Supplements Essential for BJJ Training

1. Best Pre Workout Supplements Essential for BJJ Training

BJJ is a grappling combat sport that requires a strategic mind, professional skills, and strength training to be able to fight. Strength is associated with a grappler’s ability to block and overcome an opponent's attack. One can say that training builds up muscle strength but BJJ training supplements are the main source of development in BJJ fighters.

Professional martial artists improve their chances for success by employing professional nutritionists and conditioning experts to improve their overall performance.

In modern day sports, physical attributes like aerobics and endurance are considered essential for success. But the consumption of BJJ training supplements can help enhance physical strength training.

2. What Supplements Should You Take While Training in BJJ?

Medical practitioners and nutritionists suggest two BJJ training supplementation plans to enhance your performance in combat sports:

2.1. Acute Supplementation Plan

The acute supplementation plan has the ability to boost performance of BJJ fighters when digested from 15 minutes to 1 hour before the competition. The acute sports supplements are:

• Caffeine
• Sodium Bicarbonate

2.2. Chronic Supplementation Plan

The chronic supplementation plan involves consuming BJJ supplements from several days to several weeks before you begin to notice visible improvements during strength training exercises. The supplements under this category are:

• Proteins
• β-Alanine
• Creatine monohydrate
• HMB

3. The Acute Supplementation Plan for BJJ Champions

3.1. Caffeine

Caffeine is an alkaloid which acts as a psychoactive drug to stimulate cardiovascular activities and keep the central nervous system from growing tired. It can be found in various plants and is commonly used in BJJ training supplements. Caffeine reduces the effects of fatigue in the human body and provides extra energy for active muscles during strength training exercises.

The benefits of caffeine supplements in combat sports include the following:

• Less physical exhaustion
• Increased focus
• Less drowsiness
• Improved coordination
• Reduced Gastric acid secretions

Is It Ok to Drink Coffee before Doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

Research conducted by the Sport Training Laboratory of Spain to investigate whether caffeine enhances overall performance during BJJ competitions found that ingesting caffeine before exercising resulted in:

• Increased duration and frequency of high intensity activities
• Effective gripping muscle endurance
• Maximum power in upper limbs

Caffeine might be considered an ergogenic aid for improving the performance of BJJ fighters. After ingesting caffeine, the plasma level in the blood rises which improves the overall performance of BJJ practitioners so long as it was approximately three to six mg/kg. The dose higher resulted in the side effects like:

• Raised heart beat
• Lack of concentration
• Increased systolic blood pressure
• Increased anxiety

Thus, high supplementation of caffeine diminishes the performance of BJJ fighters.

3.2. Sodium Bicarbonate

Sodium bicarbonate is an alkalizing agent that enhances your blood’s buffering capacity. BJJ fighters during their high intensity BJJ sessions experience low pH levels in their blood and reduced cytoplasm in the muscles close to the skeleton. The sodium bicarbonate is considered an effective supplement due to its buffering property. It can grant greater output power or multiple high intensity bouts.

Thus, sodium bicarbonate supplementation increases PH levels in the blood and the extracellular reserves of bicarbonate remove H+ ions from the active muscle fiber so that you experience less muscular fatigue.

According to several studies, it was found that using sodium bicarbonate as a supplement in BJJ training increased a martial artist’s overall performance by 8%.

The benefits of using sodium bicarbonate as a BJJ training supplement include the following:

• Maximum anaerobic power and capacity
• Improved performance and endurance
• Higher intensity when doing intermittent running
• Reduced exercise fatigue

The gastrointestinal side effects caused by sodium bicarbonate supplement include the following :

• Abdominal pain
• Flatulence
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting

4. The Chronic Supplementation Plan for BJJ Champions

4.1. Protein Supplements

Protein supplements play a pivotal role in your bodily functions. The daily intake requirement or Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is 0.8 g/kh per day. In BJJ training, the intake should be at least 1.5 to 2.0 g/kg per day. This amount is considered appropriate for individuals getting ready for BJJ fights. The following table includes the recommended protein intakes.

The popularity of BJJ training supplements is due to the following benefits it does for the body.

• Increased muscle mass
• Increased fat loss
• Improved performance
• Improved recovery

Whether engaged in resistance or endurance training, protein supplements can help provide extra energy necessary to complete highly intense exercises.

4.2. Why Is It Best to Have Whey Protein Before a Workout?

The most important BJJ training supplements are:

•  Whey protein
•  Casein protein
•  Soya protein

All of the types of protein mentioned above are rich in essential amino acids. In addition, such protein supplements help with muscle development when combined with a high intensive training program. The soy protein supplements boost the maximum oxygen uptake and maximum power output by improving your aerobic and anaerobic performance.

