Train like thunder, recovery like lightning ⚡ Adapt to training & become a better fighter by improving your recovery from MMA training sessions.

Written by Drew Griffiths (BSc, MSc)

*Diet & Exercise at your own risk. Article is for informational purposes only*

Watch this video, or read below!

Train MMA and/or BJJ?

How to improve MMA recovery

I’ve updated a lot of this post in 2023, with some ‘whole food’ alternatives to supplement recommendations.

I mostly avoid supplements and powders etc where possibly now and for overall health and recovery stick to organic foods.

Too many supplements focus on the time just before and after training, but an overall feeling of wellbeing and energy is needed for optimal recovery and performance both physically and mentally. As most of you will know, saying whey protein and BCAA will miraculously improve your recovery is complete bollocks.

2024 Update –> Red light therapy and dopamine / catecholamine system recovery.

MMA Recovery Protocol – Following sparring Session
During training – sip on drink with glutamine, 5% maltodextrin and pinch of salt
Post Training
– Double inhale, slow exhale breaths x 5 Take as long as possible on the exhale. Slow, doaphramatic breathing will help your body get into the parasympathetic nervous system – to aid recovery. – Post Training Shake with – Alpha Lipoic Acid, creatine, pinch of salt, whey protein, carb source like maltodextrin
Take an Ice bath for 3 to 10 mins In the evening, lie down with feet up for venous return and lymphatic drainage
Following morning – 10 mins red light therapy (research methylated blue beforehand – controversial!)
Have a Hot Bath & consume full flush niacin and TMG 5 mins before
After bath take an ice bath – 3 to 10 mins
Dopamine Detox – avoid adult videos, social media, turn off phone, avoid stimulants. This will help with motivation. Try and have 1 day off and stay off your phone. Also get sunlight in the morning and dim lights or wear blue light blockers in the evening. Do a 10 minute Yoga Nidra or NSDR protocol each evening. If you are struggling with muscle stiffness – consider supplementing with magnesium (not oxide as poor absorption), kava kava, and taurine. If you still have stiffness and soreness from lactic acid – consider taking beta alanine and sipping on food grade baking soda + water

Diet & Exercise at Your Own Risk – Recovery Methods for Entertainment/Informational Purposes

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1. Krill Oil – The Omega 6 / 3 Ratio

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If you eat too much Omega 6, and not enough Omega 3, it can really mess you up.
Have a look at this study

Krill oil is touted at the most bioavailable source of Omega 3.

Look at the EPA and DHA amounts when looking to buy an Omega 3 supplement.

Consuming more omega 3 can reduce inflammation significantly, which is good for overall health, and recovery.

Reduce omega 6 by consuming less vegetable oil. Vegetable oil is toxic when heated.

There’s also evidence that krill oil may support yiur immune system before and after training.

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2. Magnesium

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Magnesium plays an essential role in muscle function.
Bath salts and/or a magnesium spray are the best ways to get the nutrient direct to your muscles (from what I’ve read).  Epsom salts can dehydrate quite a bit however, have a drink with a pinch of Himalayan salt during your bath.

Magnesium glycinate tablets are the best oral form of magnesium in terms of bioavailability. Magnesium oxide is shyte, citrate is okay but will cause GI upset if taken in large ish volumes.

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3. Pre workout nutrition

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Have a protein drink about 45 minutes before you train.
Some people advise having 15g of whey protein 20 minutes before you train; or 10g of BCAA.
Either way, just don’t leave it too long without food before you train – Don’t eat nothing for 3 hours, then train for 2 hours, and expect to recover within 48 hours.

For muscle soreness, Charles Poliquin suggests taking taurine and BCAA before and after training.  This should reduce DOMS – delayed onset muscle soreness.

Whole food alternative –  Hemp Power Salad 1.5 hours before training
Banana and small number of berries around 1 hour to 45 minutes before training

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4. Intra Workout Drink

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Try a protein shaker full of:
500ml water
5g glutamine
20g carb powder (maltodextrin and waxy maize)
pinch of pink salt

At university, we were told that carbohydrate drinks during longer training sessions, prevented any drop in immune function – here is a study done by one of the lecturers.

