It’s no secret that training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu can be incredibly tiring and burns a lot of calories. Because of this, it’s important to fuel your body correctly before you go and train. The last thing you want to do is pass out or get injured due to not eating enough.
In short, eating is vitally important before you go and train and is probably the most important meal of your day. At the same time, everyone is different. What may feel great for certain people may make others feel awful.
Table of Contents
If training in the morning
If you’re training BJJ in the morning then obviously a good breakfast is essential. This particular recipe is ideal as it has a good balance of protein and carbs, providing two beneficial elements. The first is the energy from the carbs.
This will allow you to keep training and you won’t run out of fuel as easily. The second part is the protein. Oats are high in protein and will help replenish your muscles as they get tired. Even after you’ve trained, the protein will still target your muscles to aid with recovery.
Some people don’t like oats though, or can’t eat them due to health reasons. If this is the case, then a protein breakfast bowl is another option. This combines protein powder with milk (or water) and then you can get creative with healthy foods such as nuts, berries and seeds. Just make sure you eat enough calories before training. This is up to the individual and your body will let you know if you need to eat more.
If there’s a gap between your breakfast and training, then eating foods such as bananas are fine as they give potassium which will keep you sharp. Even a handful of nuts will keep you going and are full of healthy calories.
Remember to drink enough fluids as well. Too often, people focus on what they should eat and neglect what they should drink. People often get headaches after training if they’re dehydrated and it’s not nice. Drinking enough water will not only avoid this, but help you perform better in the gym.
If training in at night
Training at night is different as for most people, you’ve probably just done a 9-5 at work and have eaten at least two meals. These are breakfast and lunch. This part is up to you and you can chose to eat dinner before training or after.
Regardless of when you eat it, try to make it as healthy as possible. A good example of a healthy meal is something full of carbs, protein and vitamins. In this sense, it’s actually very similar to your breakfast meal but is probably more savory tasting.
A good example of this would be a chicken breast with rice and greens such as broccoli. Sometimes people moan about chicken being plain, which it is if it’s left without seasoning. Here, you should learn to season your chicken with the correct spices which can really transform its taste.
The size of this meal is completely up to you. It can have lots of calories or very little, depending on how you feel it will impact you in the gym. Some people believe they perform better feeling light due to smaller portions. Oppositely, others feel better going into training more full as they use this as energy. Ultimately, it’s up to you but just make sure you don’t eat too much or too little. At both ends this can cause problems.
As well, let’s imagine you’ll eat dinner after training. Here, you’ll want to eat some healthy snacks to keep your energy going. This can include a protein shake or once again some nuts. Even a bit of toast will help in terms of carbohydrates. Similarly, a snack like avocado and eggs on toast is equally healthy and will make you perform properly at training.
What not to eat before training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
This may sound obvious, but avoid overly sugary, processed foods. Actually, you should be trying to do this in general but obviously people like treats every now and then. If ever you’ve eaten a healthy meal, you will naturally feel more energetic compared to an unhealthy one.
By this logic, if you have a greasy pizza before training with Coca Cola, the reality is that you will feel more sluggish. This means you’ll move slower, feel tired and are more likely to crash.
The problem with processed sugars is that they can spike your energy meaning you may have a good 10 minutes during the start of training. The issue is that after this, you may crash hard. By eating healthily, this is less likely and your energy will be more stable throughout.
Similarly, if you eat processed fats then you won’t have a sugar rush, but you will feel sloppy throughout.
Conclusion
Overall, it’s not rocket science and you should try to eat as healthily as possible before training. Generally, you should be aiming to eat high calorie meals that are healthy with carbs, protein and vitamins. This means avoiding bad fats as well as too much sugar.
If you’re new to this way of thinking, then the best thing to do is to explore your options. If you feel too full after a bowl of oatmeal, then have a slightly smaller portion. As everyone is different, variety is the key and eventually, you will find the sweet spot.
However, remember to try and keep it healthy. Junk food is fine to eat, but should only be done so as a treat. It’s also much better to eat junk food after training, as opposed to before when it can severely impact your performance.
By the same token, this should also be applied to competing. Obviously, it’s more important to get your diet in check when competing as there’s more on the line. This goes without saying but some people still don’t care enough to try and maximize their performance.
If you want to improve your overall diet, then check out this BJJ meal plan we’ve created. Alternatively, the book ‘Bigger Leaner Stronger The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body’ is an excellent book to learn more on the topic.
