FEED THE BEAST: PRE- & POST-WORKOUT NUTRITION

By Andrew Bryan

It’s a simple fact of life but it never gets any less true: food is your body’s fuel. If the fight is won in the gym, then it’s also won in the kitchen. Your athletic performance will never reach its peak if you don’t have a healthy diet to back it up.

When you’re a Muay Thai fighter, or any kind of explosive athlete, your body is constantly working those fast twitch fibers. It’s great fun but it can also be grueling on your body and unfortunately, sports will wreck your joints over time. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you’re eating the right kind of foods to keep your body in top condition.

You need carbohydrates and protein. While they both do different things, you can’t have great fitness without both. Carbohydrates give you the energy to get through hard workouts, to be able to push more and work out harder. The...

HOW TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOU NEED TO SUPPLEMENT PROTEIN

By Angela Chang

Everyone is obsessed with protein and getting enough of it. Almost any person who is health or fitness -oriented has a tub of protein powder in their house. We are often told by our friends and training partners that we need to take protein powder if we are active, especially in an intense sport like Muay Thai. Protein, protein, protein!

Setting all the hype aside, guess what? Generally speaking, if you are:

1) eating enough calories, and;

2) eating a balanced diet

…then you do not need protein powder! A balanced diet that takes into account your Muay Thai sessions will provide you with the protein you need to recover and grow your muscles. Having too much protein will put stress on your kidneys. Similar to how extra carbs turn to fat, it’s the same with protein.

Moreover, if you’re getting enough protein from eating actual food, why waste money on buying...