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The role of nutrition in martial arts,
police, military personnel
Will Brink
Copyright 2005 Internet Publications
For a considerable amount of time, nutrition has not played a prominent role in
the life of many martial artists, police, and military personnel as a means of
improving performance. Top athletes are always looking for an edge. Although the
martial arts are more of a way of life and a life style than a sport per se, the
needs of the martial artist are the same as that of the elite athlete.
Mental aspects not withstanding (i.e. mental awareness, strategy, cunning,
etc.), the need for speed, agility, strength, flexibility, and the ability to
recuperate from tough workouts (and unforgiving sparing partners) is paramount
to the success of athletes and martial artists alike. Police and military
personnel can also have unique requirements that require them to perform at peak
physical and or psychological levels.
Over the past decade our knowledge of sports nutrition has evolved into a
science that has swept the athletic world and has been partially responsible for
the ever increasing numbers of athletes who are pushing the envelope of human
ability and performance. Although a handful of the worlds top martial artists,
police, and elite military units have taken advantage of the 'cutting edge'
nutrition being used by top athletes, the majority of these communities has not
taken advantage of the new science of sports nutrition.
The advantage of improving one's performance through nutrition and correct
supplementation is obvious for the athlete, but what about the martial artist?
Obviously technique, form, and knowledge of one's chosen martial art is
essential to the mastery of that art, but what if the person, regardless of
skill level, becomes a little faster, stronger, and able to resist and repair
from injuries and training better?
Will they not be an improved version of their former self? Of course they will!
Proper nutrition can make the martial artist, as it has for so many of today's
top athletes, an improved and potentially more accomplished practitioner of
their art, plain and simple. If a policeman is able to stay alert, has more
endurance or strength, etc., will he/she not have an added advantage to the job?
Of course.. The benefits to the soldier are obvious. Bottom line? To not take
advantage of the science of nutrition and supplementation, is to short change
the martial artists, police, and military personnel.
As a trainer for many athletes from various sports, police, and, military
personnel, and the author of numerous articles on sports nutrition and training,
I have come to a few general guidelines that should be of considerable help and
interest to the martial artist, police, etc. who want to improve both health and
performance. Though nutrition is a complex topic, I have devised a basic guide
to the major and minor nutrients that should be helpful to the martial artist,
police, and athlete alike who are trying to make food and nutrient choices. Of
course this guide is in no way total or complete, and many individual
differences may apply, but as a basic guide to examining these nutrients, it
could give you the edge you have been looking for.
Protein
Proteins are made up of amino acids which are the structural units of the
protein molecule. There are approximately 20 amino acids. Eight of them are
considered 'essential' because the human body cannot make them on its own -
which is the definition of an essential nutrient. Link a few amino acids
together and you get a peptide. Link a bunch of peptides together and you get a
protein. The shape of the individual amino acids (and resulting proteins) is
unique and highly specific, so I won't go into great detail about it here.
Suffice it to say, proteins are an essential part of virtually every function in
our body from the muscles, to certain hormones, to our immune system(s) and a
whole lot more. In particular, the amino acids known as the 'branched chain'
amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) and the amino acid L-glutamine are
of particular interest to active people as they are anti-catabolic (muscle
sparing) and immune enhancing, to name only a few functions and benefits of
these particular amino acids.
Though the RDA for protein is generally sufficient for couch potatoes (with some
debate) the majority of athletes and/or highly active people will benefit from
higher intakes of high quality proteins. Proteins with the highest biological
value (BV) are the proteins that should constitute the majority of the active
person's diet, as they are superior for maintaining positive nitrogen balance,
reducing recuperation time from workouts, improving immune function, etc.
Whey protein concentrate (WPC) and isolates (WPI) have the highest BV of any
protein, is almost 50% branched chain amino acids, and is high in L-glutamine,
which is why I recommend several servings a day of WPC/WPI to all the
athletes/martial artists/police I work with.
There are several brands of WPC/WPI on the market. Other high quality proteins
such as skinless chicken, fish, eggs, soy, and lean red meats, have relatively
high BV values and are good proteins. Another point that is important to know,
the higher quality the protein, the less the person has to eat and this allows
the person to keep total calories lower by sticking to these high BV proteins.
