What do boxers eat to lose weight

Best Diet For Boxers (With Meal Plan Example)

So, you want to eat like a professional boxer huh? Put down those Cheetos and pick up that steak. Ive got the best diet for boxers that will transform your body and boxing performance.

The best diet for boxers is one that is high in carbohydrates (3 g per kg of bodyweight), lower in fat (1 g per kg of bodyweight), with moderate protein (2 g per kg of bodyweight). This ensures that you are adequately fueled for your boxing training while being able to build or maintain muscle mass.

Having this macronutrient breakdown is great. But Im going to show you how to put it into action. Firstly, lets cover how often you should eat a day.

How Many Meals Do Boxers Eat?

Boxers will generally eat enough meals needed to meet their caloric requirements around their training schedule. For example, Rocky Fielding would eat five meals a day leading into his fights. If you want a fully effective weight cutting strategy as well as Rocky Fielding's diet strategies by his performance nutritionist, check out our online weight cutting course.

As a boxer, you may be training once to twice a day. Sometimes three depending on your training schedule. This means you need to eat smaller, more frequent meals so you can train without feeling full and bloated.

Very rarely will a boxer eat only three meals a day as would be difficult to ingest the required calories while not negatively affecting boxing training.

How Do Boxers Lose Weight Fast?

Boxers will lose weight quickly by cutting water weight. This is an acute weight loss strategy that is often employed a day or two before the weigh-in. Most importantly, this fast weight loss isn't done long term. And further, it only consists of between 5-8% loss of bodyweight.

Losing weight quickly through extreme food restriction and extreme dehydration is a quick path to poor boxing performance, adverse health outcomes, and potentially a trip to the hospital. Worst case scenario? Death.

If you are undergoing weight-cutting strategies, seek a professional to help with your game plan. It is well worth the investment to avoid these risks. Further, getting this right will have you boxing like an animal.

What Can Boxers Eat During Training?

It is well-known boxing training can be long and intense. During these sessions, it is smart to fuel yourself so you can maintain training quality and intensity.

FREE Weight Cut Template That Automatically Calculates Your Macros

Research suggests that moderate to high-intensity intermittent exercise (i.e.boxing workouts) of greater than an hour would benefit from 30-60 g of carbohydrates per hour^[1].

It's important to note that these carbohydrates need to be fast digesting. An example would be a full sugar sports drink that you can sip on during your training. You can also use dextrose or maltodextrin powder which are dirt cheap. However, they are unflavored so you need to mix them in something with flavor.

What To Eat After Boxing Training?

Eating after your boxing training is going to help refuel your body to accelerate recovery and provide energy for your second session of the day if you have one. Some foods are better than others to consume directly after training.

Ideally, these foods should be fast-digesting so they can be broken down for fuel quickly to be used by the muscles. Fast digesting foods would be lean protein sources and sugary carbohydrate sources.

Some may opt to just consume a protein shake but the research suggests that protein + carbohydrates post-workout might be better than just protein to enhance muscle protein synthesis (the building of new proteins)^[2].

So here are some post-boxing training meal options that digest quickly to enhance your recovery:

• Whey protein and maltodextrin shake
• Whey protein shake and rice cakes
• Whey protein and Gatorade
• Whey protein and cereal with low-fat milk
• Whey protein smoothie with low-fat milk, banana, and berries
• White meat (chicken breast or fish) and white rice
• White meat and rice cakes
• White meat and pasta
• White meat sandwich
• White meat, banana, and pineapple
• Egg white omelet and toast with jam
• Egg white omelet, banana, and pineapple
• Greek yogurt and fruit

Boxing Diet Plan For Beginners

Firstly, you must calculate your macronutrient breakdown. Dr. James Morehen, performance nutritionist for many professional boxers (most notably Rocky Fielding) recommends an intake of 1 g per kg bodyweight of fat, 2 g per kg bodyweight of protein, and 3 g per kg of bodyweight of carbohydrates.

So, if you are a 165 lb boxer, divide your bodyweight in pounds by 2.2 which equals 75 kg.

Protein = 150 g

Carbohydrates = 225 g

Fat = 75 g

This is the easiest way to calculate your macronutrient breakdown. Here is a boxing diet plan for a boxer who is training twice a day. Boxing session in the morning and a strength or conditioning session in the afternoon.