Quite a few strength and conditioning gurus, recommend adding glutamine to a drink to be consumed during training to offset any drop in immune-function.

Whole food alternative – pinch of pink salt in chlorine-free water and a small amount of fruit juice. For those looking for a base of wellbeing in order to enhance recovery, this may be a good option. Research does suggest that maltodextrin is superior for rehydration & recovery

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5. Post Workout Drink

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After a hard session, try:
50g maltodextrin or waxy maize starch
3g creatine (up to 10g of creatine, I only have 3 personally, to replace what I’ve used)
500mg Alpha Lipoic Acid
30g Whey protein, hemp or egg protein
A pinch of Himalayan (pink) salt.
5g BCAAs

Alpha Lipoic Acid is a strong antioxidant, that also has some insulin-mimicing properties, meaning that it increases the absorption of creatine and carbohydrate into the muscle cells.

Salt helps with rehydration (via osmosis (A Level Biology does have it’s uses)); and replacing electrolytes lost during sweating.

Maltodextrin is a source of high GI carbohydrates, which cause an insulin spike, which in turn will lead to efficient uptake into the muscles of both carbs and creatine.

Whole-Food Post Workout Drink
Again a whole-food alternative for those who wan’t to avoid supplements – A blend of – hemp seeds, bananas, oats, berries, a pinch of pink salt.

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6. Foam Roller

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Foam roll and stretch after you train.
Try and ‘roll’ your legs in an upwards direction. To stop toxins pooling in your legs.
This is basically a way of giving yourself a sports massage.  If you can afford a sport massage, then do that instead.

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7. Myofascial Release

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If you have a knot in your muscle(s), try putting a pilates ball or lacrosse ball in the muscle. Hold it for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

If you don’t have time to use a foam roller and/or trigger point therapy, then the Firas Zahabi Massage Machine might be of interest.

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8. Yoga 🧘‍♂️ Combined with RLT

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Awesome for flexibility, functional strength, and refreshing the body and mind.  For longevity I really recommend doing some kind of yoga.  Your muscles will get tighter and tighter over the years if you don’t, especially if you do weights as well.

If you don’t have time to do a whole yoga routine, the World’s Greatest Stretch & the Coil Stretch target pretty much every muscle. I’d also add a specific hip-flexor and a neck stretch too.

World’s Greatest Stretch

See video

Do the World’s Greatest stretch 10 times, 2 or 3 times per day if you don’t get the chance to go to a yoga class.

Red light Therapy is immense!

combine stretching with red light therapy and an earthing mat (or just stand on the earth outdoors), for additional recovery benefits. Red light therapy are both proven to help reduce unwanted inflammation – study on RLT here : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5523874/

see my blog post on red light therapy and muscle mass here

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9. Nutrient Dense Diet

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Thinking about just macronutrients, like proteins, carbs and fats is old school.
Think about all the different micronutrients you need, and get it from unprocessed, ideally organic and locally sourced produce.

Garlic, tuemeric, ginger, tomatoes, broccoli, sweet potatoes, oily fish etc.

With some basic knowledge, yiu can forage for some wild, organic food. In the UK for example , you can pick nettles, dandelions and daisies with little chance of picking the wrong plants.

nettle is incredibly nutritious and you can pick

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/stinging-nettle

nettle is also a great anti inflammatory in my personal experience

 

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10. Stretch & Move as much as possible – Sit on the floor, not on the sofa

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If you sit down for your day job, you should stretch your hamstrings, hip flexors and chest every day.

Stretching etc. may not directly reduce muscle soreness from lactic acid and muscle damage caused from a hard session, but it will prevent stiffness, general aches and pains and muscle cramps and spasms that occur with tight muscles and poor posture.

Your lymphatic system (and venous return) relies on movement to work, and if you sit down all day in an office, it will be unable to drain waste products from muscles etc.
Make sure you go for a walk, or move and stretch at your desk as much as possible.

