# What is the best stuff to eat for martial artists?



## tkdguy1982 (Feb 19, 2004)

I wanted to know what is really the best stuff to eat for a martial artist?  Any good combinations of food?  Thanks for the help.


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## moving target (Feb 19, 2004)

Uhm..  That really depends on what you are doing. The only things I would say in general is make sure you have a high enough Calorie intake, make sure you have enough protein and make sure that you have enough vitamins and minerals. Basically common sense, but keep in mind that depending on how you train you may need more of certain minerals, as well as protein and vitamins for your body to make appropriate repairs to any damage you inflict upon it.


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## tkdguy1982 (Feb 20, 2004)

Pretty much a lot of stretching, cardio, judo pushups, bumblebee situps, etc.  Some weightlifting but nothing serious like arnold schwarzeneggar.


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## moving target (Feb 22, 2004)

What are your goals? Why do you exercise? To gain strength, a given level of indurance, speed, to maintain a given attribute, to prevent injury, or somthing else? If your goals aren't terribly specific than I don't think you realy need to eat anything special, just make sure your body has all the building blocks it needs to function properly, and make sure it has enough energy.


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## tkdguy1982 (Feb 22, 2004)

Exercise to gain strength, endurance, stamina, everything.  That & to improve my martial arts training also.


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## moving target (Feb 22, 2004)

Well if you want to see improvement in your body's ability to function via strength (as apposed to something like rewiring your nervous system) than you need to give your body something to work with. That means you need all the basic building blocks your body uses to create tissue as well as enough energy for your body to function under the increased out put.

So you need more protein, more vitamins and minerals, more of certain kinds of fats and I would suggest taking in more calories via complex carbohydrates than simple carbohydrates just because simple carbohydrates are processed much faster so you get a blood sugar spike but that immediate energy may not go towards any physical activity (unless that carb intake is right before physical exercise of course). If you have a fast (ish) metabolism than it's probably safe to take in more Calories of energy than is necessary for the demands you are placing on your body. Oh and I like to take anti-oxidants like vitamin C or E just because they (in theory) can help your body recover from the physical stress you put on your body.

If you have other goals like fat loss, than you need a much more specific diet, you probably want to keep your Calorie intake right about what you need to function and you probably want to break your meals up into several portions (like 4 or 5) as apposed to the 2 or 3 most people eat.

As to specificly what you need to eat, I havn't a clue because I don't know you..  Everyone's body functions at least a little diffrent, so there realy isn't any way to give any specific data.


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## tkdguy1982 (Feb 23, 2004)

Well thats cool.... I have a fast metabolism but there is some fat I would like to burn off....  Anyway.... I'll keep that in mind... thanks for the help.


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