There was a time when dietary supplements were designed strictly for bodybuilders and workout enthusiasts. Those days are over. Nowadays, supplements are geared toward increasing strength, endurance, and recovery for athletes of all types. Jiu Jitsu competitors are no exception.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a unique sport that utilizes all of the body’s energy systems. Anaerobic sports like football and hockey involve strength, power, and intensity. Aerobic sports are more moderately paced but last for a long, consistent duration like soccer and cycling.
Jiu Jitsu is a combination of both. There is a definite strength component, hence the need for weight divisions. There is also an aerobic component, as rolls can last 10 minutes or longer. It’s one of the rare sports that combine both elements.
While nutrition is very important, proper supplementation can help delay fatigue and increase performance on the mats. A lack of endurance should never be the reason you lose by points or get submitted.
The world of dietary supplements can be overwhelming. Walk into any supplement store and you’ll be confronted with dozens of shelves displaying hundreds if not thousands of different products. The cynic in all of us will question the legitimacy of the claims touted on these labels which guarantee results.
As someone who has worked in the supplement and nutrition industry for the last five years, I can tell you that there are far more bad products than good. But if you know what to look for, there is value on the market.
There are numerous supplement ingredients backed by research that can improve Brazilian Jiu Jitsu performance in terms of strength, power, endurance, hydration, and recovery.
1. Creatine
Creatine is by far the most researched supplement ingredient in history. It is also by far the most efficacious. Creatine has been shown to increase strength and power output, which most athletes are aware of. However there are less known benefits such as improved recovery, work capacity, and endurance.
Given the anaerobic and aerobic nature of jiu jitsu, creatine supplementation is a must before looking into any other product.
Creatine provides benefits in two different ways. Creatine is stored in the muscle, and is used primarily for explosive athletic exercise. It’s able to generate energy quickly for high intensity movements like takedowns, scrambles, and submission attempts.
In addition, creatine draws water into the muscle cells. The muscles increase in size and become hydrated. Optimal levels of hydration aid in exercise performance.
When shopping online or in a store, you will find many different forms of creatine. Creatine monohydrate is still king, as there is no evidence that other forms are superior. In fact, some forms are actually considered to be worse. However, creatine monohydrate will fully saturate muscles so there’s no need to overcomplicate things.
Some people recommend loading creatine, which means taking upwards of 25 grams per day for five days in order to saturate your muscles more quickly. I’m not a fan of this practice, as it commonly causes stomach discomfort for people. Just take a maintenance dose of 3-5 grams per day and you will eventually reap the same benefits as someone who loads it.
2. Beta Alanine
Beta Alanine is an ingredient commonly found in pre-workout supplements. This ingredient provides the “tingling” sensation felt from such products that consumers love.
Beta alanine works by delaying fatigue and increasing muscular endurance. You’ll experience the benefits of beta alanine during long classes and extended rolls.
Beta Alanine delays fatigue by buffering acid, a byproduct of intense exercise, in the body. When your muscles burn during a long workout, that is due to a buildup of lactic acid. This buildup leads to fatigue, as the body has to rid itself of this acid.
Three grams per day is an effective dose. Like creatine, make sure to take it daily, even on days you don’t train or lift.
3. Multivitamin
A good multivitamin will fill in the gaps of your diet. Even the best diet containing a variety of nutrient-dense, whole foods is usually lacking in something.
Think of the multivitamin as your insurance policy. In addition, you are an athlete, so your needs differ from the average person. You’re also literally sweating and bleeding on people, so you’re immune system better be as robust as possible.
I’m a fan of a product called Orange Triad by Controlled Labs. It’s a quality multi that has additional immune and joint support, which never hurts in a contact sport like Jiu Jitsu. The individual vitamins and minerals are all bioavailable quality and dosed properly
4. Electrolytes
I’ve played a ton of different sports, but nothing makes me sweat like a Jiu Jitsu class. It’s both the nature of the sport itself and being confined to a mat in a poorly ventilated room. Nonetheless, it’s important to remain hydrated with not only water but a quality electrolyte supplement.
Unfortunately, these are hard to come by. Gatorade is marketed as an electrolyte drink, but it is essentially sugar water with a little sodium. Sodium is certainly a critical mineral for hydration, but electrolytes like magnesium and potassium are what’s truly lacking in most diets.
Intra Reserve by Iron Army contains pharmaceutical grade electrolytes along with high quality carbohydrates, and the aforementioned beta alanine. It’s almost unfair to call it an electrolyte supplement since it offers so much more. Iron Army is UFC veteran Frankie Edgar’s company, and this product is specifically designed for MMA and BJJ athletes.
If you’re in a pinch or don’t want to shell out the cash, coconut water is a good source of potassium. Just make sure you’re buying real coconut water and not coconut water from concentrate. This article explains how to make your own electrolyte supplement from scratch.
5. Essential Amino Acids
Essential Amino Acids (EAA) are beginning to overtake Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) as new research emerges. To be clear, the three Branched Chain Amino Acids (Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine) are also considered Essential Amino Acids, so it’s not as if you’re missing out when purchasing an EAA supplement.
Essential Amino Acids cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained via diet, hence the word essential. They aid in recovery, muscle growth, and even muscular endurance. They are rapidly absorbed in the body compared to something like whey protein or real food, which takes longer to digest. Because of this, an essential amino acid supplement can be taken during exercise without it causing stomach discomfort.
If you’re looking for more options, this article lays out 5 of the best essential amino acid supplements on the market.
6. Citrulline
Citrulline is another staple of pre-workout supplements, due to its ability to increase blood flow. But blood flow isn’t just for muscle pumps and bicep curls.
Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to muscles during exercise. Citrulline allows blood vessels to relax and do their job. Studies on citrulline have shown increased work capacity, anaerobic performance, and even a reduction in muscle soreness.
A proper dose of citrulline is 6-8 grams. Like other supplements on this list, it works best when taken consistently over time.
7. Caffeine
Like creatine, caffeine is a supplement ingredient with undeniable performance benefits, more physically and mentally. It is such a part of our culture that many people don’t even look at it as a dietary supplement.
With regard to Jiu Jitsu, caffeine supplementation is highly variable from person to person. Some people feel it makes them too anxious when rolling, while others may stroll into class with a 20 oz. coffee.
To me it’s not so much about caffeine being good or bad, it’s about finding the best dose. Caffeine pills make it easy to vary the dose, as they usually come in 100mg tablets.
Start small and assess your tolerance until you find the right amount.
All of the supplements and supplement ingredients listed in this article can be taken together, there is no adverse effect to stacking these products. If anything there is sometimes a synergistic effect, where the effects of a supplement are enhanced by taking it with another supplement.