"A really massive part of the success was the weight cut."

"Dr. James Morehen knew my body better than me. My performances were staying, my training in the gym, my sleep pattern was good. I wasn't going to bed starving, I was getting good rest in and sleep in."- Rocky Fielding (WBA Super Middleweight Champion)

References

1. Burke, L. M. (2010). Fueling strategies to optimize performance: training high or training low?. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 20, 48-58.

2. Phillips, S. M. (2011). The science of muscle hypertrophy: making dietary protein count. Proceedings of the nutrition society, 70(1), 100-103.

Boxing Diet Plan for Weight Loss

Boxers diet last updated, 17th January, 2022

Looking for a freestanding punch bag, hanging punch bag or a bag with a swinging arm?

Take a look at the METIS Range of professional quality punch bags here

What is a boxers diet?

The make-up of a boxers diet depends on many factors. Like any other athlete, total calories, protein, fats and carbohydrate requirements must be calculated. Personal preference (in terms of taste and convenience) and any food intolerances must be taken into account before a sports nutritionist begins to put together the ideal diet.

The typical boxers diet however, will be high in protein, high in whole-foods, high in essential fatty acids and high in complex carbohydrate. Supplements such as whey protein and creatine are common too. Boxers diets are also altered considerably in the lead up to a fight if they have to lose weight to weigh-in under a specific weight. Much of the weight is lost by manipulating hydration levels typically by reducing sodium, carbohydrate and overall fluid intake.

What do boxers eat before a fight?

This depends on a fighters personal preference, but will typically include a carbohydrate meal around 2 hours prior to a fight, followed by a carbohydrate snack, such as a banana about 1 hour before the fight. A boxer may also wish to sip on a carbohydrate and electrolyte drink during the 2/3 hours pre-fight.

If a fighter is dehydrated and carb-depleted from a weigh in, this will have a significant impact upon the pre-fight diet, which will include a tailored amount of carbohydrate, water and sodium, to be consume as soon as possible after the weigh-in, at regular intervals (theres a limit to how much fluid can be taken on typically its around 150ml every 20 mins).

Do Boxers Run on an Empty Stomach?

Sometimes, boxers will exercise on an empty stomach. Exercising on an empty stomach, can force the body to utilise fats rather than carbohydrates (reference from Harvard university website here). Exercising in a fasted state, may help to increase protein synthesis, (reference study) and human growth hormone (reference study). Although boxers will typically run on an empty stomach in an effort to lose extra body fat and water-weight before a weigh-in.

Do Boxers eat raw eggs?

Some may do, but the theory/myth that boxers eat lots of raw eggs comes from the Rocky movie, with Sly Stallone. Raw eggs are generally considered safe to eat and healthy full of essential amino acids and omega 9 fatty acids; however cooked eggs are safer to consume and cooking also destroys the biotin-binding anti-nutrient called avidin that is found in eggs.

Boxers Diet An Overview

Boxing is a highly demanding sport. Technique is paramount, but so is fitness and recovery. In order to adapt to training, build strength and power, a boxers diet should be high in quality protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates.

A diet should never be one-size-fits-all however, and should be tailored to the individual boxer/fighter. For a range of boxer meal plan & diet ideas and examples, please read below.

Always have have an eating plan /meal plan for the week and focus on how you feel and how well you perform.

You can find our free Boxing Workouts/Strength & Conditioning Programs here.

Boxing Diet Plan for Weight Loss

A boxers diet before a fight and the rapid weight loss is often referred to as the fight before the fight.

A lot of fighters and boxing coaches are eager to learn about cutting weight for a fight.

This is why the phrase boxers diet to lose weight fast is searched thousands of times each month on Google. Its understandable, with a good vs bad weight cut often making the difference between winning & losing from MMA, the Vitor Belfort Vs Rumble Johnson fight is a good example of this.

A weight cut without supervision or guidance from a coach or nutritionist is a very bad idea.

LOSING WEIGHT EXTREMELY QUICKLY IS POTENTIALLY FATAL

So always gain professional advice

Cut Down on Carbs

1 gram of carbs, stores an additional 3 grams of water, so carbs need to be reduced

Cut Out Sodium

Sodium/salt makes the body retain water (so dont have any)

Drink Lots (Gallons) of Water

Drinking lots of water, according toMartin Rooney, makes the body trigger hormones, which in turn, cause the body to excrete more water than normal.So by drinking 2 gallons, and tapering it down to no water at all, the body will lose more water weight.

