In our last weight management post, we talked about a health plan to cut weight whether you have to do it for boxing, MMA, Muay Thai, etc. That way you are not putting your body at risk before a fight. That was the first half of healthy weight cutting, the other is recovering from the weight loss. Some fighters believe that they can adopt ‘pro’ techniques for cutting weight but that is almost always a bad idea.
Pro fighters have 24-48 hours to recover from their weight cuts, amateur fighters don’t have that kind of time.
Cutting Weight and Recovering
Suffice it to say, it is a bad idea to follow in the footsteps of stars when it comes to cutting weight.
One of the reasons being that they use IVs to recover when the weight cut is extreme. Medical professionals do not recommend this practice.
You need sodium, potassium and other enzymes that you have lost during the weight cut. Getting them from an IV right before a fight is bad.
You can get electrolyte imbalances that can cause conditions like diarrhea, among other things.
Also, some fighters lose so much water weight their veins can be hard to find. And sticking a needle in your arm hours before the fight is just a bad idea.
Recover with Oral Supplements
After you have done the weigh-in, DON’T eat anything.
Your body doesn’t have the enzymes that are needed to digest the carbs in your food. You have basically sweat them all out.
You need oral supplements that can help you get the nutrients that are needed by your body.
You can find supplements like that in the market, do check the back and ensure that it has at least 250mg of sodium in it.
BCAAs or Branched-Chain Amino Acids are also important in the recovery. They are responsible for synthesizing the food that you are eating. They aid in the recovery of the muscles.
The supplements you buy should have these included.
You can also mix your own recovery supplement but it isn’t as effective. It can, however, keep you going until you can get your hands on a proper supplement.
A couple of teaspoons of salt and light sugar in water each mixed in water makes a concoction that can give you the nutrients required.
What is the biggest mistake you can make in your recovery?
You have to start the recovery process as soon as you get off the scale. This doesn’t mean that you start shoving food down straight away.
You need sodium at first, then calcium and magnesium.
The mistake happens when fighters start eating right off the bat. They usually have just a few hours before they have to fight. So they believe that they have to hurry.
Here is what you need to remember…
Because you are dehydrated, you don’t have the saliva and enzymes to break that food down. You will probably end up getting sick right after you eat.
To avoid this, you have to consume liquids for the first couple of hours. Once your body is rehydrated somewhat, that’s when you start eating.
Cutting weight is a necessity, going about it in a healthy way is a choice. Follow the plan given in our last article to cut weight and use the information above to recover from it.
You can’t step into the ring without recovering properly. You will be doing damage to your body, on top of the damage that your opponent will do.
You will be lethargic, exhausted and have no power in your hits.
So, follow the recovery plan and get yourself into the best fighting shape before you enter the ring. Then all you have to do is get your gear on and fight!
