Nutrition/Tips

plaiboi

Hello everyone.

I've recently started boxing. I've had two fights and I train 5 - 6 days per week. It's going really well and i feel great.

I wondered if there are any boxers or anyone with any knowledge on nutrition who could give me advice on my diet.

Maybe a typical boxer's daily menu perhaps. I'm a vegetarian though so I don't eat meat or fish but I do eat eggs and use meat substitutes.

Also, I've been told by one person- a personal trainer- to take protein shakes but I was told by a different one, not to bother with them as he's dead against them. So I don't know whether they're good or not so good..

Anyway, any information, advice or tips on any aspect of boxing training and nutrition would really be appreciated.

i'm going to have a look through the site now for any other threads on this topic... i'm new here though so just getting the hang of it.

Thank you :-)

mahonykid

when it comes to protein shakes its all about what you are trying to achieve, muscle recovery or gain ? i think a lot of people are against them because they dont use them right

plaiboi

I'll be honest with you, I haven't got a clue about anything like this. I know you're supposed to have protein after you've worked your muscles.

i'm not looking for muscle gain at all so I suppose it's just recovery. Mind you I wouldn't mind looking toned but I am quite toned as it is really. I just want my muscles to be strong rather than big. I'm a girl. I think lads go for the muscley look more than girls

walshb

I think maybe a lttle too much is made about what you should and should not eat, what you can and cannot eat etc. A broad variety of fresh and whole foods is the best advice I can give. Being a vegetarian you are missing out on iron rich meats, and healthy oily fish. Not saying you will suffer for this, just that everything should be in the "perfect" diet.

I always found boiled eggs a great boost, and a food that is very calorific and filling for its size. Don't overdo it. Maybe 2-3 a week.

mahonykid

i try get all my protein from my food, but sometimes its difficult so that when the shakes come in. i cant see what harm it would be to you to take it after training to aid recovery. Boxing isnt a sport where a lot of emphasis is put on weight training anyway so muscle gain shouldnt be a problem.
If you keep training at the rate you are the toned look will come

plaiboi

Thanks for the help

Would you advise an iron suppliment, Walshb?

walshb

plaiboi wrote: »

Thanks for the help

Would you advise an iron suppliment, Walshb?

I have heard that Ferrous Glucanate is a very good OTC supplement.

Plenty foods have great iron sources, including chocolate and sun dried tomatos. Pumpkin seeds too, and broccoli. Being a vegetarian you miss out on the meats. Liver is one of the best sources. But, at least you have spinach, lentils and olives, to name a few.

I am a firm believer in the food pyramid. Everything in moderation. Chocolate is a great energy boost pre training.

gene_tunney

hmmmmm

Not sure where to begin with you. Firstly, what are your goals? Do you want to gain or lose weight? Do you want to get stronger? Can't advise you without knowing your goals.

plaiboi wrote: »

I know you're supposed to have protein after you've worked your muscles.

May as well start here. That's probably the most widespread myth in sports nutrition.

The time of the day that you take protein is completely irrelevant. Studies have shown that as long as you have sufficient dietary protein in your body, muscle synthesis will occur after resistance training. Meeting your protein requirements is far more important than nutrient timing. Preworrkout nutrition cancels the necessity for postworkout protein.

Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19106243
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19478342

Also Can people post sources if they're giving advice.

plaiboi wrote: »

Thanks for the help

Would you advise an iron suppliment, Walshb?

You don't need an iron supplement unless you are iron deficient. Waste of money.

walshb

gene_tunney wrote: »

You don't need an iron supplement unless you are iron deficient. Waste of money.

This I agree with. No need to be topping up on something that doesn't need topping up.

endswell

v good thread on this in health and fitness forum ('supplements') . another thread on this in athletics has me worn out. great amount of training fair play to you.

plaiboi

gene_tunney wrote: »

hmmmmm

Not sure where to begin with you. Firstly, what are your goals? Do you want to gain or lose weight? Do you want to get stronger? Can't advise you without knowing your goals.



May as well start here. That's probably the most widespread myth in sports nutrition.

The time of the day that you take protein is completely irrelevant. Studies have shown that as long as you have sufficient dietary protein in your body, muscle synthesis will occur after resistance training. Meeting your protein requirements is far more important than nutrient timing. Preworrkout nutrition cancels the necessity for postworkout protein.

Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19106243
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19478342

Also Can people post sources if they're giving advice.



You don't need an iron supplement unless you are iron deficient. Waste of money.

Hiya...

Well I don't want to gain weight or lose weight. I weigh around 10st 9lb, or I did the last time I was weighed. I'm fine with what I weigh, I'm fine with how I look really as well and I can see myself toning up a lot more than I was so that's good.

What I want really is a diet and/or training tips that will help me be stronger and improve stamina etc. and just keep me in overall good health.

I'm loving all this information you've all got and really appreciate you all sharing it.

el flaco

Here's a piece about vegetarianism by a girl doing strength training. It's pretty much anecdotal and it isn't all stats and brain-melting science jargon so it's easy to read. Ultimately it is an opinion piece, so people can take from it what they will.

http://fortheloveofcookies.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/an-unbiased-outlook-on-the-effects-of-vegetarianism-in-regards-to-training-and-diet-goals/

As boxing is cardio as well as strength, carbohydrates are obviously a big thing. Maybe you could eat pasta between rounds?

Henno30

plaiboi wrote: »

Hello everyone.

I've recently started boxing. I've had two fights and I train 5 - 6 days per week. It's going really well and i feel great.

