Carbs 1 | March ‘25
Fueling Your Fight: The Critical Role of Carbohydrates in Muay Thai and The Striking Arts
Carbs have gotten a bad rap over the last 20+ years. Pop-culture health fanatics over-extrapolated bits of research and traded fear of fat for fear of sugar, all the while confusing masses of people in the process. Though it’s true that not all carbohydrates are created equal, they are the most important fuel source we have for high intensity exercise—basically, any time we exert ourselves more than a light jog or some yard work. This is especially true for the explosive nature of combat sports like Muay Thai, Boxing, Kickboxing, and MMA, but is no less critical to runners, basketball players, swimmers, cyclists, dancers, tennis players, and the like. Understanding some of the underlying chemistry as well as the tested, nutritional recommendations can help us devise a fueling strategy with carbohydrates at the core. When done properly, you’ll get the most out of your training, giving you energy to train harder, longer, and more frequently. Read along and I’ll take you through some of the basic principles behind the critical contributions of carbohydrates in combat (how’s that for alliteration 👊).
Carbs Are You Primary Energy Source
Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred energy source, particularly during periods of intense physical exertion. They are composed of a combination of mostly carbon atoms (“carbo”) with attached oxygen and hydrogen atoms (“hydrate”) in a typical ratio of 1 part carbon to 3 parts water (oxygen + hydrogen). This chemical makeup allows for high reactivity (good for producing fast energy) but is also why weight reduction strategies for weight-based combat sports involve temporarily reducing carb intake, allowing fighters to achieve a lower weight from reduced water retention. Carbs carry about 4 kilocalories (colloquially simply referred to as “calories” with a lowercase “c”) of energy per gram which is equal in energetic potential to protein (about 4 calories as well) and to about half of fats (about 9 calories).
The multibranched shape of a glycogen molecule (the storage form of carbohydrates) permits multiple chemical reactions to occur simultaneously. A simple analogy could compare these polysaccharides to the branches of a large tree—imagine each leaf being clipped at the same time from the outside in, clearing the way to clip another leaf further down the branch, clipping on and on down every branch, over and over and over. This is essentially how larger chains of stored carbohydrates break down into the individual glucose molecules our body uses for energy. At this level, we generate adenosine triphosphate, better known as ATP, which is the substrate that fuels muscle contractions. Commonly referred to as anaerobic glycolysis, it directly (and rapidly) breaks down the glycogen molecules stored in our muscles and powers their contraction without needing oxygen as a catalyst (something that aids or speeds up a chemical reaction). This rapid access of energy is essential for the bursts of speed required to execute effective punches and kicks as well as for the power employed for throws and takedowns. While proteins and fats can also be broken down for energy, their complex or linear molecular structures do not permit the same high rate of metabolism, making them less efficient. Think of walking, gardening, and low-intensity movements as being fueled by fats and protein while running, jumping, punching, and kicking require the support of carbs.
The research has tested and proven this in a number of ways. When measured, combat athletes with higher pre-exercise muscle glycogen levels have demonstrated greater power output when lifting weights, performing cycling tests, and striking pads. They also experienced delayed fatigue during extended bouts of activity and were able to perform a higher volume of repetitions and longer intervals of activity. This suggests that the efforts those athletes made to ingest more carbohydrates in the hours before training had a positive impact on their performance. Lower carbohydrate intakes, on the other hand, may contribute to more than 20% reduction in striking power during later stages of similar tests (showing energy depletion). Whether by augmenting acute performance or by boosting training volume through sustained fueling, carbs are tried and tested in the lab and on the mat.
How to Optimize Intake For Performance
Now that we’ve had that biochemistry lesson, what do we do with it? Conventional recommendations are to make carbohydrates between 40–60% of your overall caloric intake. So, if you’re following a 2000 daily calorie plan, that would equate to 800–1200 calories of carbohydrates each day, or about 200–300 grams (calories / 4 calories per gram). This is a great start.
For athletes, though, a more nuanced and studied approach suggests measuring your intake according to your weight (in kilograms) and average exercise intensity. For example, the American College of Sports Medicine (the premiere academic institution for exercise and physiology) recommends that athletes who engage in moderate to high-intensity exercise consume between 5–7 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight during regular training periods, increasing to 8–10 grams per kilogram during longer, more intensive competitive preparation.