For a person who is active in the martial arts, has a busy job, and probably
does some weight lifting and/or aerobics, an intake of .7 ? .8 grams of protein
per pound of lean body weight is what I have generally recommended. For high
level bodybuilders and competitive distance athletes, the protein intake will be
higher, approximately 1g of protein per lb /bodyweight being the most common.
In certain situations, amino acid supplementation is useful, but most people
will have no problem getting what they need by eating plenty of high quality
protein foods. Low grade, high fat, preservative loaded, protein foods such as
luncheon meats, hot dogs, etc., should be avoided for obvious reasons.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are made primarily of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that
cycle into a ring. They can be 'simple' or 'complex' depending on the number of
rings that are hooked together and the way the carbohydrate effects blood sugar
(1). Though the rings can be slightly different in shape, their common theme is
the ring structure. Similar to amino acids that make up proteins, when you link
the simple units (the sugars) together you get carbohydrates with different
properties.
As most people know, carbohydrates are a primary source of energy for the body.
The best type of carbohydrates to eat are those that are high in fiber,
vitamins, and minerals.
Though foods such as pasta, breads, and white rice are considered 'complex' they
are highly processed foods, totally inadequate in fiber, vitamins, and minerals
and should not make up a high percentage of a persons carbohydrate intake.
Though these foods are often fortified with certain vitamins, in my opinion this
does not truly replace what is lost during processing, not to mention the many
nutrients that are not replaced.
Americans are notoriously low eaters of fiber, and heavily processed foods
mentioned above do nothing to correct this deficit. High fiber carbohydrate
foods such as brown rice, beans, lentils, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and many
others, are the preferred carbohydrate foods for health, performance, steady
blood sugar levels, and reduced bodyfat levels.
Though the high carbohydrate/low fat diet is all the rage these days, it has not
been in my experience the optimal diet for the many athletes, martial artists,
and ?normal? people I have worked with (see fats below). Data continues to
support the fact that high carb low fat diets are not optimal for either health
for weight loss. Eating too much of anything, including carbohydrates, will make
one fat (too bad the makers of non-fat foods fail to tell you this) and cause a
host of other ills I don't have the space here to cover.
There are many researchers, books, and studies using both animals and humans
that seriously questions the high carbohydrate/low fat diet as the optimal diet
for health and performance. Two grams per pound of lean bodyweight of
carbohydrates is more than sufficient to fuel the energy needs of most athletes
if other aspects of their diet is adequate (i.e. correct use and amounts of
certain fats and proteins). And, as mentioned previously, the source of those
carbohydrates is of paramount importance.
Fats
The very word sends a shiver down the back of the leanest person. There is not a
more misunderstood nutrient in all of nutrition than fats. Many people know
there are big differences in how various carbohydrates effect the body and some
people even know that different proteins have different properties, but 'a fat
is a fat, no'? is what the majority of people would say if you asked them about
this much maligned nutrient.
Fats have just as many biochemical differences in the human body as do
carbohydrates and proteins, and thus have just as many different effects on the
body that range from very good to very bad. It really depends on the type and
amount of fat(s) we eat(2). Americans tend to get their dietary fats from
saturated fats, rancid fats, and highly processed fats ( which contain by
products such as trans fatty acids), thus giving fats a bad name.
As mentioned earlier, an essential nutrient is anything the human body cannot
manufacture on its own and must be obtained from the diet, or the person will
become sick and/or perish if the nutritional deficit is not corrected. We know
there are a multitude of vitamins and minerals, eight amino acids, and two types
of fats that are considered essential nutrients for life itself to continue.
You should be aware that there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate,
but that's a whole other story. The two fats that are known to be essential to
health are Linoleic acid (LA) which is an Omega-6 fatty acid and Alpha-linolenic
acid (LNA) which is an Omega-3 fatty acid. Both of these fats can be found in
various foods that have not been heavily processed.