Alternatively – sit on the floor to watch TV instead of on the couch – keep stretching and moving. Sufi grinds and neck circles can help loosen you up quite a bit.

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11. Contrast Showers & Saunas for Growth Hormone 

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If you can’t get to a cryotherapy chamber, try contrast showers.  2 minutes or so on freezing cold, then 30 seconds of hot water.
Repeat 2 or 3 times.

There’s loads of research on saunas increasing growth hormone and having potent anti-inflammatory effects.

See this study for more information

Using the sauna for 30 minutes, 3 times a week appears to elicit the most potent effect on HGH levels.

There’s also a study on far-infrared saunas helping with neuromuscular recovery here and another one here.

A few rounds of Wim Hof, before, going in an ice bath may also help recovery and with lung function and immunity.

I’ve just bought a far infrared sauna blanket, so I’ll let you know what it’s like

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12. Eat more anti-inflammatory foods, avoid inflammatory foods

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Eat more:
Ginger
Tumeric
Cherry juice*
Garlic
Onions
Red cabbage
High magnesium foods such as spinach, squash and pumpkin seeds and fish such as Mackerel
Try arnica or oregano oil to treat sore parts of the body topically
Try Pineapple for its bromelain content (I’ve just ordered some bromelain as a supplement, and will update as to how effective it is for recovery)

Eat/Consume less:
Alcohol
Caffeine
Deep fried foods
Artificial sweeteners and additives
Sugar
Vegetable cooking oils (too much omega 6 is very bad)
Dairy
Processed meats

Too much carbohydrate, even if all low GI and complex, can cause inflammation. Evidence is still mixed as to whether athletes should eat high carb or medium carb/medium fat based diets.
Consider dropping some carbs if you suffer from inflammation and poor recovery though.

*Cherry juice has recently been touted as the food/drink with the highest anti-inflammatory properties. More info here. Looking at the research you need about 400ml per day – or you can use the dried version or tablets.

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 13.“All Disease Begins in The Gut.” – Hippocrates

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If you are prone to inflammation in general, like I am (asthma, sinusitis, hayfever sufferer etc); then you may well have issues with an inflamed gut.

Try taking glutamine and/or aloe vera oil first thing in the morning, and use nettle as a natural anti-histamine (histamine causes phlegm an inflammation as part of the primary-immune response).
I’ve also started adding turmeric to my protein shakes, and take a probiotic/fibre drink.

An inflamed gut plays havoc with your immune system, making you very prone to inflammation. Here is a study if you require further information.

If you are not fighting in the UFC, and can buy cannabis (legally of course), there is a lot of research emerging on how it reduces inflammation in the gut and can help with the likes of Crohn’s disease and even (I digress slightly) offset sickness/nausea during chemotherapy.

The benefits of cannabis use, on inflamed bowels and inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) is pretty extensive:

CONCLUSIONS: Three months’ treatment with inhaled cannabis improves quality of life measurements, disease activity index, and causes weight gain and rise in BMI in long-standing IBD patients.
Study Link

I’ve not tried it myself, but a number of people have told me that VSL 3 is the best probiotic supplement to try.

Also see the FODMAP diet if you have gut issues like IBS and bloating. It’s a long list of foods to cut out or reduce if you have problems. It’s difficult, but it’s the most effective way so far to prevent IBS. Avoid onions and garlic if you suffer from bloating…

Probiotics &/or fermented foods are a must if you have taken anti-biotics in the past 12 months.

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14. Baking Soda

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This is a great addition to your training bag. Start off with 5g and build up to about 15g pre training. I tried 25g once and had the sh!ts, so build up slow on the dosage.
It is touted as being able to increase power output and also enhance recovery:

“Quadriceps torques were higher in the presence of NaHCO3 (baking soda) … the peak, residual, and recovery (after 40 min)”
Study Link

There is another study here that shows baking soda is also a powerful anti-inflammatory for those with autoimmune problems (such as allergies).