Boxers Weight Loss Diet

To lose around 15lbs in a week (depending on current weight -remember this should be done with medical & professional supervision)

6 Days out from the weight in:

Day 1:Increased water consumption effects the regulation of aldosterone, a hormone which influences water retention and sodium:

Drink 9 litres of water (some people recommend distilled water)

Eat around 50-60g of carbs

Plenty of protein and fats, within 3 or 4 meals, no snacks

Plenty of organic veg, omega 3 etc. Youll need nutrient dense food to stop you feeling too run down.

This is the same for every day except the weigh in day.

No Salt

Day 2:Drink 4 litres of water

Eat around 50g of carbs

Plenty of protein and fats, within 3 or 4 meals, no snacks

No Salt

Day 3:

Drink 4 litres of water

Eat around 50g of carbs but no starches or refined sugar

Plenty of protein and fats, within 3 or 4 meals, no snacks

No Salt

Day 4:

Drink 2.5 litres of water

Eat around 50g of carbs but no starches or sugar

Plenty of protein and fats, within 3 or 4 meals, no snacks

No Salt

Day 5:

Drink 2.5 litres of water

Eat around 20-40g of carbs but no starches or sugar

Plenty of protein and fats, within 3 or 4 meals, no snackslast meal by 6pm

No Salt

It is generally agreed that you should be about3-6lbs over your weigh-in weight, the time you go to bedbefore the night before the weigh-in.

Weigh in Day:

2 very small meals

less than 10g of carbs

No water or salt until weigh in

Weight Loss through SweatingVERY dangerous and potentially damaging to performance

Be aware of physical effort and energy expenditure if making weight for a fight.

You can do low intensity cardio wearing heavy or waterproof clothing the day of your weigh in.

Weigh yourself at 5minute intervals.

You can soak in a hot bath the night before the weigh in. Weigh yourself at 10 minute intervals.Put everything in the water, except for your mouth and nose. Towel off after each interval and weigh yourself, do not shower, as this can make you gain more weight.Take 5-10 minute intervals between 10 minute bouts in the bath.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISION

This weight loss is short-term only

For information on making weight and diets related to weight cutting please see my other article

General Boxers Diet for Improved Performance

Recover Quicker, Feel Energised & Focused with the right Diet

A boxers diet is undoubtedly a crucial aspect of their preparation for a fight. The right nutrition is required to adapt to training stress/stimulus, to recover and to make weight (unless you happen to be a heavyweight).

The number of the calories that a boxer requires will depend on a number of factors including bodyweight, muscle mass and training programme.

A typical boxer will require between 3,000 and 4,000 calories per day. This is only a rough guide, a professional heavyweight boxer during training camp may need 8,000 calories+ per day.

How to Work out The Calories You Need

• Begin by working out your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) with a calculatorhere
• Then use the Harris Benedict Formula, to work out your calorie requirements, based on your physical activity levels:

If you exercise 1-3 days a week, multiply your BMR by 1.375 If you train 3-5 days a week BMR x 1.55 6-7 days a week BMR x 1.725 if you have a physical job and train most days, BMR x 1.9

Im 5ft 10, 200lbs and train about 4 times a week. So my calorie requirement would be 3060 calories.

This is still only a rough guide. I would recommend monitoring body fat percentage and waist circumference. If your waist and body-fat goes up youre probably eating too much!

Boxers Need a Base of Micronutrients for Recovery & Well-being

You Need the correct fuel all day, every day, not just before, during & after training

Gone are the days (to a certain extent) when sports nutrition was all about pre-workout and post-workout nutritionfor recovery and adaptation to training a fighter requires a range of healthy organic fruit, vegetables and sources of protein.

Good sources of protein include hemp seeds, quinoa, organic meat and wild fish.

Boxers should also look to consume a high amount of omega 3, from sources such as flaxseed and fish oil. This is a slightly controversial topic, with many nutritionists arguing that plant-based sources as healthiest, with advocates of fish oil pointing out that vegan sources of omega 3 rarely contain much EPA the part of omega 3 which has the most potent anti-inflammatory benefits.