5. Pre Workout Supplementation and BJJ Resistance training

In combat sports, most researchers have addressed the following issues in protein supplementation:

• During training, recovery and performance depends on the total daily protein intake
• Post exercise protein intake increases fat free muscle mass
• A calorie deficit body requires more protein to offset any chance of lean body mass. The the daily protein intake will then have to be around 2.3 to 3.1 g/kg
• The quality of the protein may have an effect on both acute and chronic adaptations to high-intensity BJJ training
• The effectiveness of training and benefits through protein intake can affect strength, hypertrophy, and body composition

6. Pre Workout Supplementation and BJJ Endurance Training

Protein supplementation in BJJ endurance training can be useful in the presence or absence of other nutrients like carbohydrates. The following benefits were found in BJJ athletes when an adequate quantity of protein intake before a BJJ session was consumed:

• Delayed exhaustion
• Improved glycogen replenishment
• Decreased chance of muscle damage
• Decreased triglycerides

6.1. β-Alanine

β-Alanine supplementation is consumed by BJJ fighters to increase intramuscular carnosine levels. Carnosine is a dipeptide composed of the essential amino acids known as histidine and β-Alanine. Carsosine is high in skeletal muscles, especially in type II muscle fibers used in intensive training. Research has shown that consuming 4 – 6.4 g of β-Alanine over the course of 28 days increases intramuscular carnosine levels by approximately 60%. The following are the benefits of taking β-Alanine supplementation in preparation for BJJ fights:

• Improved strength
• Improved anaerobic threshold
• Improved high-intensity aerobic performance
• Less muscle fatigue

In BJJ, fighters may undergo multiple bouts of high-intensity exercises lasting more than 60 seconds. A professional MMA bout comprises three to five rounds in length, with each round lasting five minutes. Every round has many dynamic high-intensity bouts interspersed with short recovery periods. BJJ champions may apply a series of techniques to take an opponent down on the mat. Once on the ground, the fighters will continue to struggle until one has gained a dominant position. At this point, a fighter may experience several high-intensity bursts involving both striking and grappling and then slow the pace down to be able to recover. This cycle may be repeated several times throughout a fight. As a result, β-Alanine supplementation may be beneficial for certain martial artists.

Side Effects of β-Alanine

The smaller dosages of β-Alanine ranging from 2.4 to 6.4 g per day are recommended. In many β-Alanine supplementation plans, the total daily amount consumed is divided into two to four dosages. The reasons for smaller dosages is to avoid the following side effects of β-Alanine:

• Tingling
• Paresthesia

6.2. Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine monohydrate is considered the most effective BJJ training supplement. A BJJ diet enriched with creatine increases one’s capacity to do high-intensity exercises. Many of the physical attributes that a martial artist trains to improve can be enhanced by creatine supplementation. Creatine strengthens BJJ fighters in the following ways:

• Able to do single and repetitive high-intensity sprints
• Builds muscle mass
• Removes excess fat
• Improves muscular endurance
• Glycogen resynthesis
• Relieves stress
• Reduces severity of and enhances recovery from mild traumatic brain injury

Is Creatine a Safe Supplement for BJJ Athletes?

Researchers have suggested that ingesting creatine with a carbohydrate or a combination of carbohydrate and protein enhances creatine uptake and retention. Furthermore, it has been hypothesized that combining high doses of caffeine and creatine can be counterproductive, instead having negative effects on the body. There is the advantage of muscle hypertrophy that comes with ingesting creatine after doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu exercises.

6.3. Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate (HMB)

HMB is a metabolic by-product of the essential branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) known as leucine, which plays a pivotal role in protein metabolism. The normal plasma range of HMB concentrations is 1 to four µmol/L, but can be doubled by following leucine administration. Some foods like citrus fruits have traces of HMB. Therefore, HMB supplementation is a reasonable way for fighters undergoing resistance training to gain muscle strength. The breakdown of proteins in the body occurs naturally due to highly intensive activity. Because of its anti catabolic potential, HMB plays a role in minimizing the loss of muscle tissue in BJJ fights and training.

Based on existing research, a novice BJJ fighter engaged in a strength and conditioning program for the first time receives many benefits from HMB supplementation. However, over the course of several months, the benefits of HMB supplementation begin to minimize or cease.

An overview of the mechanism behind HMB supplementation?

7. Why Do I Need Supplements for Enhancing Recovery in Jiu-Jitsu and MMA?

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, injuries sustained during grappling and takedowns may require recovery. Recovery from training and fights helps improve many physiological and psychological aspects. The benefits that help with physiological recovery are:

• Replenishing muscle glycogen
• Enhancing protein synthesis
• Reducing muscle soreness.

Our body needs optimal levels of glycogen for muscular support to perform effectively in BJJ fights. It is not uncommon for trainers to learn new grappling techniques within a single training session. As a result, muscle glycogen becomes depleted and negatively impacts the muscle strength of BJJ fighters. When muscle glycogen is decreased, it causes the loss of adenine nucleotide, muscle phosphocreatine degradation, and muscle fatigue. Research has demonstrated that carbohydrate ingestion after training significantly increases the rate of glycogen synthesis. The following table lists the essential and non-essential amino acids.

Different research articles state that effective protein synthesis after training is vital for recovery in BJJ fighters. An intake of 40 g of protein after exercising can stimulate protein synthesis in the human body. Even 6 g of protein in conjunction with 35 g of carbohydrates can stimulate the synthesis of essential amino acids. Branched chain amino acids are essential for combat players due to their anabolic effects helping with muscle recovery.

Fighters who consume BCAA have significantly increased levels of testosterone and reduced levels of cortisol and creatine kinase.

8. Conclusion

Supplements are essential in pre workout and post workout routines to improve fighters stamina, capacity and strength. All you need to find the right combination of supplements required for your body. Do not forget to seek nutritionist advice.