fitnessASSIST

It has been hard to ignore the hype surrounding this weekend’s heavyweight boxing championship fight between David Haye and Audley Harrison.

The two British fights have been trading verbal blows for several months and the war of words has intensified in the past fortnight.  There is clearly no love lost between the pair and with both claiming to be in the best condition of the careers the match-up promises to be an intriguing one.

One of the attractions of boxing for many people is that, for all the bravado and trash talk, there is no hiding place once the bell rings. If a fighter has failed to prepare properly you can be sure that there opponent will make them pay.

Boxing, more than many other sports, underlines the importance of faultless preparation. A key part of that is having the right diet and nutritional programme in place.

It is an extremely demanding sport that requires lots of explosive energy and high-levels of strength, speed, agility and power.  Very often the outcome of a fight can come down to which boxer had the better preparation.

Failing to keep on top of nutritional needs or not staying hydrated can result in serious fatigue and a drastic drop in performance. Boxers who eat complex carbohydrates at the right time, avoid high-fructose sugary foods and ensure they are properly hydrated have a better chance of success.

The Shotz Sports Nutrition range of energy gels, energy bars and electrolyte tablets has several key benefits that will appeal to boxers.

Shotz energy bars and gels are high in complex carbohydrates which release energy continuously, helping to maintain stamina during both training and the fight. This can help boxers finish the fight strongly, when their opponent may be feeling tired and vulnerable.

Eating the right type, and amount, of carbohydrates also helps replenish the body’s glycogen stores and fuel the key power systems when training and competing.  It is also worth noting that Shotz energy gels don’t contain any high-fructose corn syrup, an ingredient that leading nutritionists regularly warn athletes to avoid.

Boxers have to pay particularly close attention to their hydration needs. Many fighters face a struggle to make the weight limit and it is still common practice for many boxers to wear special sweat gear during training to increase fluid losses. This is a dangerous practice and one that should be avoided.

When mixed with water, Shotz electrolyte tablets make a delicious electrolyte-fuelled sports drink that is ideal for boxers in training for a fight.

Routinely drinking an electrolyte drink during workouts helps minimise water and electrolyte loss. The body uses electrolytes every time a muscle is used so keeping the right amount in the body aids performance and post-fight recovery.

Managing their nutritional and hydration needs properly can give a boxer a huge advantage over a poorly prepared opponent. They will feel fresher, stronger and more capable of delivering the knockout blow when it matters.