Carbohydrates to Fuel Training

Ah, another controversial topic in modern sports nutrition. A typical diet will consist of a high number of carbohydrate foods including oats, pasta, whole grains and glucose-based-drinks before, during and after training.

Lower carbohydrate, higher fat diets have become more fashionable of late, as well as the targeted ketogenic diet.

The targeted ketosis diet consists of a very low carbohydrate diet, day to day with 50g of fast acting/sugary carbs consumed an hour before training. The 50g of carbohydrate could come from fruit or supplements such as maltodextrin.

Supplements for Boxing

These natural supplements can make all the difference

I prefer to stay away from most supplements if possible, but the research behind whey proteinand also creatine is pretty impressive and difficult to argue with. Whey protein with 5g of creatine are ideal straight after training, with a source of carbohydrates such as a banana. 1 hour later look to consume a meal containing protein, fats and carbohydrate.

Baking Soda is Healthy & Great for Muscular Endurance

Baking soda is a great, natural supplement that is said to be good for your kidneys and to have anti-cancer properties (Im not suggesting by any means that it cures it but baking soda is as healthy as supplements come).

Add 2g of baking soda to a litre of water and drink throughout the day consider adding a small amount of lemon juice too.

Pre-training try 5g of baking soda. Be very careful to assess your tolerance however too much baking soda =diarrhea.

Supplements to Protect & Enhance your Brain

Dont forget your fight IQ! Improve Focus & Boxing Problem Solving Skills

People underestimate the importance of problem-solving and cognition for combat sports this is crucial!

If you want to improve your Fight IQ for boxing, then watching boxing videos, study styles, practice mental arithmetic and brain training via websites like Luminosityand consider supplementing with Lions Mane Mushroom.

Lions Mane Mushroom

Rosehip, Ginger, Turmeric & Tart Cherry Juice protect the brain against inflammation

Foods and supplements such as lions mane mushroom and anti-inflammatory foods such as turmeric, ginger, tart cherry juice and rosehip are also great to consume daily, to offset any damage taken during training or fighting.

Uridine is another supplement that can help with Fight IQ and is said to protect brain cells etc. There are also some quite serious potential side effects, so stick with lions mane if you can afford it.

Fish Oil is Touted as a true Superfood for the Brain

Another important supplement to protect your brain is Omega 3. Supplementing with fish oil can help reduce inflammation. I have read about people consuming a mega-dose of fish oil at 20-30g per day however I would not recommend this for boxers as it can increase the risk for a bleed on the brain.

Salmon Roe

Omega 3 contains EPA & DHA.

Salmon roe contains a phospholipid form which is more bioavailable. A lot more, especially if you have a genetic predisposition to certain degenerative brain conditions.

Dr Rhonda Patrick, who Joe Rogan fans may be familiar with, recently published a study regarding salmon roe & its beneficial effects on the brain.

You can read a summary of Dr Rhonda Patricks scientific paper here.

Boxing Supplements for Mental & Physical Energy

Pre-workouts are not great for boxing as they cause too much muscle tension.

Adaptogens are the healthiest supplement you can take in order to increase energy levels.

Adaptogens are a range of plants & herbs that reduce cortisol levels (generally) and also tend to give a feeling of wellbeing.

Adaptogens that increase energy levels include Panax Ginseng, gingko biloba & cordyceps mushrooms.

Another way to increase energy levels, whilst avoiding stress inducing stimulants, is to increase & enhance the efficiency of the mitochondria in your body.

Supplements PQQ & Acetyl-L-Carnitine are great for this.

Start off with a tiny amount of both & build up the dosage.

PQQ can cause anxiety in some, whilst Acetyl-L-Carnitine (also known as ALCAR) can cause stomach issues.

There is also some evidence that Acetyl-L-Carnitine may protect against neuro-degenerative diseases.

There however, is some (rather poor in my opinion) evidence that links Acetyl-L-Carnitine with cancer. Interestingly, this study is the only one I can find after a quick google search of ALCAR cancer.

Boxers Diet Plan

*Please note that the diet plan above is a very rough guide*

Eat 5-10 portions of fruit & veg on top of the meals outlined above.

