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Training in Muay Thai is not only mentally demanding, but it's only extremely physically demanding and can be tough on your body. If you're waking up everyday feeling tired with your muscles aching, then maybe you should start to consider the use of supplements.
In our ultimate guide for supplements in Muay Thai, we've broken down the supplements that we've tried, tested and have helped us with our training and to advance our physical performance.
Supplements are a strange concept to a lot of people, but for the most it's just about understanding what a supplement is, and how it can help your training, and avoiding all the misconceptions around supplements - after-all, a whey protein isn't going to turn you into a bodybuilder, but it may add a slight little help to your muscle recovery which is all you need to get through your weekly sessions!
What are supplements?
Dietary or nutritional supplements are any product that aims to ‘supplement’ the diet with nutrients that could potentially be missing.
As their name suggests, supplements are to help supplement an already healthy balanced diet and lifestyle, not to to be used to replace meals or fix a bad diet.
The benefits of taking supplements
The benefit of taking supplements is to help provide the nutrition, vitamins and minerals that your body may be missing from your normal diet. For example, Whey Protein is a great way to help provide a boost of protein to your daily diet.
There are hundreds of different types of supplements available on today's market, and they all provide a varied range of benefits depending on whats in them, and their purpose.
The different supplements that you should be taking as a Muay Thai fighter
If you've ever searched supplements online, or been to a local health store, it can be a little overwhelming with the vast array of supplements available in today's market.
Understanding the supplements that you should be taking as a Muay Thai fighter is key to helping you reap the maximum benefits, and also to help save you money, as supplements aren't cheap!
Below we've put together a comprehensive guide of all the supplements that you should be taking as a Muay Thai fighter, as well as how and when to take them, and our product recommendations after years of using supplements.
Whey Protein
An active adult should consume 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight, so if you weigh 70kg, you should be consuming 70g of protein per day.
If your someone who has a busy lifestyle who struggles to squeeze in multiple meals per day to achieve that protein goal, then Whey protein is the answer for you.
Whey protein supplements were created to help provide a quick and easy way to intake protein without taking in a massive amount of calories or needing to sit down and eat a full meal. The average whey protein supplement will include 20g of protein.
How do I take whey protein?
Whey Protein will usually come in a powder form that can be mixed with water or milk. We recommend mixing your whey protein with water to keep your calorie intake lower.
Also ensure you have a protein shaker to use when making your whey protein shake, you'll need to shake the powder in the water to combine the substances and remove the lumps within the powder - otherwise the drinking experience won't be too fun!
When should I take whey protein?
We recommend taking whey protein immediately after you train to ensure that your muscles are getting their immediate fix of protein that they need to recover and rebuild.
Recommended whey protein for Muay Thai fighters
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey Protein
Our recommended whey protein supplement for Muay Thai fighters is the Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey Protein. It is the worlds leading selling protein powder for good reason, it tastes great, blends easy and one serving contains 24g of protein and 5.5g of BCAAs.
BCAAs
BCAAs, branch chain amino acids, are the proteins that are found in food. Your body uses these amino acids to provide your muscles with energy, which is why they are great to help with your training.
BCAAs are great at helping muscle recovery, and they can also be great when consumed during training to help provide your muscles with instant recovery and more endurance.
How do I take BCAAs?
BCAAs will usually come in a powder form that can be mixed with water. They are also available in capsule form.
When should I take BCAAs?
We recommend taking BCAAs during your training sessions by including them in the water that you should be drinking.
Recommended BCAAs for Muay Thai fighters
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard BCAAs
The Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard BCAAs are the perfect branch chain amino acids to help reduce fatigue and boost your immunity. They are also great to help with your Muay Thai training due to the added electrolytes.
Pre-Workout
Pre-workouts are supplements which are designed to help aid in focus during your workout and also to provide you with additional energy to help you aid your workout.
Pre-workouts are perfect if your not quite feeling up to your Muay Thai session. They'll give you perfect boost to turn what might be a bad session into a good session.
How do I take pre-workout?
