There are no shortcuts that will get you to the top of the mixed martial arts world. You’ll need discipline, grit, hard work, and determination to reach the sport’s pinnacle. Taking supplements won’t magically teach you how to escape triangle chokes or take your cardiovascular endurance to the next level, but they can help to train harder and recover faster.
The harder and more often you train – without putting your body at risk of overtraining – the faster you’ll pick up new skills. This leads to significant improvements over time as you’ll be able to get more training sessions in than your counterparts who don’t take any supplements. This article takes a detailed look at some of the best supplements for mixed martial artists.
Eight Supplements That Allow MMA Fighters to Get More Out of Their Training
Ready to find out what the best supplements for mixed martial arts are? Let’s jump right into our list:
1) Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine is a naturally-existing compound that supplies your muscles with energy. It has been proven to help increase muscle mass, muscle strength, and muscle endurance. Creatine also promotes brain health, improving your cognitive abilities.
Creatine is an amino acid that helps create a steady supply of energy in your muscles so you can keep going. In other words, it allows you to work out harder and for longer periods. About half of the creatine in a person’s body comes from protein-rich food like milk, seafood, and red meat, while the rest is produced in the pancreas, kidneys, and liver. About 95 percent of the creatine produced in the body is sent to the skeletal muscles to be used during physical activities. The rest goes to organs like your brain and heart.
Creatine being a naturally occurring amino acid makes it safe for most people. However, people with liver disease, diabetes, and kidney disease should talk to a healthcare provider before taking creatine supplements. The same applies to pregnant women.
Another huge benefit of creatine supplementation is faster recovery times. You’ll need fewer rest days than you normally would when you start taking it. It’s the most popular supplement with athletes, including mixed martial arts. Most athletic governing bodies allow athletes to take creatine.
2) Casein And Whey Protein
Your body needs protein to rebuild tissues and muscles damaged by your hard training sessions. All the training in the world won’t lead to significant gains if your body doesn’t have the essential building blocks it needs to repair itself.
Whey protein is very popular with athletes since it’s the easiest type of protein to digest, meaning it gets to your muscles quicker than other types of protein. Casein does the opposite, it takes longer to digest giving you a slow release of amino acids. Casein gives your body the protein it needs to repair muscles during long periods without meals like while you’re asleep.
Most quality protein shakes contain whey and casein, but you’ll need to take a look at the label to ensure whatever brand you choose contains both types. Protein shakes should be taken immediately after workouts.
3) Caffeine
Caffeine is often used by athletes as a vasodilator to help improve blood flow to their muscles. It can give you a little bit of an energy boost when training or competing. The increased blood flow caused by caffeine leads to nutrients and glycogen getting to your muscles faster than they normally would.
The best time to take a caffeine supplement is right before training. You can take about 100 to 200mg of a caffeine supplement or down a few cups of coffee.
4) Vitamin B Complex
MMA fighters often have to make weight for their fights, which typically involves losing water weight. This drains their bodies of essential B vitamins that help regulate energy levels and metabolism. The best time to take B vitamins is early in the morning with a meal to enjoy the benefits later in the day when you train. Some of the most essential B vitamins include thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, folic acid, cyanocobalamin, pantothenic acids, and niacin.
5) Arginine
Arginine is typically the main ingredient in nitric oxide supplements. It’s a powerful amino acid with unique abilities. It acts as a vasodilator, increasing the flow of blood and nutrients to muscles during physical activities. It often works best when combined with caffeine to create a synergistic effect.
Arginine is most effective when taking about half an hour before training with or without caffeine and after your workouts. Stick to the dosage recommended by the manufacturer of whatever product you choose.
6) Glutamine
Glutamine is one of the most abundant amino acids and it can significantly improve your ability to recover from workouts while strengthening your immune system. While it does not provide any acute benefits, glutamine helps to protect your body from the stress hard training sessions place on it.
Glutamine should be taken after training sessions and right before going to bed. You notice yourself experiencing less soreness after your workouts.
7) Fish Oil
Fish oil provides various benefits to MMA fighters like allowing them to train harder and more frequently. Fish oil is one of the most popular supplements in the world due to the many benefits the essential fatty acids in it provide. You should consider supplementing with fish oil even if you’re not a mixed martial artist or athlete.
Some of the benefits associated with fish oil include increased energy production, improved joint health, increased brain function, improved blood circulation, and reduced inflammation. If you don’t consume oily fish like tuna and salmon a few times a week, you should seriously consider taking fish oil supplements.
8) Branched Chain Amino Acids
Branched-chain Amino Acids are also popular with MMA fighters and athletes engaged in moderate to intense physical activities. These supplements contain essential amino acids your body needs to function properly like L-Valine, L-Isoleucine, and L-Leucine.
BCAAs give you extra energy to power through workouts and help repair muscle fibres damaged during training. They are typically taken before or during training sessions to maintain energy levels.
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