Hemp Smoothie would include avocado, peanut butter, hemp seeds, kale, cacao powder (and maybe some stevia to sweeten or raw honey)

Alternative Boxing Diet Plans:

• 2 litres of filtered/spring water per day (consider adding a little lemon juice or baking soda)
• 10 sources of fruits & vegetables per day (smoothies or greens powders make this easier)

8am

Whey protein drink in water

High Protein Porridge:2 cups of porridge oats1 cup of ground almondsA handful of sesame seedsa teaspoon of raw or manuka honey

or

Smoothie 1/2 Avocado15g Peanut butter1/2 BananaHandful of Kale5g Spiriluna10g Cacao powder5g Stevia (optional sweetener)

10.30am2 slices of wheat-free toast with organic peanut butter (no added sugar version)

or2 rice cakes with organic peanut butterbanana

or

Mashed banana mixed with almond butter on toast

12pmEgg salad with goats cheese, lettuce and as many vegetables as possible300ml hemp milk / full-fat milk2 pieces of high-quality dark chocolate1 piece of fruit

3pmWhey protein drinkPiece of fruit

or

1 tin of sardines

5pm approx 1 hr before training2 cups of wheat free cereal or porridge oatswith 150-200ml hemp or almond milk and asliced bananaapplea handful of nuts and seeds

20 mins before training 10g BCAA (optional)

Post Workout(within 30 mins)1 piece of fruit (preferably a banana, as these contain glucose as well as fructose)

Post workout drink:30g maltodextrin40g whey protein4g creatine500mg Alpha lipoic acid

Or

natural smoothie1/2 Avocado15g Peanut butter1/2 BananaHandful of Kale5g Spiriluna10g Cacao powder5g Stevia (optional sweetener)

Evening Meal(1 hour after training)Couscous 70gSalmon 100gRoasted Vegetables

• Pour 125ml water in a pan per 100g of couscous, Bring to the boil. Take off the ring as soon as boiled. Leave to stand for 2 mins. Fluff with fork. Season. Add a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar.
• Salmon poach in water, with a little butter for approx 15 mins.
• Roasted vegetables onions, sweet potatoes, carrots. Chop up vegetables, put on a baking tray with oil drizzled on them. Add seasoning e.g. thyme or Chinese five spice. Put in the oven, 180 degrees for 15-20 mins.

Supper350ml of coconut milk (beware that typical cartons contain about 2% coconut milk tins or dried coconut milk tend to be better sources)

Calories approx 3200

For extra calories make an additional protein smoothie:40g Hemp seeds/hemp protein powder25g dried coconut milk1 bananaHandful of spinach20g flaxseed powder/coconut oilBlend together makes 500 to 600 calories

Pecans are also a great source of extra calories. A 200g bag containing 1,400 calories is pretty easy to get through, especially if you add some goji berries and a fair amount of pink salt

There are many ways to approach nutrition and meal preparation.

Many fighters stick to 5 or 6 small meals per day,

whilst others may practice intermittent fasting or prefer a ketogenic alkaline diet.

Some may consume supplements, whilst other boxers prefer to consume a plant-based whole-foods diet with no supplements at all.

Experiment and see what works for you. General principles remain however:

• Get plenty of fruit and vegetables 5-10 portions per day
• Avoid processed foods like Pot Noodles
• Whole foods are best
• Get plenty of protein hemp seeds, grass-fed beef, wild fish
• Get plenty of omega 3 flaxseed and/or fish oil
• Avoid alcohol especially after a fight or training
• Consume anti-inflammatory foods like ginger, turmeric etc
• Dont fry with sunflower oil and oils high in omega 6
• Foods to build healthy gut flora sauerkraut, kefir, yoghurt

Boxers Diet PDF

Click here to download a pdf of the above diet plan

Smoothie recipes

Smoothies are an excellent way to obtain the necessary micro and micronutrients required to train hard, adapt and recover.

I recently bought a Nutribullet and it was a wise investment as my previous blender took ages to blend avocados and couldnt blend nuts.

Smoothie shopping list

Avocados

Almonds

Bananas

Raspberries

Kale

Spinach

Chia seeds

Hemp seeds

Cacao powder

Stevia (optional sweetener)

Raw honey

Frozen fruit

Frozen berries

Smoothie Recipe 1

10g cacao powder

10g stevia

1/2 avocado

15g peanut butter

10g wheatgrass

5g turmeric

1 banana

500ml water

Foods Not To Eat

Alchohol causes inflammation and generally bad for your brain. (weed is potentially a better option)

Processed foods again, cause inflammation. This is where the argument against supplements comes in despite the research behind supplements such as whey protein, many combat athletes are turning to whole foods diets high in vegetables and avoiding supplements all together. They feel that this gives them a base of general wellbeing and energy which is great for recovery and immune functioning etc which allows them to train harder.