You need about 0.3g of baking soda / sodium bicarbonate per kg of bodyweight to get real performance benefits.  This will give you the shits if you go ahead with this amount first time. So build it up, with at least 1 litre of water.
Note – it may effect digestion, by lowering stomach acid & pulling water into the gut etc so avoid around meal times

It’s also great before grappling sessions as it increases muscular endurance quite a bit in my experience.

Baking soda, somehow, alkalises the muscles. The alkaline diet in general is becoming more & more popular in MMA & BJJ. It certainly won’t do you any harm.

Combining the alkaline diet with a ketogenic diet can potentially create a much lower baseline of inflammation.

The targeted Ketogenic diet is ideal for MMA. The targeted version involves eating a low amount of carbs throughout the week, except for 30 minutes before training – you’ll have 30-50g of fast acting carbohydrate such as maltodextrin (or cherry juice/fruit juice if you want to keep things supplement free).

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15. Adaptogens 

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I’ve recently started using ginkgo biloba as it is said to help offset any damage incurred to the brain through head trauma from sparring, playing football etc. and found it great as an anti-inflammatory. There is loads of research for ginkgo biloba as an anti-inflammatory – here is one study.

Adaptogens, such as gingko biloba are said the offset the effects of physical (and mental) stress.

Adaptogens include:
– Ginseng
– Rhodiola
– Ashwaganda

Himalayan Shilajit is another adaptogen with potent anti inflammatory properties.

Packed full of minerals such as manganese and nickel, it can help with recovery and even bone density – great for checking kicks!

It is also high in Fulvic acid, which may have a number of beneficial effects related to brain health (reference)

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16. Meriva curcumin

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Curcumin, found in tumeric, bound with choline (or something similar) increases its bioavailability, massively.

This is the best anti-inflammatory of any type I have tried. 

See my full review of Meriva Curcumin here

Buy from Amazon.com here

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17. Wim Hof Breathing

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Wim Hof Breathing and cold showers.  Helps reduce acidity of the body and enhance recovery.  Apple Cider Vinegar is also said to make the body more alkaline.  Slightly bro-science-ish but personally, I find that the breathing and cold showers in the morning help.

There is also some evidence that cold showers may help with stress in general and even depression.

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18. CBD Oil

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I recently bought a Medipen (review on the vape pen here)

So far, so good –  On Thursday I was having trouble sitting at my desk in work, in fact, I had to kneel down at one point, as my back was going into spasm.  Pelvic tilt probs.

In the evening my medipen came, after I worked out how to use the thing, I haven’t had any problems with my back (or neck).  The research is quite robust too.

Update – I’ve started using the dropper form of CBD and find it just as effective as vaping

It is becoming increasingly clear that cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands play a crucial role in the regulation of the immune system. Exogenous cannabinoids have been shown to suppress T-cell-mediated immune responses by primarily inducing apoptosis and suppressing inflammatory cytokines and chemokines.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2828614/

Great news for anybody with auto-immune problems/over-active immune system problems like IBS, Chron’s etc.

Combining CBD Oil with coconut oil is thought to increase the bioavailability of the cannabinoids; making it more effective for relaxing tense muscles and reducing inflammation.

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19. Kava for Muscle Relaxation

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You can go about enhancing recovery in 3 main ways

• Reducing inflammation
• Reducing muscular tension
• Reducing muscle acidity

There’s a few other factors, like keeping mobile to keep the lymphatic system working, but those are the first 2, are the main 2.
In terms of reducing muscular tension, Kava is king.
It’s also the best non-pharma product for treating anxiety. Just make sure you buy it from a reputable supplier who uses just the root and not the whole kava plant.

More information on kava or ‘kava kava’ here.

Check Kava is not banned by your sports governing body too!

Magnesium and taurine are also great for stiff muscles. Just avoid magnesium oxide and limit magnesium citrate, as both can upset your stomach.

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 20. Grounding / Earthing for Reduced Inflammation

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The free recovery hack!

My mind is blown by the concept of grounding…simply lie or stand on the grass, mud or sand with bare-feet or skin. Tapping into the electrons on the earth’s surface has been scientifically proven to reduce inflammation and pain.

