A lot of people look at boxers and assume that they only really work when they’re fighting. However, as most boxers will tell you, the actual fight is like a half-day when compared to the extremely rigorous training that leads up to a fight. Because boxers train so incredibly hard, any fighter looking to do his  best needs the proper diet and nutrition.

Below we will touch on things a boxer should eat, and even when a boxer should eat, as in how many meals and at what time of day.

What a Boxer Should Eat

Carb-Loading

You won’t find any boxer out there working on a low-carb diet. This is because carbohydrates are fuel for the body, and boxers definitely need fuel. Now, you do have to realize that we’re not talking about simple sugars (like fizzy drinks) and junk food (like fastfood, crisps cakes etc). Boxers should receive plenty of carbs by way of fresh fruits and veggies, whole wheat pasta and bread, bran products, and other healthier items containing carbohydrates. However, when a Boxer needs to shed a few pounds for fight, he needs to revert to a Protein, Fruit and Veg diet which will quickly get rid of the excess weight over a short period.

Healthy Fats

The body cannot function properly without fats. But with bad fats, such as trans fats, you’re looking at weight gain, high cholesterol, and a bunch of other problems. So a boxer needs to realize which fats to ingest. All animal fats are typically bad, unless you’re talking about fat from fish. Other than that, olive oil is great for you, along with fats from nuts and seeds. Mono and polyunsaturated fats will help to create energy, and it also strengthens the body’s immune system and its ability to repair itself.

Proteins

The building blocks of muscle, proteins are essential for not only a strong, active boxer, but also an energetic boxer. Protein is vital for training purposes. The muscles constantly rip and tear – that’s where the sore feeling comes from. Protein helps to repair the body. Lean meats, beans and legumes,  are essential for a boxer in training.

When a Boxer Should Eat

It’s also important to know when to eat and how much to eat if you’re a boxer. Eating the right stuff is only half the battle. For a competitive boxer, you’re looking for a few things with your diet, including:

• An increased metabolism
• Consistent muscle development
• Lasting energy

To achieve these three goals, you can’t rely on that three-meal-a-day plan. You need smaller meals at more frequently intervals throughout the day. Your metabolism has to be churning around the clock, and you have to receive bursts of energy consistently to keep from becoming fatigued.

This ultimately means that you should eat six smaller meals throughout the day. One when you wake up, a snack about an hour or two later, a light lunch, a snack before dinner, and then a snack after dinner (but not too soon before you go to bed).

Spreading the meals out will ensure that you stay energized, that you continue to build muscle, and that your metabolism is always running on high. With the constant training, this is exactly what your body needs.

But always remember, everyone is different and you need to find out which combinations of eating and training are best for you…this blog is just a basic guideline…we will come up with other methods and ideas about Nutrition for training in future blogs. Just remember to learn how to read your own body signs and know your limitations.