Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tournament Nutrition Basic Guidelines – by Rich Zaydel

If you are a serious Brazilian Jiu Jitsu player competing in tournaments, or, an endurance athlete of any kind, then you understand the importance of good nutrition.  And, studies show it’s not just what you consume, but how much and when to consume it.  Timing has become critical. Here are some of the pre-tournament guidelines we recommend to our competitors at RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Fitness in Orange County, California.

RocknRoll BJJ Tournament Nutrition Works!

Many have heard of carb-loading. Technically, its called ‘glycogen supercompensation’ and its a technique used to increase muscle glycogen before an endurance event. Studies have shown that carb-loading can nearly double muscle glycogen storage, increasing endurance and performance potential.   However, it’s important not to overdo it.  Start by adding one additional carbohydrate serving per meal starting three days prior to the tournament.  Make them healthy carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables or carbohydrate-rich grains.  These extra amounts of carbohydrates will help in storing glycogen in the muscles.  It also assists muscles in holding more fluid.  On the night of the event, an extra serving of carbohydrates is recommended, such as granola and yogurt, or a bowl of cereal. RocknRoll BJJ and Fitness Good Carbohydrate List

Repeated days of intense training for an upcoming tournament can dwindle a persons glycogen stores. A high-intake diet of healthy carbohydrates will help to replenish the glycogen stores, but, timing is very important in maximizing recovery. Consuming 1.5 g/kg of carbohydrates within 30 minutes of training is recommended to maximize glycogen replenishment. If intake is postponed by as little as two hours, the results may be a decrease of total muscle glycogen syntheses by 66%. Additional meals of 1.5 k/kg of carbohydrates every two hours are recommended to completely restore muscle glycogen.

Carbohydrates should be the focus leading up to the tournament, but an endurance athlete must not neglect daily protein requirements.  Protein is crucial for forming red blood cells and increasing the number of oxygen carrying enzymes in the blood. and replacing the body’s protein stores.  Protein also builds and repairs muscle tissue, boost the immune system and replaces hormones.  Our bodies do not store excess protein as protein or amino acids, so its important that adequate protein is consumed each day.

Figuring your daily protein needs is easy.  Endurance athletes such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitors  should consume between 0.7-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily.  For example, a 200 pound man’s daily protein requirement would be 160 grams because 0.8 x 200=160.

RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & Fitness Protein From Food Chart

The need for protein is actually a need for amino acids.  All proteins are made up of amino acids which are needed to build and repair tissue.  There are a total of 21 different amino acids and all protein is made up of a combination of them.   Our bodies can make some amino acids, however there are eight essential amino acids that must come from foods we eat.  All the essential amino acids are needed in order to build and repair muscle.  A balanced diet consisting of real foods will provide the proper balance of all the amino acids.

Hydration is important.  Men require a baseline of 125 fluid ounces daily and women require a slightly lower amount of 90 fluid ounces daily.  Be sure to drink the required amount.  Don’t worry about having to drink extra.  The additional carbohydrate servings will help hold water.  However, be sure to consider how much you sweat.  If you are a heavy sweater, be sure to add a little sodium to your meals.

On the day of the tournament, eat a meal two to three hours prior to your matches.  Your meal should consist of roughly 100 grams of carbohydrates and 15 to 20 grams of protein.  Also, include 20 grams of fat and 20 ounces of water.  If you sweat a lot, be sure to add a little sodium to your meal.

Timing this may be frustrating because often times Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournaments don’t always stay on schedule.  Adapt these guidelines to the best of your ability to the timing of your fights.

Dana Riddle, Andy Goodman, Rich Zaydel and Pete Loncarevich

If your bracket or round of fights are under an hour, then you will be fine with just drinking water.  However, consider using a sports drink in between matches instead. Sports drinks aid in hydration, replace electrolytes and slow glycogen depletion.