These two fats are highly sensitive and reactive to heat, light, and oxygen
(i.e. they go bad quickly), and are totally ruined or lost during the processing
of our foods. The reason poly -unsaturated vegetable oils that line the shelves
of most super markets can sit there for years on end is because they have been
heated, deodorized, and generally processed to the point that they are the
nutritional equivalent of white bread and table sugar. I recommend people avoid
those oils.
Because of all the fat bashing by the popular media and health professionals who
should know better, most people have come away thinking that all fat is bad and
serves no other purpose than to make our hips and stomach wider while ruining
our health. Nothing could be further from the truth. The membrane that surrounds
every single cell in your body, the sheath around nerves, various hormones,
prostaglandins, and countless other parts of the body (especially the brain)
depend on the dietary intake of the right fats.
The importance of the essential fatty acids for health and performance cannot be
understated. It is true that certain fats, such as, saturated fats, rancid fats,
and trans fatty acids (found in margarine, Crisco, and other products), can
cause numerous health problems from heart disease to cancer and insulin
resistance, to name only a few ills of a diet high in the wrong types of fat.
However, the essential fatty acids (especially the Omega-3 fatty acids) are
anti-lipolytic (stop fat storage), anti-catabolic (stop the break down of muscle
tissue), increase metabolic rate and beta oxidation (burn calories/increase fat
burning), improve insulin sensitivity, reduce the chances of heart diseases, and
a whole lot more (3).
Though early research told us that we need a bit more LA (the Omega-6 fatty
acid) than LNA (the Omega-3 fatty acid) in our diet, we find in practice that a
diet containing higher amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids (LNA) gets the best
results in health, bodyfat levels, and performance.
The richest source of the Omega-3 fatty acid LNA is Flax oil, which also
contains a small amount of the Omega-6 oil LA (4). Flax oil can be found in the
refrigerated section of any good health food store and is derived from the
careful processing of flax seeds (5). As a nutritional consultant to various
athletes, I have used flax oil with many of the country's top bodybuilders (a
group of athletes notoriously fearful of eating fat) to reduce their bodyfat
levels and improve their performance and health. Two/three tablespoons a day
over a salad, taken straight, or in a protein drink does the trick (6).
Another major source of Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in deep water cold fish
such as sardines, mackerel, and salmon (7), and I recommend that people eat two
to three servings of these fish per week. Good sources of LA are unprocessed
vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, sesame, and many other oils found
in health food stores.
Fats to avoid are highly processed vegetable oils and other processed vegetable
products (such as margarine), rancid fats, and to a lesser degree, saturated
fats. The key to health and performance is a proper balance of essential fatty
acids (LNA and LA), mono unsaturated oils (found in olive oil, avocados, etc.),
and small amounts of saturated fats found in lean meats and other sources
combined with the right carbohydrates and proteins.
Vitamins/Minerals
Obviously a full description of every vitamin and mineral and all their
functions would take several large text books, so I won't even attempt it here.
A good multi vitamin is an insurance plan to make sure we get all the major
vitamins and minerals that for what ever reason we failed to get from our food
on any given day.
There is not a single cell in our entire body that does not require the use, or
interaction with, some vitamin, mineral, or biological function that is
dependent on the above nutrients in adequate amounts. If you think we get all
the vitamins and minerals we need from our highly processed food supply (as some
health professionals maintain), then I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would like to
sell you. Some (but not all) nutritionists and other health related
professionals will often say something like 'vitamins supplements just cause
expensive urine'.
The last time I checked, chemo therapy, heart bypass operations, and hundreds of
other medical treatments cost considerably more than the average multi vitamin.
If the intake of vitamins were to prevent any major disease in say one out of a
100,000 people, it would have been worth every cent in my book. In my opinion,
the correct use of vitamins, minerals, herbs, essential fatty acids, and many
other nutritional based compounds, is the best route to optimal health and
performance. Any major brand of multi vitamin from such manufacturers as Twin
Lab, Solgar, or Nature's Best, to name only a few good brands, would be fine.
Anti - oxidants
'Anti-oxidants' and 'free radicals' are the hot buzz words these days on
television news shows, news paper articles, and magazine features. Though
scientists in the health and nutritional fields have known about them for
decades, they have recently been getting a lot of attention by mainstream media
and more open minded medical researchers.
