Combat Sports

For that explosive power in the ring to the recovery and muscle growth out of it, creatine is an essential supplement for anyone serious about developing as a boxer. Not only has creatine been proven to enhance strength and prolong energy levels, it has also been shown to improve hand-eye co-ordination and mental focus, something never more relevant than to the pro boxer. The energy, power and focus needed to produce the victory late on in a fight when all else has failed can only come from a great creatine product.

As usual, protein is essential to any sportsmen, especially boxers, who want to reach the top of their game and maximise their full potential. They prevent soreness after intensive exercise by increasing the bodies’ ability to repair itself, build muscle and stay strong and lean.

Isotonic energy drinks or boosters such as BSN’s No-Explode or Syntha-6 offer explosive energy during training and fights and also boost depleted nutrient levels prior to intense exercise.

For those of you wanting to come down a weight class in the most efficient and effective way can look no further than some of the great fat loss supplements out there. Ergopharm’s AMP V2 or San Nutrition’s tight Hardcore are just two of many products available that can safely increase metabolism, encourage fat loss, prevent muscle loss through catabolism and increase energy levels.

Great for preventing muscle loss and damage that can occur following extremely heavy training sessions, Glutamine is essential in any boxers list of supplements. It also enhances the immune system and can be used as an energy source as continuous exercise depletes your bodies glycogen stores.

Another supplement that shouldn’t be underestimated, Amino Acids are commonly known as the building blocks of protein and not only stimulate muscle growth, but aid recovery and prevent muscle loss, key to promoting and improving the muscle reactions required during boxing. Furthermore, they can increase the body’s fuel supply by storing glycogen and have also been said to decrease the production of serotonin, thereby lowering mental fatigue and the feeling of tiredness, vital to any pro boxer.

Boxing has long been one of the most intense sports you will ever compete in. At any level, several minutes at the mercy of your opponent for up to 12 rounds will determine whether you have what it takes to succeed in the sport. Boxing requires a number of individual attributes rarely required in one lone sportsman.

They must have the mental focus to remember exactly what steps to take in the chess-game that can develop inside the ring. A mental focus that must remain despite blood dripping down you cheek, vision impairment or the sight of your opponent coming in to finish the job. They must have the stamina to stand toe-to-toe with their opponents for as long as it takes, both defending numerous energy sapping blows, whilst having the strength to counter their opponents punches and land blows of their own powerful enough to force them back or achieve your goal - knock them out! Finally, they must have the skill and speed within themselves to force their muscles into quick yet explosive, powerful movements to strike an opponent trained well in avoiding them. All these things and many more require countless hours in the gym. Make no mistake about it, the difference between world champions and nearly men are those extra efforts you commit your body to in training. Few people recognise the motivation and energy required to reach the top level.

Boxing also relies heavily on physical shape and size (try telling that to Mike Tyson). An extra inch of reach or height can give a fighter the advantage he needs. This is where the endless hours of training are required to make the most of what nature gave you. Your cardio work must be at the very top level, your skills must be constantly honed and improved upon and the extra power needed to knock an opponent out must be strived for.

However, one cannot simply step into the gym 5 or 6 hours a day and give it their all without taking on board the best nutritional advice on offer and taking advantage of a growing range of sports supplements that will give you that extra edge. Sports supplements are becoming an essential ingredient in all aspects of modern sport and can make the difference between first and second place. If you’re sat in your corner, waiting to stand up and begin the 12th round of a fight, muscles aching, head spinning, legs shaking, you will need to know you did everything you could to make sure your body is in the best physical shape to stand up and finish the fight on a high. Sports supplements will give you that extra pinch of power to see your opponent kissing mat.

A Boxer’s Diet

The diet of any serious boxer will coincide with their weight class, therefore they may be restricted in the amount of food they eat and amount of weight they require to add. As in all sports diets, protein, carbohydrates and fats are all essential to provide the energy and nutrients a boxer needs to stay fit and healthy.

Protein: Whether training or after actual fights, a Boxer’s muscles will experience small tears as the muscle fibres are stretched and strained beyond their comfortable limit. Protein is essential to ensure the muscle heals stronger than before and is ready to commence further punishment day to day. More so when leading up to a fight, a Boxer’s body and therefore muscles are tested to the limit in a last push to reach their potential. Furthermore, keeping topped up with protein ensures the bodies’ energy supplies are also increased, preventing muscle loss when the body requires energy from its own muscle. Similar to bodybuilders, dieticians suggest Protein makes up around 35% of your daily food intake.

Carbohydrates: Large amounts of carbohydrates are essential to any sportsman’s diet, and never more so than a boxer. Carbohydrates give you the energy required to train hard, keep stamina high during a fight and replace lost glycogen stores to give you the speed and power on hand at the start of the fight, all the way to the end of it. Processed carbs such as pasta and white bread are less effective than natural ones such as fruits, beans, oatmeal and whole grain wheat. Dieticians suggest Carbohydrates make up around 50 of a boxer’s diet.

Fat: The misconception of fat is that it’s all bad, which as we know, is a fatal flaw in any sportspersons diet. Good fats such as Omega-3 and Omega-6 ensure internal bodily function so eating the right amounts of fish oils, nuts and seeds and supplements such as flaxseed oil can improve all functions of the mind, body and soul.

Off-Season: When not fighting or involved in less intensive fight training, boxer’s must alter their diet slightly to make up for this, usually consisting of keeping carbohydrate intake high, whilst limiting fat and protein intake to around 20% each.

Pre-Fight: Experts recommend fighters eat smaller, more regular meals when preparing for a fight to keep energy levels topped up to a maximum and discourage the intake of larger, stodgy meals that will bog the body down in the digestion process. Lighter starchy foods such as brown bread and cereals are preferred over most others.

Post-Fight: Immediately after a fight or heavy training session, boxers must supply their bodies with high amounts of protein and carbohydrates to increase energy glycogen levels and prevent the body from using its own muscle mass as energy.