweets, chocolate and soft drinks. They really are rubbish for you and just store body fat while making you feel sluggish. Replace soft drinks with water or diluted squash to drastically reduce the amount of sugar you're consuming and to get you closer to the recommended 8 glasses of water per day.
Try sticking with complex carbohydrates such as wholewheat toast for breakfast and it should help keep you fuller for longer.
Do not forget the information above is a simple guide on how to get more from your martial arts training by eating right before, during and after training. It is not a complete guide, and you should include fruit and vegetables to your diet, as well as healthy fats.
Please note I am not a qualified nutritionalist. This information has come from hours of research online and from books. It is a basic guide and I will not take responsibility for any complications that may arise from this article. You should check it is suitable for you if you have any diet related problems.