Think of your daily 1–2 hour training session (sans-sparring) to fall within the 5–7 range and your 2 hour+ days, or days that include separate conditioning (like running or swimming) besides your technique drilling as the 8–10 range. According to that math, a 70 kilogram individual (approximately 154 lbs) would benefit from about 400+ grams of carbs on “moderate” training days to 600+ grams of carbohydrates on “hard” training days. These numbers may seem pretty high compared to what you’re used to eating but spreading your intake out throughout the day will help you meet these targets. Either way, you have to test your body and customize according to what works best for you.
Timing Matters for Training and Recovery
The total amount of carbs you ingest is the most important factor in proper fueling, but when you consume them can play a significant role as well. It takes a while for food to be digested and for the subsequent energy molecules to make their way into your bloodstream and tissues. Therefore, we have to consider timing.
Generally, it’s been shown that taking in approximately 0.75 to 1.25 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight about 1.5 to 2.5 hours before training works pretty well. This pre-workout window allows for adequate digestion and absorption, ensuring that muscle glycogen stores are maximized right when they are needed most. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the governing body for dietitians) also notes that periodized carbohydrate consumption—where intake is adjusted based on training load—can further enhance athletic performance by ensuring consistent energy availability during peak exertion periods.
For fighters, morning training sessions often benefit from a pre-exercise carbohydrate boost to counteract the natural depletion of glycogen that occurs overnight. In contrast, athletes training later in the day may require carbohydrate loading during mid-day to ensure optimal energy levels at the time of their workout.
Post-exercise carbohydrate consumption is not to be forgotten. Research indicates that ingesting 1.0–1.5 grams of high-glycemic carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight within 30 minutes after training significantly enhances glycogen resynthesis, prepping your muscles for the following day of training. This process is facilitated by an upregulation of GLUT-4 transporters in muscle cells, which increases the rate at which glucose is absorbed and stored. Combining carbohydrates with a source of protein can further expedite recovery by providing the amino acids necessary for muscle repair. Such strategies not only restore energy levels but also reduce muscle soreness by allowing the ingested protein to be used for rebuilding because there are adequate amounts of carbohydrates to support base level metabolic function.
The Benefits of Building a LTR with Carbs
Modern life is busy, especially when you live in NYC like many of us do, and occasionally it keeps us from eating enough throughout the day. But low energy availability in athletes can have subtle long term consequences that build up over time, such as elevated cortisol levels, reduced testosterone production, and compromised immune function. Research underscores that prolonged periods of insufficient carbohydrate consumption may predispose athletes to overtraining syndrome, characterized by decreased performance and increased risk of illness (just getting sick more easily and more often). Basically, your body loses its typical ability to fight off the world of microorganisms trying to invade it every day. So, fighters hitting the gym hard multiple times a week need to keep consistent carbohydrate consumption to help support ongoing neuromuscular efficiency as well as the hormonal balance that keeps your immune system in check.
Bottom Line: Carbs Are Your Friends
Carbs are nothing to shy away from. There’s a reason they’re delicious and that we crave them the way we do. Pasta, croissants, pizza crust, and chocolate along with whole grains, vegetables, beans, and fruits are all fair game. Whether you’re hitting the bag, drilling with a partner, or putting in sparring rounds, prioritizing your carb intake can make or break your workout. Find foods you like, eat them in the right amounts and the right times, and you’ll see the difference.
Train hard.
References
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. ‘How to Fuel Your Workout.’ Retrieved from EatRight.org.
Burke, L. M., et al. (2011). “Evidence-based Nutritional Strategies to Support High-Intensity Training in Athletes.” Sports Medicine, 41(4), 365–375.
Hawley, J. A., & Burke, L. M. (2010). “Carbohydrate Availability and Training Adaptation: Effects on Exercise Metabolism and Performance.” Journal of Applied Physiology, 110(1), 351–357.
Jeukendrup, A. E. (2004). Carbohydrate intake during exercise and performance. Nutrition, 20(7-8), 669-677.
J. Maughan, R., Greenhaff, P. L., Leiper, J. B., Ball, D., Lambert, C. P., & Gleeson, M. (1997). Diet composition and the performance of high-intensity exercise. Journal of Sports Sciences, 15(3), 265-275.
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Ruddock, A., James, L., French, D., Rogerson, D., Driller, M., & Hembrough, D. (2021). High-intensity conditioning for combat athletes: Practical recommendations. Applied Sciences, 11(22), 10658.
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Vigh-Larsen, J. F., Ørtenblad, N., Spriet, L. L., Overgaard, K., & Mohr, M. (2021). Muscle glycogen metabolism and high-intensity exercise performance: a narrative review. Sports Medicine, 51(9), 1855-1874.