The Boxer’s Diet

Do’s and Don’ts to Get Peak Performance

Boxing requires intense training and a balanced and healthy diet which can keep them energetic and active. They need an excellent diet to maintain their strength and avoid eating things that would make them feel lethargic and drained in a fight.




When you are boxing, you use your entire body, because boxing involves movements and strengths from the whole body, shoulders, legs, core, hands, etc. and every time each portion is used, it requires more strength and endurance than last time. Your diet and workouts combine their strength to create the perfect punch, and that is when you feel energy traveling from your body in your boxing gloves. To defeat your opponent and last longer than him in every round, boxers need to have a diet plan that is enriched with energy oozing foods and nutrients.

The important point you need to remember is that boxers have the weight class restrictions on them as well. They need to reach the top end of the weight class limit while getting the maximum out of their diet. If their diet isn’t good enough, they will have serious issues before the fight and in the fight as well.

Do’s of a Boxer’s Diet

All of these things are needed to complete a boxer’s diet, but they need to adjust the quantity and ratio of each component to balance their diet with their training regime.

Protein

Boxers need protein to recover from the tears in their muscles caused by intense training and fights. Quality amount of protein in the diet helps with post training soreness. It also acts as a healing agent by repairing the muscles and causes muscle growth at the same time. Not just that, boxers drink protein shakes because they are an active source of energy. Tuna, chicken, eggs and lean beef should be used in a way that takes up 30% to 40% of the diet.

Fats

Boxers need essential fats but should avoid taking a lot of fatty meals because that would lead to unwanted weight gain rather than a healthy weight gain with energy. You need to take fats to maintain important body functions. Omega-III and Omega-VI fats are healthy fats which produce prostaglandins hormone in a human body. Consume seafood and dried nuts for a healthy source of fats. Along with that, nutritionists recommend boxers to have olives, seeds, and avocados to get mono-saturated fats. Your diet should be made up of fats by up to 15%.

Carbs

You need carbohydrates to generate energy for all kinds of anaerobic activity and maintain it for intense training sessions. Carbs generate energy in a slow but steady flow, so the boxer doesn’t get tired in those rounds. They provide strength, power and weight ratio that is maintained by active workouts combined with protein. They replace the used glycogen and increase endurance during a fight. Consume natural carbs producing diets like yams, beans, whole-wheat grains, fruits, and oats. According to nutritionists, carbs should take up 40%-50% of a boxer’s diet.

Water

Water should be an essential part of a boxer’s diet to make sure he doesn’t dehydrate while training. They should make sure that their diet has at least 9-10 glasses of water in a day and increase the amount in a fight altogether making it 10-15 glasses in 24 hours.

Don’ts of a Boxer’s Diet

Though most of them feel like they have a lot of energy, they are short term energy providers that cause tiredness and weight gain in the long term. What you shouldn’t eat is taking carbs just before sleeping because your body won’t burn them. Don’t go towards a crash diet or binge eating because that will derail your weight control and avoid eating high on sugar items like cakes and chocolates while avoiding carbonated drinks and alcohol.

Fried everything
Junk food
Saturated fats
Processed food
Sodas and beverages



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