Pre-workout will usually come in a powder form that can be mixed with water. They are also available in capsule form.
When should I take pre-workout?
You should take your pre-workout 30 minutes before your training sessions to allow time for the effects of the pre-workout to start before your training session.
Recommended pre-workout for Muay Thai fighters
The BSN NO-Xplode 2.0 pre-workout
The BSN No-Xplode pre-workout is a pre-workout which is jammed packed with ingredients that are designed to help you with your workout. It includes 200mg of caffeine which is sure to provide a strong boost to your training sessions.
Creatine
Out of all the supplements, creatine is the supplement that has had the most scientific research done into it, even above whey protein supplements. The primary benefit of creatine is an improvement in strength and power output during resistance exercise.
Creatine will also help in the produce lean muscle mass, and has also been tested and proven to show slight improvements in anaerobic running capacity.
Creatine is a great supplement for Muay Thai to help build power and strength, as well as helping you to build lean muscle mass.
How do I take creatine?
Creatine comes in a powder form, we recommend mixing it with your whey protein shake once a day.
When should I take creatine?
We recommended taking your creatine mixed in your whey protein shake following your Muay Thai training session.
Follow the instructions on the tub for how many scoops of creatine is required for one serving.
Recommended creatine for Muay Thai fighters
Optimum Nutrition Micronised Creatine Powder
With 3.4g of creatine monohydrate in every servin, the Optimum Nutrition creatine powder is designed to help improve physical performance and is our recommended creatine powder for Muay Thai training.
CBD Oil
CBD Oil is a supplement that is fast growing in the Muay Thai scene, and one that is now used and promoted by some of the best fighters in the world.
CBD oil has many benefits in martial artists. The active ingredients have a positive effect on the heart and blood circulation. It also has a protective effect on the nervous and immune system and is anti-inflammatory in the event of injuries.
CBD oil is mostly known for its ability to fight against pain. Even before competitions, many have found that stress and nervousness are reduced and the focus on the fight is increased.
How do I take CBD oil?
There are several ways in which you can take CBD oil, but adding a couple of drops under your tounge is the most common way to do so.
The label on your CBD product should advise how many drops you should take, and how often you should be taking it.
When should I take CBD oil?
We recommend taking CBD oil three times per day, first thing in the morning, in the afternoon and before bed.
Recommended CBD oil for Muay Thai fighters
Our go to CBD brand is always Organic Relief. Their products are amazing quality, lab tested and used by some of the best Muay Thai fighters on the planet, including Liam Harrison.
Fish Oil
Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential part of anyone's diet, they are proven to help improve overall health fortification, disease prevention as well as helping to promote brain function.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in an abundant in fish, however it's unlikely that you are getting enough from your daily diet, that is why a fish oil supplement is a great addition to your daily routine.
How do I take Fish oil?
Fish oil comes in a digestible capsule form that should be consumed on a morning.
When should I take Fish oil?
We recommend taking your fish oil with your breakfast. Get in the habit of taking your vitamins first thing in the morning and it'll become part of your daily routine.
Recommended Fish oil for Muay Thai fighters
Vitamin B
Vitamin B helps the enzymes in our bodies to do their jobs and are important for a wide range of cellular functions, including breaking down carbohydrates and transporting nutrients throughout the body.
How should I take vitamin B?
We recommend taking your Vitamin B with your breakfast. Get in the habit of taking your vitamins first thing in the morning and it'll become part of your daily routine.
Recommended Vitamin B for Muay Thai fighters
Don't replace your diet with supplements
The main thing to remember when using supplements as part of your daily routine is that they are not to be used to replace your diet, they are simply used to help provide a boost to your training, and help fill the gap on any nutritional requirements that you may struggling to fill with your daily diet.
A good healthy balanced diet should provide you with the nutritional requirements that you'll need for your Muay Thai training.
Conclusion
Finding the right supplements for your Muay Thai training isn't always easy, but through our years of training, and trying hundreds of different supplement types and brands, we've put together this list to try and make things a little easier for you.
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