As a Coach with an athletic background, it still amazes me that many American Amateur Boxers neglect the importance of eating and nutrition when preparing their training repertoire. In my experience, the American Amateur Boxing scene needs the most help when it comes to Pre-Competition Dieting.

As a Coach with an athletic background, it still amazes me that many American Amateur Boxers neglect the importance of eating and nutrition when preparing their training repertoire. In my experience, the American Amateur Boxing scene needs the most help when it comes to Pre-Competition Dieting. Don't get me wrong, there are some Amateur Boxers who understand the critical element of nutrition, but they are in the minority. Part of the problem is many of today's Boxers follow Pre-Competition nutritional guidelines that are no longer effective. Even more rely on expensive supplements, when most of nutritional needs are derived from healthy foods. Remember: Supplements are intended to “supplement” your diet, not substitute nutritional foods.

Historically, male boxers have managed to take nutritional short cuts when it comes to making weight. Women, on the other hand, have to be much more diet conscious when preparing to drop weight for a competition, simply because the female genetic makeup requires more effort in this regard. That slight difference often determines whether a female fighter makes weight her first time on the scale – or if she will need to sweat off two pounds from an (often) already dehydrated and depleted body. This, in turn, affects performance in the ring; keep in mind that in all sports, many athletes have already won their competitions at the dinner table.

Our Team Captain, Vanessa Greco, is a four-time Golden Gloves Champion (3 NY and 1 National), and was ranked the top fighter in the Nation by USA Boxing. Now fighting as a Pro, Vanessa has some very insightful nutritional tips for women boxers:

When preparing for competition, diet is a key factor. You can train as hard as you want, but if you are not eating properly, you will not perform at your peak. One thing athletes often focus on is how much they should eat. It’s not so much the quantity but, rather, the quality of the nutrients you consume. In other words, you are what you eat. When attempting to drop weight for competition, it’s critical to get as many nutrients as possible in the fewest amount of calories. For instance, if you drink a glass of fresh vegetable juice, it will keep you full longer than if you eat a hot dog and bag of potato chips. Why? The hot dog is full of sodium and the potato chips have fewer nutrients. On the other hand, vegetable juice is packed with nutritional goodies.

In short, a balanced diet works best. Eat small portions every two-to-three hours during the day and less at night. Start with carbohydrates in the morning, so that you can burn them off by the evening. Complex carbs are ideal when dieting, as long as they are unprocessed. Whole grain breads and all whole grains in general, pastas and brown rice are examples of complex carbs. Next, be sure to include fruits and vegetables; and, although they have high nutritional value, remember that fruits and veggies are carbs too.  So, don’t overdo it on the fruits, especially in the evening, because they also contain sugar. However, veggies can be eaten more often and / or with every meal, if desired, since they are low in calories and are packed with vitamins and nutrients.

Include some form of protein in every meal because it serves as a building block nutrient. Every time you train, you break your body down. This is positive because the body is resilient and wants to build back up. To take advantage of that natural instinct, incorporate plenty of proteins such as chicken, fish, turkey and red meat – but, preferably, lean cuts. Fish is easily digested and facilitates dropping weight rather quickly. Your next best bets are chicken and turkey. (Just don’t eat turkey on the day of competition, as it contains tryptophan, which can make you sleepy). Red meat takes longer to digest, so it’s probably not the protein you want to eat when trying to drop weight at a rapid pace.

Generally speaking, it's not recommended to eat past 5 or 6 p.m. in the evening, when trying to drop weight. But, if you train at night, be sure to have a shot of protein to help repair your muscles. Make sure to drink at least eight-to-10 cups of water every day. Adding Pedialyte or Coconut water are also good ideas to keep hydrated. When dehydrated, the body enters preservation mode and holds on to the extra water already in its system. It works the same way when you starve yourself; the body doesn't know when it will get its next meal, so it holds on to whatever fuel it has already received. On another note: Water does not necessarily replace electrolytes and minerals, which is why you need to add them. Do not drink soda, iced tea or bottled juice - they contain a lot of sugar! Extra sugar equates to added calories. Drink only fresh fruit juice from a juicer. Another good tip: Drink one tablespoon of Apple Cider vinegar at night with a glass of water. This will help to regulate your system by promoting fat burn and releasing extra fluids safely.

Don’t forget to include fats in your diet. That's right, the “F” word ... When eaten correctly, and in moderation in a Pre-Competition diet, fats help to reduce carbs.  “Good” fats include: fish oil, lecithin and flaxseed oil; they help to keep the body lubricated, reduce carbohydrate cravings, promote a leaner physique and boost energy levels. Remember: Your body needs to ingest fat to release fat.

Overall, these are just some of basic guidelines for following a demanding Pre-Competition diet. If you are in training, do yourself a favor and pick up a book on basic nutrition. (Please, no trendy books on fad diets of the week; they simply don’t work for true athletes). To succeed, gain an understanding of nutritional science and be aware of your body. As a female athlete, maintaining a critical focus on your intake is the key to performing your best. 

Coach Lee Shabaka

Team Freeform Boxing Club
www.teamfreeform.com