If you are lucky enough to compete in the finals and now you have an hour or more between your next fight, your focus should switch back to carbohydrates.  The amount of carbohydrates will vary depending on the physical demands of your prior fights.  An intake of 30 grams to 90 grams is recommended.  Whether the carbohydrates come from a sports drink or a tasty Acai bowl with granola is up to each individual athlete. RocknRoll BJJ and Fitness Good Carbohydrate List

Hopefully, these guidelines will help you as it has our RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Fitness family.

Happy training!

Rich Zaydel is head trainer and instructor at RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Fitness in Orange County, California.  Rich Zaydel is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer and a certified Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor under Master Joe Moreira.

www.rocknrollbjj.com

Ladies!  Shed that Baby Weight!
Did you know that women who exercise at low to moderate levels during pregnancy are more likely to return to pre-pregnancy weight within eight weeks of giving birth than women who skip the gym or trainer?

Now you know!  So don’t delay.  Be good to yourself.

I have great fitness programs for men and women!  Schedule your FREE health and fitness assessment with me today!  Lets work together to and devise a fitness program for  you to do during your pregnancy and post-pregnancy!

RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Personal Training Orange County, California!
http://www.rocknrollbjj.com

I have been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu on and off for almost 20 years and somehow I finally was given the gift of cauliflower ear during my last training session.  I actually didn’t even notice it until a couple days after when I went to shave my head.  I happened to bump it and it felt  puffy.  I gently squeezed it and could feel it was full of fluid.  It didn’t hurt at all.

How to Fix Cauliflower Ear – Thank you to Rich Zaydel famous ear model

I figured I would make an attempt to get rid of it.  I didn’t want end up like one of those fighters that looks like he has used bubble gum attached to the side of his head for ears.

Before I share with you what worked for me, understand I am not a doctor, and,  if you try my process  you are doing so at your own risk!

You will need rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to sterilize your ear before and after the process and a new sealed 3cc syringe and a new sealed 23g x 1″ needle.  A roll of gauze or something similar is also needed.

The How to Get Rid of Cauliflower Ear Tool Kit as Seen on TV

One of the guys at the gym I train at is a diabetic.  I explained my situation and I was lucky enough to obtain a syringe and needle from him.  I know this might not be an option for some of you, but if you ask around, you might get lucky like I did.  Remember, always use a brand new sealed needle and syringe and never share needles. Don’t be an idiot!

It is important to insert the needle at the correct angle and depth.  Don’t just stick it in the juiciest part and start sucking away at it. You won’t be successful removing all the fluid.

Get Rid of Cauliflower Ear – Placement and Angle of Needle

The angle above is how to inserted the needle.  I actually laid the needle against my ear and then changed the angle just enough so that the tip of the needle stuck and then I pushed it in about 1/16 an 1/8 of an inch.  I held the syringe in place with one hand then began to pull the plunger back.  But I found that I couldn’t pull the plunger at all because the vacuum was too strong and I had not gone deep enough.  I pushed it in a little further and pulled the plunger and this time I hit the mother-lode.  It was just over two CCs of blood.  I kept on pulling the plunger until I couldn’t get any more fluid.  Think about the concept of sucking all the air out of a sandwich bag until it is completely flat.  Then, I slowly pulled the needle out.

Be sure  to wipe the ear with rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide after the process to keep your ear infection free.

I was told to wrap my ear against my head with gauze tightly to keep it flat as much as possible.  I didn’t have any gauze, but I did have a bandana.  I folded it up to about a 3″ wide and tied it tightly around my head making sure my ear had plenty of pressure on it.  I slept on it.  When I woke up it had gathered a little bit of fluid in it again.  I repeated the whole process and walked around for a day with a bandana.

My ear looks good as new to this day and has not effected my ear modeling career a bit!

Be sure to avoid training for a couple weeks or more for the best results.  Otherwise, you will have to repeat the process each time you train.

By the way, if you live in the Orange County California area, come by and train Brazilian jiu Jitsu with us at RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Personal Training!

Check out our new website! http://www.rocknrollbjj.com

Happy training!