Boxing
Boxing places the body under tremendous stress and certainly throws the body out of its normal functioning parameters. Training can be very strenuous meaning nutritional needs will be far greater for a boxer than sedentary people. Following a healthy diet plan provides quicker recovery time, lower infection rates, less fatigue and ultimately can help athletes reach their desired performance levels.

Divide your daily food intake into 5-6 meals
To ensure the body is fuelled efficiently and your metabolism functions optimally you should aim to eat 5-6 meals a day spacing your meals every 3 hours. Ensure each meal provides good quality food source delivering complex carbohydrates (for fuel), protein (for maintenance/repair/strengthening of muscles) and essential fats known as EFA’s (promoting/maintaining optimum health).

Consume ample protein from a variety of protein sources
If you’re dietary nutrition is deficient, performance and recovery will be impaired. Protein is very important for the maintenance, recovery and strengthening of the body’s muscles. It is not just weight training that causes muscle break down, any physically demanding sport does this. To help muscles recover from such demands it is important to supply ample protein steadily through out the day. Good source’s of protein come from chicken, turkey, fish, beef (lean cuts), pork, eggs and low fat cheese such as cottage cheese. CNP Professional protein supplements such as Pro Peptide, Pro M.R. Pro Dessert, and Protein Slams are an ideal, convenient and delicious way to supply the body with very high quality protein.

Improve Recovery and overcome fatigue
When intense exercise is performed (i.e. boxing training) more and more lactate is produced eventually leading to your blood becoming more acidic. This is one of the causes of fatigue in endurance sports and boxing 12 rounds is endurance. Protein Slam contains beta Alanine a supplement proven to reduce production of lactate which in turn helps improve performance, increase endurance, reduce fatigue and aid recovery. Take Protein Slam immediately before a training session. Protein Slam can also be taken anytime in the day to boost protein and beta Alanine intake.

Maximise recovery immediately after every training session or event. The body after an intense workout is thrown into a catabolic state (muscle breakdown) and will continue to break muscle tissue down if the right nutrition is not consumed. It is an important time known as the “window of opportunity” to replace lost nutrients and speed up the recovery process, by delivering fast acting proteins and carbohydrates in an easy digestible form. Pro-Recover provides easy digestible high quality protein to help repair muscle tissue and carbohydrates to restore the body’s energy levels. Pro-Recover has been specifically developed to aid recovery and is to be consumed immediately after every training session/event.

Increase power and strength
Increasing power/strength is a major benefit for boxers as this will increase punching power and overall physical strength that will be a major benefit when fighting in close quarters. Creatine is a supplement proven in numerous studies to increase strength and power in sports athletes. Pro Creatine E2, Pro G.F. NOx and Pro Creatine all provide quality creatine to assist increases in strength.

Strengthen your immune system
Glutamine is an amino acid with numerous benefits. Studies have shown glutamine reduces vulnerability to infections after prolonged exercise. Supplementing with Pro Glutamine will help improve recovery and immune function. For details of study proving benefits of glutamine click here
http://www.springerlink.com/content/n4n042344jt6261n/ 

Protein, Carbohydrates and fats are classed as Macronutrients and need Micronutrients (vitamins/minerals) to do their job properly. The body needs vitamins and minerals for maintaining a healthy profile, immune system and is vital for optimum recovery and growth. Fresh fruit and vegetables are a good natural source but many will not consume enough to cover the demands that Bodybuilders require. Pro Vital is a unique AM/PM vitamin & mineral formula, that will ensue virtually all requirements are fully met and provide additional anti-oxidants and ZMA. The importance of vitamins and minerals cannot be stressed enough, but is often overlooked and dismissed by many.

Strengthen joints and connective tissue
Injuries occur with many people who participate in contact sports, whether muscular or joint related. This is why it is essential a good diet is implemented providing sufficient protein vital for the repair, strengthening of muscle tissue and help speed up recovery of any injuries sustained. It is not only the body’s muscles that need to be strengthened but also joints, tendons and ligaments which come under tremendous stress when playing a sport such as football. In fact an injury to these areas can be much more problematic than sustaining a muscular injury. Pro-Tect contains collagen and glucosamine which are ingredients proven to help protect and strengthen joints.

Drink plenty of water daily
Water is the most abundant and important nutrient in the body. Water aids the digestion/absorption of food and removes toxins/waste from the body. Research has proven that even a slight state of dehydration impairs performance dramatically, so being hydrated will assist in optimum performance. Your body is 70% water the very nature of your training makes you sweat a lot. You need to drink at least 3 litres of water every day. Do not think water will make you put weight on. The more you drink the more you will urinate and sweat, getting rid of all the toxins in your body.

Here is an example of how a diet may look.

Meal 1. (breakfast)
Cup of porridge oats with a small amount of honey made with water. 3 egg whites with one yolk. If you feel you need more protein you could have a 1 scoop of Pro Peptide or a Protein Slam.
Pro Vital AM capsules & tablet
Pro Creatine E2 x 4 capsules

Meal 2.
Chicken, turkey, fish, pork fillet or Lean steak (fillet) with a cup of rice or baked potato with green veg.

Meal 3.
Tuna in brine or Chicken salad sandwich made with granary/wholemeal bread.

Meal 4.
Chicken, turkey, fish, pork fillet or Lean steak (fillet) with a cup of rice or baked potato with green veg.
Pro Creatine E2 x 4 capsules

Meal 5.
As meal 1, 2, 3 or 4.
Pro Vital PM capsule & tablet

Have 2-3 pieces of fruit a day.

Eat 2-3 pieces of oily fish a week to provide EFA’s (essential fatty acids). Pro Lipid is a blend of EFA’s and is a convenient way of introducing healthy fats into your daily diet.

Pro-MR – Is a high protein meal replacement that can replace any of the above meals.

How much to eat is the biggest question that gets asked and the simplest way to find out is to weigh yourself once a week on the same scales at the same time. Ideal time to obtain your true body weight would be to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before breakfast. If your weight (on the scales) stays the same then you are on maintenance calories and if you want to lose weight cut back slightly on the carbohydrates (less energy) and if you wish to gain weight increase your food slightly in the form of protein and carbohydrates.

Training

You cannot reinvent the wheel the only way to make yourself stronger is to lift weights to failure. The old myths in boxing that weights make you slow are not true. When the muscle is stronger, when it contacts it will make you punch faster and stronger. Plus this strength will help you when fighting in close. If you need any proof of this just ask Billy Graham or any of the boxers from the Pheonix camp..

Split your weight training up and never forget this is to supplement your boxing training and you need to get your weights done in about 20 minutes. CNP Professional M.D. Kerry Kayes is the nutrition and strength coach to the Pheonix Camp (Ricky & Mathew Hatton and Mathew Macklin) and has them perform their weight training immediately after their boxing training.

Weight training routine

Monday - Quads (front thighs)& calves
3 x 10 leg extensions
3 x 10 leg press

3 x 10 standing calf raises
2 x 10 seated calf raises

Tuesday - Chest & biceps
3x 10 flying
3 x 10 bench press
2 x 10 incline bench press

3 x 10 standing barbell curls

Thursday - Back & hamstrings
3 x 10 close grip pull downs to the front
3 x 10 pull downs behind the neck
3 x 10 Rowing (cable or dumbbells)
1 x 10 dumbbell shrugs

3 x 10 lying hamstring curls
1 x 10 stiff leg deadlift

Friday - Shoulders & triceps
3 x 10 side lateral raises
3 x 10 shoulder press
3 x 10 rear delt

3 x 10 triceps pushdowns or presses

Always remember to warm up correctly and cool down.