Nutrition for Taekwondo

poconnor16

Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on how a body should eat for optimal performance in taekwondo or other martial arts? apologies if this belongs in another forum but I thought it best to raise it here.
I am forever debating the lower carb or lower fat discussion but can never decide what is best? I train twice a week in tkd and I run 3 nights a week also. (I know the running builds a different type of fitness but the purpose there is to get some weight down....)
Typical day for me:
Porridge - always!
Lunch - pitta bread x 2 filled with salad and tuna
Dinner - lean meat with veg - no carbs
Snacks - coffee, piece of fruit and a yoghurt.
Water - as much as I can!

So whats best if I want to get the weight down a little but not be falling over while trying to spar?:) I have zero interest in being a skinny minny - lean and toned is what I want and some speed in my training.

Thanks!

yomchi

It's really a nutritional question regardless of the sport to be honest. We'll leave it here anyway for input but you might get more buy in from the nutrition/Diet forum

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=982

poconnor16

Yeah the guys in that forum are great (EileenG and co) but I thought it might be interesting to get feedback from a different angle.
If nothing comes through feel free to relocate Yomchi.;)

smacl

I used to get alot out of The fighters body when preparing for comps. Carbs before training for fuel, proteins afterwards for recovery, etc... The bad news about booze, chinese take-outs, cakes etc... i guess you already know

poconnor16

smacl wrote: »

I used to get alot out of The fighters body when preparing for comps. Carbs before training for fuel, proteins afterwards for recovery, etc... The bad news about booze, chinese take-outs, cakes etc... i guess you already know

Booze - ooooh yes. All wine and boozing is confined to a friday night as Saturday is the one day I never train!

Thanks, will check this link...

What should a person do the night before a comp, carb load? Or just eat normal?

smacl

poconnor16 wrote: »

What should a person do the night before a comp, carb load? Or just eat normal?

Depends to an extent on when you weigh in, and when you are likely to hit the mats. For me, I'd go light on the liquids night before as this would be the most likely to affect the weight, and tend to eat an easy to digest meal. (e.g. not too spicy, salty or fatty) Any comps I've been in there's typically an hour between weigh ins and the first match, which allows for a bowl of cereal and bottle of sports drink. If the comp is badly organised, and your left standing around for hours, having a couple of energy bars to hand doesn't hurt either.

Night after the comp makes it all worthwhile though. I've known an 'all you can eat' BBQ place in Denmark nearly put out of business in a post competition feeding frenzy a few years back, with small fortunes made in the adjoining pubs.

poconnor16

smacl wrote: »

Depends to an extent on when you weigh in, and when you are likely to hit the mats. For me, I'd go light on the liquids night before as this would be the most likely to affect the weight, and tend to eat an easy to digest meal. (e.g. not too spicy, salty or fatty) Any comps I've been in there's typically an hour between weigh ins and the first match, which allows for a bowl of cereal and bottle of sports drink. If the comp is badly organised, and your left standing around for hours, having a couple of energy bars to hand doesn't hurt either.

Night after the comp makes it all worthwhile though. I've known an 'all you can eat' BBQ place in Denmark nearly put out of business in a post competition feeding frenzy a few years back, with small fortunes made in the adjoining pubs.

:D LOL

Niall Keane

with small fortunes made in the adjoining pubs.

easily done when smacl starts ordering bottles of Southern Comfort and swigin out of them like a soft drink. We'll leave it at that smacl no need to go into anyone else's antics!