What to Eat Before a Boxing-Training-Session

You will need to experiment a bit to find out what suits you best.

One protocol to try might be:

• Main Meal around 2.5 hours before training*
• A high carbohydrate snack around an hour before**
• Sip on coconut water or a sports drink during the hour before

*The A main meal might be something like a chicken stir fry

**The high carbohydrate snack might be something like a banana and a handful of goji berries

You can also try baking soda about 30 minutes before training too. Start off with 2/3g and build up slowly to find your tolerance (too much in one go can give you an upset stomach)

What to Eat During a Boxing-Training-Session

During a training session sip on a drink containing electrolytes and ideally some carbohydrates too.

A natural sports drink might be something like:

• coconut water
• Water with a pinch of Himalayan salt
• Diluted fruit juice with a pinch of salt

The issue with standard sports drinks is that they contain unhealthy ingredients such as artificial colourings and additives, as well as filtered, sugary crap like fructose-syrup.

Maltodextrin has a lot of research behind it in terms of being the best ingredient to look out for if you do go for a traditional sports drink. You can buy maltodextrin in bulk from bulkpowders and avoid the acidic sweeteners etc. found in commercial ready to drink formulas.

What to Eat After Training

To take advantage of the increased insulin levels, to improve recovery look to have:

• A Protein & Carbohydrate Drink or Smoothie immediately after
• A meal Within 1 hour

Its up to you whether you should look to consume a supplement-based protein drink or a whole foods based one.

For example, a protein shake might contain:

• 30g whey protein
• 20g maltodextrin
• 10g oats
• 5g creatine

Whilst others might prefer a natural blended smoothie:

• 20g hemp seeds
• 10g oats
• 1 banana
• 10g pure peanut butter

Either way, post-training is the ideal time to replenish glycogen stores and to consume protein to also ensure your body adapts to the training stimulus and recovers in time for the next training session.

Targeted Ketogenic Diet for Boxers

For boxers looking to shed a little weight and to reduce inflammation, targeted ketosis may be worth looking into.

The brain is also said to function more efficiently when using ketones as fuel, rather then glucose great for Fight IQ again.

Ketosis is also said to reduce inflammation great for recovery and general wellbeing.

Ketosis will also help you lose a few pounds instantly, as carbohydrates hold a lot of water (2.7g of water is held in the body for every 1g of carbohydrate), by reducing the carbohydrate / glycogen stored in the body, you will quickly lose some water-weight.

The issue with ketosis is that the first 2 to 3 weeks with very low carbohydrate diets is hard going. You lose energy and focus etc as your body becomes adapted to using fat and ketones as fuel instead of glucose. This can be avoided to a certain extent by supplementing with exogenous ketones.

Another issue with ketosis is that you can lose power and strength to a certain extent as there are no, or very little, glycogen stores to call upon. Fat is a more efficient fuel source but cannot fuel explosive movements.

To offset this issue, consume 50g of fast-acting carbohydrate like maltodextrin around 45 minutes before training. This will temporarily kick you out of ketosis for a few hours, but you will be able to train at a higher intensity.

You take the 50g of carbohydrate before each time you train, but you will also lose the benefits of ketosis each time you have the carbohydrate. Most people, therefore limit this protocol to twice a week.

Use the pee-sticks to make sure you are back in ketosis before doing it again.

Paleo Diet for Boxers

The paleo diet is a controversial one too.

Most nutritionists & dieticians will regard it as a healthy diet mainly, because of all the high quality whole foods that you eat.

However it tends to be low(er) carbohydrate with no grains. This remains controversial as many see carbohydrate as the fuel for exercise and believe that it must be consumed in large quantities.

This is debatable, with more and more people saying that eating carbohydrate only on training days, or in smaller quantities (100g per day for example) is optimal for both wellbeing and performance.

The jury is still out!

You could always try the whole foods approach and dropping grains on non-training days to see how you feel.

