What you eat ultimately decide how you will perform. In boxing, you simply cannot retain your old eating habits and believe that you will excel. That thought will soon become a reality when you step into the ring. Food is fuel to the body and a boxer’s body needs the right fuel to remain in tip-top shape.
Say hello to a new way of life. Deciding to venture into boxing is deciding to clean out your plate. A healthy and balanced diet will now become your new best friend! You must take your time and learn what is right and wrong then make the necessary changes. There are no cutting corners or you won’t last. Study what your idols eat and when they eat too.
This article will give you an insight into a healthy diet for a professional boxer. What you eat matters as much as how you train. Without the right fuel in your body, even training will become an uphill task.
Table of Contents
What is on a Boxer’s Plate?
It is time you learn how to eat a balanced diet. A balanced diet contains Protein, Carbohydrates, and Vitamins (including Minerals).
a) Protein
Protein, from here henceforth, must be present in your plate. It is very important especially when you are involved in extreme physical challenges. Protein is known to repair and rebuild your muscles. This is because muscles are broken down when you are training or competing due to the rigors of physical activity. The amino acids contained in the protein form the building blocks for the muscles.
You have to take protein with every meal because it is not easily stored by the body. There are a number of food sources that sources of protein. They include animal and plant sources. Animal sources are meat (preferably white meat like chicken), organic eggs and fish. Plant sources are Nuts like Macadamia and peanuts, Fruits like bananas, guavas, avocados and oranges, and Vegetables like spinach, asparagus, green peas, and artichoke.
b) Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates have to be your new best friend as a boxer. No more subscribing to a carb-free diet. You will need adequate energy to be able to keep up with training and on the ring. Carbohydrates are the best source of fuel for your body. It cannot miss on your plate. It helps you store more glycogen which is your body’s source of fuel as you are involved in strenuous physical activity.
You cannot avoid carbohydrates and be able to sustain yourself in boxing. Sources of good carbohydrates include vegetables like broccoli, sweet potatoes, beets and sweet corn, high carb pulses like beans, lentils, and quinoa, and other sources like brown rice, brown baked goods, and oats.
c) Vitamins and Minerals
As a boxer, you will need a steady supply of vitamins and minerals to your body on a daily basis. Vitamins and minerals play crucial roles in your body. They are responsible for your overall health and well-being. They play a role in the health of your bones, the production of energy, and enhancing performance. You must know what the right foods are to consume to get an abundant supply of vitamins and minerals into your body daily.
The most important vitamins for a boxer include Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin A, and Vitamin D. The most important minerals are Thiamin, Niacin, Iron, and calcium. These vitamins and minerals can be found in many healthy foods.
When Should you Eat?
As a boxer, you must learn when it is the right time to eat. Yes, there is a right time to eat now that you are more physically active. In order to remain at your best on the ring, you must maintain the recommended weight. This means you either have to lose or gain weight as a beginner depending on your staring measurements. Eating at the right time will help you a lot in reaching your set target.
You must have a set timetable of when to eat. This calls for planning and you may even include prepped meals as well to help keep you organized. As a boxer, your body will use up so much energy which it easily burns as you train or compete. Let your eating plan go hand in hand with your workouts in order to sustain your energy supplies.
Portion out your food correctly avoiding overeating. All excess food will be stored in your body as fat. This excess fat will definitely mess with your target weight. Do not eat less, this will just result in hunger pangs throughout the day due to use up energy leaving your storage empty. It is ideal to eat good portions that will leave you sustained but not stuffed.
It is important to time out your meals correctly as a boxer. Do not leave too much room between meals. Eating when you are hungry means your body has already used up all its stored energy. With the amount of workout you are involved in, this is not advisable. Being too hungry always leads to overeating. A good boxer’s diet plan calls for six meals spread out the whole day. You have to portion them out correctly.
Make the portions of the six meals smaller with protein, carbs, and vitamins (minerals) sources. The best time to eat a bigger portion is usually in the morning before you train for the day. This gives you a chance to burn as much as you can. The rest of the meals should be smaller to keep you sustained throughout the day. You have to dedicate yourself to this new lifestyle if you are to reap the rewards.
Conclusion
Be ready to do a complete overhaul of how and what you eat when you decide to venture into boxing. Let this article give you a glimpse into the rest of your life from here on. The amount of energy needed to sustain a boxer’s lifestyle demands you eat a complete balanced diet. Plan your meals and even prep earlier in order to stay on track.
Proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins (minerals) have to be present in every meal. Do more research and change up your recipes to have variety and not get bored. Eat small meals spread out the whole day instead of three large meals. You have to remain sustained and not allow yourself to get extremely hungry before you eat. This can easily lead to overeating which messes with your target weight.