Today, I share with you some supplements that might help you win a fight. These items can give you a push in the right direction, but can’t replace a good nutrition base. Supplements can only help if you’ve got your baseline right. Preparing your body for competition starts already a few days before the event. Nutrition during competition should mainly provide energy and hydration.
Sports drink: During a competition, your body needs water, energy, and electrolytes to keep optimal performance. Sports drinks provide exactly that: They contain liquid, carbohydrates and salts. The liquid keeps you hydrated, carbohydrates give you extra energy and salts replace the electrolytes lost in sweat. A lack of either of these components can impair performance.
Creatine: Creatine is usually taken during an intensive training period, but can also be beneficial in an acute dose before the competition. When weigh-in is the day before the competition you can do a reload of creatine. Take 5g straight after the weigh-in, 5g before going to bed, and another 5g at breakfast. If your competition starts only in the afternoon you can take another 5g at lunch.
Caffeine: Caffeine increases concentration and alertness. The effective dose is about 200-300mg depending on your body weight, one hour before your first fight. This equals about 2 shots of espresso for 75kg athlete. Try taking caffeine first in training, as it can also have some negative side-effects and not everyone reacts the same way.
Sodium bicarbonate: Sodium bicarbonate will help you get less sore in a fight. You can take it in an acute dose of 200-300 mg/kg body weight approximately one hour before the fight. Be careful with sodium bicarbonate, many athletes describe unpleasant side effects, therefore it is best to try it in training first.