MMA Fight Nutrition & Hydration

<p>Sports Nutrition for MMA <p> “Fluid Needs for Fighting” <p> Your mom may have told you: “drink 8, 8oz. glasses of water per day”. Although this advice is considered conventional wisdom, it surely isn’t based on any science. If that advice does apply to anyone, it certainly isn’t mixed martial artists who spend a good amount of their day jumping, punching, and wrestling in a hot, stuffy gym. Your fluid needs are unique, and as such, need a unique approach. As you likely know, dehydration results in a tremendous reduction in performance capacity. If you’re dehydrated, your body and mind will suffer. In the ring, this is a formula for disaster. There are two major reasons why an MMA practitioner has different fluid needs than both your average Joe and other athletes: one is that your activity level is much higher than most other athletes. Because MMA training is unusually intense and usually has a long duration, there is significantly more fluid loss than a steady-state activity like jogging. Secondly, because of the level of conditioning required to be competitive, mixed martial artists tend to have significantly more muscle mass than most. Glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrate, needs a lot of water. The vast majority of glycogen is stored in muscle, so you need to drink more fluid just to keep the glycogen in your muscle hydrated. <p> How Much Fluid Do I Need? Simple, everyone is different. Alright, so figuring out exactly how much fluid you need isn’t quite so simple. But, with a little bit of work up-front and a commitment to monitoring your progress; you can ensure you’re getting the right amount of fluid. Here are some general guidelines that you can use as a baseline: <p> Hydration Before Training • Drink at least15-20 fl oz. 2 hours before training/competition • Drink 8-10 fl oz. 15-30 minutes before training/competition <p> Hydration During Training • Drink 8-10 fl oz every 10 minutes • If you’re training more than an hour and a half, drink 8-10 fl oz. of electrolyte replacement drink every 30 minutes. <p> It’s possible that what you’re already doing closely resembles these guidelines. However, because the variability of one’s training varies so much, there is a more accurate way of going about staying hydrated. <p> Easy Ways for Mixed Martial Artists Assess Hydration Although following the guidelines above gives you an excellent baseline, there are many variables like altitude, humidity, and clothing that can make generic guidelines inaccurate. One of the most accurate ways to assess hydration is to check out your urine color. If it’s cloudy and yellow, then you know that you’re dehydrated. This is because the toxins that your kidneys filter out aren’t diluted in a large enough urine volume to be invisible. On the other hand, if it’s clear, you’re likely getting enough fluid. It’s normal to have a slight color in your urine, especially first thing in the morning or after taking a multivitamin. <p> Another fantastic way to monitor your hydration is to weigh yourself before and after your training session. Although you do burn a bit of fat during training, the vast majority of your weight loss is fluid. For example, if you weighted 155lbs. before your training session and weigh in at 153lbs. after your training, which means that, you lost 32oz. of fluid. (1 pound=16 ounces of fluid). A 2-3% loss of bodyweight during training can impair your performance and put added stress on vital organs. You should try to maintain adequate levels of hydration during training and replenish any losses within 1 hour of training. If you weigh more after training than you did before, that’s a sign you overdid it and drank too much. <p> The Hydration Plan Recap: 1. Mom may know best in most cases, but not when it comes to your hydration! 2. Everyone’s fluid needs are different from yours-so learn what your body needs. 3. Use the hydration guidelines as a starting point. Adjust to your training and body needs. 4. Check the color of your urine. Dark Yellow/Brown=severe dehydration, Yellow=moderate dehydration, Slight Yellow/Clear=Hydrated! 5. Weight yourself. Before and after training to get an idea of how much fluid you have lost and drink according. Sipping works better than chugging. <p> Train hard, eat smart and stay hydrated! Daniel M. Solomon, Registered Dietitian (RD) <p> More info check out: <a href="http://www.mmasportdiet.com">www.mmasportdiet.com</a> <p> Reference: (1)Benardot, Dan. Advanced Sports Nutrition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2006. Print. (2)Clark, Nancy. Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook . 4th. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2008. Print. (3)Judelson, Daniel. “Hydration and Muscular Performance: Does Fluid Balance Affect Strength, Power and High-Intensity Endurance?.” Sports Medicine 37(2007): 907-921. Print <p> <p></p>

