If you are a competitive Jiu-Jitsu Player then surly you have at some point either tried to get into a lower weight class or thought about it. Losing weight in Jiu-Jitsu is easy for some, but losing the last few pounds can be tricky. The problem for me is usually linked to carbohydrate intake. If you were unaware carbs attach themselves to water molecules in digestion and thus can cause water retention. Because in Jiu-Jitsu we weigh in right before our matches it is unwise to eliminate carbs completely (although many get away with it). But if you think about the basic premises of Jiu-Jitsu carbs can be a pain in the ***. So when should we get our carbs in? This will be specific for the many BJJ practitioners who train Primarily at Night
Many people believe that your breakfast should be the big carb meal. This makes sense in many ways due to some of the research on insulin and other bodily chemicals, but it ignores the fact that during the morning your body is in a fat burning fasting state. Our bodies prefer to burn carbs over fat, so if we give our body primarily carbs it will quickly decide to burn them, However those carbs will cause us to retain roughly 4 grams of water per gram of carb. I think we have all experienced this… you eat a small piece of bread or fruit and somehow you gained a lb… this is usually because the water drunken while eating is being retained as well.
The next common belief, is that you should eat your carbs pre-workout. This however is the demise of a Jiu-Jitsu training session. If you eat too much too close to training it gives you stomach pains and you often feel lethargic.
The last common belief about carb intake, is that we should get most of our carbs post workout. This is the theory I prescribe to, but it is very problematic if you train at night. Usually post workout your body is in a heightened metabolic state and thus the carbs are put to good use. However if you train late at night and then go to bed too soon your body is stuck with a massive carb load while you sleep.
While we all will have our personal beliefs on the subject and I am no dietitian. I believe in Jiu Jitsu we should intake our carbs in small quantities throughout the day and never have any given meal that has over 50g of carbs. What do you guys think about the carb problem in BJJ?
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