I wondered if there are any boxers or anyone with any knowledge on nutrition who could give me advice on my diet.

Maybe a typical boxer's daily menu perhaps. I'm a vegetarian though so I don't eat meat or fish but I do eat eggs and use meat substitutes.

Also, I've been told by one person- a personal trainer- to take protein shakes but I was told by a different one, not to bother with them as he's dead against them. So I don't know whether they're good or not so good..

Anyway, any information, advice or tips on any aspect of boxing training and nutrition would really be appreciated.

i'm going to have a look through the site now for any other threads on this topic... i'm new here though so just getting the hang of it.

Thank you :-)

If you want control over your diet, first thing I'd do is use a few of the many online calorie calculators to find out your daily caloric need. There are loads out there, this is just one example - http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/

I'd recommend then working out what you're eating at the moment, approximately, in terms of calories. If you have a smart phone, downloading a calorie counter/food diary app makes this very easy. If you don't, just google the foods you eat and find their calorie content that way.

Controlling weight gain, weight loss, and weight maintenance depends upon calories in vs. calories out. If you burn more than you eat, you'll lose weight, and vice versa.

The next thing is your protein/fat/carb ratio. I train 5-6 times a week, three of those sessions being strength training, so for me I want a minimum of 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight, and ideally 2g.

For me chicken gives me about 20-30% of that, but I'm sure it's possible to find vegetarian replacements. I don't what your trainer could have against protein shakes, I've never heard a trainer say that before. But if you want to recover properly after sessions then you need to be getting protein and simple carbs into your system within 30-60 minutes to take advantage of that post-workout state. That's where protein shakes come in useful as they're quick to prepare and your body absorbs them quickly.

In general you want to be eating primarily complex carbs, i.e. wholegrain foods (pasta, bread etc.) except shortly before and after training sessions, when your body needs that easily available, or 'simple' fuel to burn.

If you want to tell between complex and simple carbs, refer to the glycemic index - http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm - http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/glycemicfoodchart.htm

High GI rating equals rapidly broken down carbs, good for pre and post workout snacks. Low GI rating equals the only carbs you should be eating at any other time of the day.

Finally, don't be afraid of fats, except for immediately pre and post workout. Why? Because fat breaks down slowly, which slows down your body's ability to burn fuel if you eat it before training, and slows down your body's ability to repair itself immediately afterwards.

Apart from that, fat is absolutely fine. More than that, it's necessary for your body to repair muscle. It's bad name comes from it's calorie density (9 calories per gram as opposed to 3/4 for protein/carbs.

So in terms of what you actually eat then, the following would be a decent sample daily diet:

Breakfast:

Porridge, banana, low fat milk, natural yoghurt, almonds

Lunch/Dinner:

Wholewheat pasta, your meat replacement, vegetables, cheese

Snacks:

Wholegrain bread, butter, beans (no added sugar), apples and other fruit, nuts, protein shakes, eggs, vegetables (with low sugar dips to make them more palatable if necessary), low sugar diluted drinks.

In general, the less processed a food is, the less packaging that's with it, the better it is.

Keeping a good diet for training is easy once you get into it. Do your big weekly shop so you're not nipping to the cornershop to buy biscuits or sweets for a snack. Keep the kitchen stocked with good food and the rest is easy. If the crap the food isn't in the house, you can't eat it.

gene_tunney

Henno30 wrote: »

...

Surprisingly good psot for this fourm.

You have a good understanding of nutrition. The only thing I'd say is that the evidence is shifting in favour of less protein. The days of people eating 2g per pound if bodyweight should be over. 1g is fine to be safe, but the evidence suggests as low as .8g per lb is sufficient.

Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14971434
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1763249
http://sportsci.org/jour/9901/rbk.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6390614

Those on steroids can benefit from more, but for the average natural competitor 1g is plenty.

walshb

gene_tunney wrote: »

Surprisingly good psot for this fourm.
.

?:eek:

gene_tunney

walshb wrote: »

?:eek:

Haha no this is a great forum, I meant its a good post considering this is the boxing forum and not the nutrition forum.

plaiboi

gene_tunney wrote: »

Haha no this is a great forum, I meant its a good post considering this is the boxing forum and not the nutrition forum.

I meant it as a nutrition FOR boxing thread...

What foods make ye stronger for boxing etc.

plaiboi

All of the information really is greatly appreciated

walshb

plaiboi wrote: »

IWhat foods make ye stronger for boxing etc.

Well, had you seen the Flintoff piece a few days ago then it's steak morning-noon and night. I don't buy it. Food is mainly just fuel. Try eat foods that give you max energy, allowing you to train as long and hard as possible. It's the training that benefits you.

YFlyer

walshb wrote: »

Well, had you seen the Flintoff piece a few days ago then it's steak morning-noon and night. I don't buy it. Food is mainly just fuel. Try eat foods that give you max energy, allowing you to train as long and hard as possible. It's the training that benefits you.

Eh she is a vegetarian. Give it a rest

plaiboi

No food with a face

YFlyer

RICE AND LENTILS FOR NUTRITION

http://www.livestrong.com/article/272437-rice-and-lentils-for-nutrition/

gene_tunney

walshb wrote: »

Well, had you seen the Flintoff piece a few days ago then it's steak morning-noon and night. I don't buy it. Food is mainly just fuel. Try eat foods that give you max energy, allowing you to train as long and hard as possible. It's the training that benefits you.

Stupid. Bad idea eating so much red meat.