Nutritional Goals for a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athlete
Posted by lloydirvinmarylandbjj on July 14, 2008
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes are under a constant pressure to maintain their weight to be eligible for particular weight categories. They meticulously monitor the number of calories they consume to manage weight. In addition, they have to ensure proper nutrition, which is important for strength and good performance.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes need a healthy blend of all nutrients. They need carbohydrates for instant energy. Ideally, carbohydrates should form 55 to 60 percent of the total calories consumed by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes. Proteins help an athlete develop muscular mass and should form 12 to 15 per cent on his diet. Athletes must also pay special attention to their vitamin and mineral intake. Usually athletes focus on a protein-rich diet and miss out on vegetable and fruits that are chief sources of vitamins and minerals.
However, monitoring the nutritional intake can be tougher than monitoring calorific intake. Setting nutritional goals can help a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete maintain his weight and proper nutrition. He can divide his nutritional and calorie requirements of an entire day according to different meals and try to achieve them one at a time.
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete’s breakfast could contain high fiber cereal, fruit juice, skimmed milk, whole-wheat toast, low-fat yogurt, fruit preserves, milkshakes make from low-fat milk, fresh fruits egg whites, poached eggs, etc. He should take care not to include products that are high on sugar or fat.
Lunch and dinner could contain soups, chicken or tuna salad, boiled egg sandwiches, fresh fruits, cottage cheese, vegetable pizza, low fat yogurt, etc. An athlete can also include puddings that are made of low-fat milk. Ideally the dinner of a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete should be 60 to 70 per cent of the lunch. He should take care that mayonnaise and toppings used in salads or sandwiches are low-fat.
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete also needs a re-hydration plan to replenish all the fluid lost in exercising and practice. He can determine the amount of fluid he requires in a day and divide the intake over the entire day.
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete can finalize the contents of his meals by determining the number of calories that he needs to consume in a day to manage his weight. Ideally, this number should be the product of his body weight, 10 and 1.7. He’ll also have to consider the energy his body loses in workout and add it to his calorie intake.