Anti-oxidants are a special class of vitamins and other non vitamin compounds
that neutralize free radicals before they can damage cells in our body. What is
a free radical? A free radical is a highly reactive molecular fragment that has
a single unpaired electron. The unpaired electron wants to ?pair up? with
another electron.
The free radical will steal this electron from virtually anything it comes in
contact with, including our cells. This reaction, if left unchecked, leads to a
free radical chain reaction and damage to various parts of the cell depending on
where it takes place. An anti-oxidant can donate an electron without itself
becoming a free radical and thus can break the chain of events leading to an
uncontrolled free radical chain reaction (8).
Free radical pathology is now believed to be linked to diseases such as cancer,
heart disease, diabetes, and dozens of other afflictions. Without going into a
long (and boring) biochemical explanation, there are many things that cause free
radicals to be released, such as smoking, exposure to various toxins found in
air, food and water, sickness, exercise, and stress in general.
Anti-oxidants such as vitamin E and C and other compounds such as selenium,
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), and proanthocyanidins (derived from grape seed
extract), to mention a few, will help recuperation from tough workouts, improve
immunity, possibly prevent certain diseases, and improve your health in so many
different ways it would take another article to explain. A good anti-oxidant
formula made by any one of the brands I mentioned previously, should be added to
the diet in addition to the multi- vitamin. Whey proteins can also greatly
improve anti oxidants status and is recommended.
Sports Supplements:
The topic of sports nutrition supplements, such as: androstenedione and other ?andros,?
Arginine, Colostrum, CLA, Creatine, Ecdysterone, GH Supplements, Ginseng, HMB,
Myostatin Inhibitors and Tribulus, to name just a few, is beyond the scope of
this article. Each supplement has its potential uses, dawbacks, doses and other
variables that need to be examoned on an indavidual basis. People in the martial
arts, law enforecement, or military that want to understand these supplements ;
whether or not they are worth useing, doses, types, etc., should consider
reading my ebook on the topic of sports nutrition supplements, nutrition, and
training called Muscle Building Nutrition.
Conclusion
The above list of foods and supplements is in no way complete or the entire
picture when it comes to additional ways the martial artist, police, and
military personnel can improve his or her health, strength, bodyfat levels, and
recuperative abilities. However, the information presented here can make for a
foundation of health and performance that could add a considerable edge for
those who seeks it.
(1)The way a carbohydrate effects blood sugar after it is eaten is known as the
glycemic response. The glycemic index (GI) is a list of foods and how they
effect blood sugar. Some foods we think of as 'complex' actually raise blood
sugar much faster than many foods we think of as 'simple'.
(2) The health problems related to fats is are far more complex than most people
appreciate. The pathology of disease(s) caused by high fat intakes of the wrong
types of fat is a complex interaction between certain fats, carbohydrates, a
lack of certain vitamins and other nutrients, free radical/anti-oxidant
mechanisms, and other factors that are poorly understood.
(3) For more information on the many benefits of the essential fatty acids and
to find out more information about fats and health in general, read ?Fats the
Heal fats that Kill? by Dr. Udo Erasmus published by Alive books.
(4) LNA and LA are in a 4:1 ratio in flax oil.
(5) Like fresh eggs, milk, meat, etc, all fresh unprocessed oils will spoil (go
rancid) if not refrigerated constantly and eaten shortly after opening the
bottle.
(6) All highly unsaturated oils, including flax, should NEVER be used to cook
with as this will change the structure of theses oils making them toxic and of
little use for the purpose they are intended for.
(7) The 'fish oils' DHA and EPA can be formed in the human body from LNA by
desaturase enzymes.
(8) It is important to note that free radical reactions are a normal and
essential part of metabolism. It is the uncontrolled free radical chain
reactions that we are concerned with.
by William D. Brink
See more excellent bodybuilding, fat loss, and sports nutrition articles from
Will Brink here:
http://www.brinkzone.com/onlinearticles.html
And see Will's other websites here:
http://www.dietsupplementsreview.com
http://www.musclebuildingguide.com
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