Imagine your friends giving you a brand new Rolls-Royce as a birthday gift and as a thank you for being their friends through the years.
Feels good — right?
Now as the new owner of the vehicle do you put water to the tank of the car or do you fill the tank of the car with fuel for your first ride?
Most definitely you will fill the Rolls-Royce with fuel. Now why I’m I talking about cars in a martial arts blog? As you should already know by now, every machine that has ever been made by humans from the first telephone made by Alexander Bell to the new smartphones that we have today– all functions on some hidden laws and principles.
Nature also functions by laws and principles that have existed since the beginning of the time. Our bodies also – just like the Rolls Royce — obey certain principles and laws that make us be alive and breathing.
We cannot talk about the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu without talking about the foods and drinks that the athletes who train in these games should take into their bodies. We also cannot talk about the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu without mentioning the Gracie family from Brazil that has contributed to the development of the martial art sport.
The Gracie family believed that a person with a poor diet will perform poorly in the martial arts sport. Back in the day when the sport was growing across the world, Carlos Gracie discovered that there is a connection between the performance of an athlete with the food that he or she takes.
You need to know that foods are not created equally, and to be good in the sport, you need to keep your nutrition in check. In this article, we will discuss some of the top 4 foods that fuel the performance of a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Martial arts athlete.
Water
Water is not a food that one eats, but a drink that every athlete should take before training. For the proper functioning of our bodies, water is necessary. Scientists have proven that a well-hydrated athlete will have less fatigue and have a good energy boost. It is recommended for Jiu-Jitsu athletes to always start the day with at least 32 oz. of water.
Banana
It’s common to see athletes carrying bananas in their training bags. A banana is a good energy fix for the functioning of the body of the martial arts athlete. Bananas are a good source of potassium and carbohydrates, they are also easy to eat and digest. They help boost the energy level of a person who is about to step on the playing ring.
Sweet Potatoes
Do you want to feel full for a long time? If the answer is yes then make it a habit to include sweet potatoes in your diet. Sweet potatoes are rich in carbohydrates and make a person feel full for a long time. This food also releases glucose that is responsible for increasing the energy level of a person’s body. Foods that increase your body’s energy level are highly recommended for athletes. Some of the nutrients that you will also find in sweet potatoes include; magnesium, beta carotene, iron and vitamin C. These nutrients will make an athlete perform better in training.
Avocado
Someone once said —The Rolls-Royce of the fruit kingdom is the Avocado—He was surely right. The avocado is a fruit that comes packed with different types of nutrients and vitamins which are; Vitamin B, Vitamin E and K and magnesium among others. It’s highly recommended for a Jiu-Jitsu athlete to include avocado to his or her diet. The nutrients in this fruit will help keep your body in shape and will strengthen your bones. Scientists also claim that unlike the banana, this fruit has more potassium that aids in lowering the blood pressure of an individual.
As stated earlier in the article, good nutrition will make any athlete perform better in martial arts sport. Get to know that it’s not always about how hard you train that determines your performance in the sport—what you eat also has a strong impact on your performance.