Robb Wolf is a good guy to follow in regards to Paleo diets for athletes.

A final note on diets and boxing that we dont consider but should

Allergies & Combat Sports Really Do Not Mix Cut Out Allergies with Diet

If you suffer from allergies, you probably suffer from a compromised or over-active immune system and chances are that you are riddled with inflammation.

Supplements for allergies include:

• Rosemary (tea or capsules)
• Nettle (tea or capsules)
• Quercitin
• Guduchi
• Spirulina

The above supplements treat the symptoms, whilst the guduchi powder and spirulina also help to boost your immune system.

Allergies can also be caused by a candida overgrowth in the gut, this can be treat with:

• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Olive Leaf Extract
• Probiotics & Fermented foods

On a personal note, I suffered from allergies since I can remember.

I cant overstate how shite bad allergies make you feel, from the joint pain, clogged up head and fatigue that they cause.

Allergies definitely have an impact on your motivation, focus and ability to recover in between training sessions.

I found a massive difference too but cutting out dairy. This was literally a life changer for me.

Focus on Wellbeing & Feeling Good

Supplements such as protein shakes, creatine and energy drinks are all well and good, but they dont compensate for a poor diet.

Ensure that you eat:

• Organic Fruit & Veg
• Electrolytes from coconut water &/or pink salt
• High quality protein hemp seeds, organic meat, free range eggs
• Berries blueberries, goji berries
• Healthy Fats

Avoid omega 6 in foods such as sunflower oil as these are pro-inflammatory.

Non-Diet ways/strategies to improve recovery and performance include

• Grounding Barefoot walking (study here)
• Lightboxes / SAD Lamps Especially for energy in winter (More info here)
• Saunas or Ice baths Great for the immune system
• Breathing Exercises see Wim Hof

Fore more ways to increase energy levels & enhance recovery see my MMA Recovery article.

Boxers Diet Plan Weight Gain

Looking to move up a weight division? Gaining weight is just as hard as losing it.

A calorie surplus is necessary in order to gain mass. Weight training should compliment the diet and should focus primarily on boxing-movements with resistance.

Overnight oats are another really easy way to increase calories.

Just prepare a (massive) bowl of porridge, with goji berries, raw honey and peanut butter. Add a tiny amount of apple cider vinegar.

I have a small appetite but can easily put away 800 calories worth of overnight oats, no probs.

Overnight oats - a great way to get more calories in your diet

Download a boxing weight training programme here

See our full article on strength & conditioning for boxing here.

Boxing Food List

Shopping List

FruitBananas

BlueberriesRed grapesApplesStrawberries (organic only see the dirty dozen)

VegetablesCucumberRocketBroccoliRed onionBeetrootSweet potatoCarrotsKidney BeansTomatoesMushroomsAvocadoGreen Olives

Meat & FishSalmon (not smoked, ideally not farmed either)Grass-fed beefChicken breasts

OtherBuckwheatOatsFeta CheeseFree range eggsHummusWalnutsAlmondscoconut OilOlive OilPasta

SupplementsCreatineWhey/Hemp Protein

Supplements for Cognitive EnhancementAcetyl L-CarnitineLions Mane Mushroom

Supplements/Foods to Protect the BrainSalmon Roe/EggsTurmeric

How Much Protein Do Boxers Need?

Research suggests that a boxer requires around 1.5g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight this is a very approximate breakdown of requirements.

So a 100kg man (220lbs) would require about 150g of protein.

The quality of protein is also an important factor however.

Protein from steak for example, is more likely to be absorbed and utilised by the body than the protein found in nuts and seeds.

Try and get all of your protein (that you count towards your daily total) form protein with a biological value of over 70

For more information on protein & whey protein supplements see our Whey Protein Article here

I would like to add at this point, that a lot of the research surrounding whey protein is regarded as questionable, due to the fact that it was funded by the diary industry.

There is such a vast amount of research that supports whey protein however, that I personally think it is safe to say that it is an effective food supplement for athletes, including boxers.

Learn About the Targeted Ketogenic diet for boxing & MMA in our article here

You can find our free Boxing Workouts/Strength & Conditioning Programs here.

Looking for a punch bag?

Looking for a freestanding punch bag, hanging punch bag or a bag with a swinging arm?

Take a look at the METIS Range of professional quality punch bags here