THE POWER OF BEING

<p>From the time that we are born, we are taught to DO things! Every time we accomplish something we are rewarded, which gives us such accomplishment that we choose to pursue more opportunities to DO things so that we can be rewarded again! Education and work is also designed to further entrench this way of life. So we focus on DOING things to ensure success. Yet spending time DOING things on a constant basis can sometimes leave us feeling dissatisfied and empty. It starts to feel a bit like we’re running on a hamster wheel! Running as fast as we can, but going nowhere!</p>
<p>A Definition:<br />
One of the biggest lesson’s in life is to embrace the concept of being, which is extremely beneficial once mastered. It’s a strange concept, not familiar to most of us, but once you grasp it; you’ll wonder how you ever did without it! So what is the concept of ‘being’? Wikipedia defines a state of being as “aspects that involve expressions and manifestations coming from a [person's] innate being, or personal character” </p>
<p>It sounds to me like it refers to a natural way of responding to things, and how we show up in the world. For example to DO charitable things is one thing, but if your heart is compassionate and always being touched by the plight of others, which causes you to behave in a way that is innately kind to the less fortunate, that’s BEING! It’s knowing WHO you are and resting in that knowledge, and openly expressing that through everything you say and do. </p>
<p>More than a list of activities, it comes easily because it flows from WHO you are. It’s a process of working with your natural strengths, experience, personality, values, etc, and observing what needs to happen moment by moment, and not being distracted by a list of things to do. Being is a joyful and peaceful place because it comes from examining and accepting who you are, and working with that, as opposed to trying to be like someone else, which is just counterproductive. A place where opportunities happen without immense effort! What an amazing place to be! </p>
<p>The Concept of Flow<br />
Many of you have probably heard of the concept of flow, described as a place where opportunities seem to happen without much effort, a place of such strength that it’s actually fun and easy. If I can use the analogy of a river, if you allow yourself to be pushed in the direction of the water, that’s flow, easier and effortless! Whereas DOING is often compared to swimming upstream, it’s hard work, you are going against who you are and where you need to go, and often leaves you exhausted and demotivated!<br />
So my challenge for you this month, is to focus on being unconditionally constructive, being fully present, being yourself!</p>
<p>Reflection questions:<br />
What if you had everything that you needed within yourself to be a success!<br />
What if you could have , and joy in who you are and what you do?<br />
What if you loved your work, because it flowed out of who you are? </p>
<p>How does coaching work:<br />
A coach will partner with you, and act as a catalyst to achieve your goals. A coach has a unique perspective and is trained on a specific methodology that evokes curiosity, and reflection. If you want to truly succeed, and achieve something extraordinary, a coach is essential!</p>
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<strong>Author's Bio</strong> <br />
<p>About Racheal: I work with leaders and professionals to ensure business and personal success. I offer telephone coaching, as well as face-to-face, and group coaching. Areas that I focus on are finding your vision and passion in life; strengthening your personal foundation; managing your stress; and executive coaching. To learn more contact me now for a free (no obligations) coaching session.</p>
<p>Subscribe to newsletter: If you are interested in signing up to receive a free monthly newsletter that would contain tips and topics on how to achieve success in your life, please email <a href="mailto:dynamiqueatwork@mwebbiz.co.za" rel="nofollow">dynamiqueatwork@mwebbiz.co.za</a> with SUBSCRIBE in the subject. Should you no longer wish to receive these emails, kindly reply to this email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject. You are welcome to forward this newsletter on.<br />
For more information about coaching please check out my website: <a href="http://www.dynamiqueatwork.co.za" title="www.dynamiqueatwork.co.za" rel="nofollow">www.dynamiqueatwork.co.za</a></p>
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