PERIODISED training is a familiar concept to many coaches and boxers, but a lot do not apply the same principles to their nutrition timing. As we know boxers do not undertake the same training session day-to-day, week-to-week and all year round, but instead strategically plan and vary their preparations to incorporate different intensities and durations on different days in order to promote adaptation, help weight-loss or weight-gain and to ultimately make sure their performance is going to peak come fight night. The same should therefore apply to nutrition.
Periodising the nutrition of a fighter, is in essence, simply matching your food intake to reflect the demands and goals of specific training sessions; the idea being to adjust what and when you eat in line with your training volume. The periodisation of carbohydrates will have the greatest impact upon training adaptation and performance.
However, now for the million-dollar question, what is the best way to periodise your nutrition with your training? Although, the optimal way to do this is not currently known, below are five key tips to help implement the periodisation of nutrition to match your training schedule.
Next: Tip 1 of 5 – Run without carbs
Marc Fell BSc (hons), MSc
Twitter: @MarcFell1
Email: j.m.fell@2014.ljmu.ac.uk
1. Run without carbs
IT is common practice for most boxers to perform a road-run or some sort of cardio to promote aerobic capacity each day during their training camp. Therefore, when undertaking your run it would be useful to complete it in a fasted state whereby you do not consume carbohydrates in the evening before, hours before or during the run so that you are completing the run with low muscle-glycogen stores, in turn promoting training adaptations. However, to rescue the reduction in intensity that may be caused by the lack of carbs, it may be useful to consume a sufficient dose of caffeine through an espresso 30 minutes before the run whilst also digesting a whey protein shake with water to prevent muscle breakdown in the fasted state.
Next: Tip 2 of 5 – Carb up before high-intensity sessions
Marc Fell BSc (hons), MSc
Twitter: @MarcFell1
Email: j.m.fell@2014.ljmu.ac.uk
2. Carb up before high-intensity sessions
CARBOHYDRATES are the main fuel source for high-intensity exercise; it is therefore important that high-carbohydrate meals are provided before such sessions with high-carb snacks or drinks also being provided during the training to support performance. Under-fuelling in such sessions means you may be more susceptible to injury and/or illness alongside potential reductions in performance.
Next: Tip 3 of 5 – Maintain a high protein intake
Marc Fell BSc (hons), MSc
Twitter: @MarcFell1
Email: j.m.fell@2014.ljmu.ac.uk
3. Maintain a high protein intake
WHEN periodising your nutrition it is important to maintain a high protein intake (around 2g per kg of bodyweight per day) every day in order to support your goals of maintaining or promoting muscle mass. Protein intake is also essential for helping to remodel the muscle after exercise to promote adaptation and will also help maintain muscle mass during periods of weight loss.
Next: Swap 4 of 5 – Eat lots post-training
Marc Fell BSc (hons), MSc
Twitter: @MarcFell1
Email: j.m.fell@2014.ljmu.ac.uk
4. Eat lots post-training
WITHIN the first hour after completing a session whether this be a road-run, strength and conditioning session or gym-based tactical/sparring session it is important to consume a high amount of carbohydrate and protein afterwards to stimulate muscle remodelling alongside the fact that the muscle is more responsive to carbohydrates after exercise, meaning they will be stored more efficiently within the muscle. On the flip-side, if you restrict carbohydrates after a training session you may potentially reduce muscle protein synthesis which is needed for muscles to grow and remodel.
Next: Swap 5 of 5 – Get your rest-day diet right
Marc Fell BSc (hons), MSc
Twitter: @MarcFell1
Email: j.m.fell@2014.ljmu.ac.uk
5. Get your rest-day diet right
IT is also of the utmost important to periodise your nutrition with your rest days, whereby it may be useful to only consume a small amount of carbohydrate during this day to prevent any unwanted weight-gain. However, if the next day involves a couple of extremely high-intensity sessions it may be useful to eat a bit more carbohydrate so that when it comes to the following day’s sessions you have sufficient carbohydrate availability to meet their demands.
Marc Fell BSc (hons), MSc
Twitter: @MarcFell1
Email: j.m.fell@2014.ljmu.ac.uk