AMAZING!

Study here.
Book available here

The documentary is very cheesy, but look on Google Scholar and PubMed for the science that backs it up

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21. Inversions

A further, free way to enhance recovery is to invert yourself!

Either hang upside down on an inversion table, or do a headstand. Inversions relieve compression in the spine and aid lymphatic drainage and venous return.

For the ultimate inversion therapy – see our blog post about inversion tables

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22. Rosehip for Reduced Inflammation

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One great, natural supplement for reducing inflammation and joint pain is Rosehip.

Study here

DISCUSSION:

A meta-analysis of three randomised controlled trials involving 287 patients with a median treatment period of 3 months reported that treatment with standardised rosehip powder consistently reduced pain scores and that patients allocated to rosehip powder were twice as likely to respond to rosehip compared to placebo. In contrast to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and aspirin, rosehip has antiinflammatory actions that do not have ulcerogenic effects and do not inhibit platelets nor influence the coagulation cascade or fibrinolysis

Information here and how it can benefit arthritis sufferers.

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23. Sleep 8-9 Hours for Recovery

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Glycine & Magnesium glycinate are excellent supplements to enhance sleep. Glycine has been proven to enhance cognitive performance after mild sleep deprivation.

Sleep is vital for recovery. The pituatory gland secretes way more growth hormone when you sleep and this is when muscles grow and recover. It also helps with fat metabolism. Sleep is also vital for the immune system to function optimally.

Consider using:

• A SAD Lamp first thing in the morning (or even better, getting 15 mins of sunlight first thing)
• Blue light blockers in the evening

This will help set your circadian rhythm.

Ive personally found red light great for sleep too

Sleep can directly improve the performance of elite athletes:

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24. TENS Machine for Recovery

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TENS machines can reduce pain, and increase blood flow to specific areas of the body.

It uses electrical impulses to stimulate muscle contractions & blood flow.

There are several studies to show how effective this simple treatment really is.

You can pick up a TENS machine for around £20 on Amazon.co.uk

You can also stimulate the Vagus Nerve with a TENs machine – which reduces stress and inflammation:

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25. Cupping for Recovery

Cupping, with those glass or plastic suction cups can help with recovery and inflammation too.

Quick Summary – Enhancing Recovery

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• Reduce inflammation naturally with Rosehip, tart cherry juice and/or turmeric/curcumin*
• Invest in an adaptogen like ashwagandha* &/or Gingko biloba
• Try baking soda* – try not to shit yourself – try 3-5g in a glass of water to start. Beta alanine may also help, its not just for pre workout and in fact has a loading phase.
• Take care of your gut health – probiotics, apple cider vinegar etc. Leaky gut can also cause lots of inflammatory related problems. Look into glutamine and collagen and see a dietician or doctor.
• Use a Foam Roller (you can now get vibrating ones)
• Supplement with Magnesium supplement or spray. I’ve found the calm drink excellent but have switched to magnesium glycinate as it’s less acidic. Potassium supplements are also worth considering – especially if you don’t get that many leafy greens.
• Do some grounding – Stand barefoot on the lawn for 20 minutes a day
• Try a TENs Machine – to increase blood flow & lymphatic drainage.
• Stimulate the vagus nerve with cold showers or a TENs machine with an ear clip
• Try foraging for some truly wild and organic food like stinging nettle. Cook or blend the nettle before you eat it. Nettle is a great anti inflammatory
• – red light therapy – great for reducing inflammation

*Choose recovery methods at your own risk – Ashwaghanda can impact thyroid function, some turmeric & baking soda has been shown to contain heavy metals.

I also like turkey tail mushrooms for immune support – I’ve tried everything to prevent colds and this is the best supplement for me

and baking soda or beta alanine on rest days theres actually a loading phase with beta alanine, it’s one of the best things going to offset muscle soreness from lactic acid etc

MMA Recovery Supplements

• Baking soda – before & after training
• Rosehip – natural anti-inflammatory
• Tart Cherry Juice – natural anti-inflammatory
• CBD Oil – Muscle relaxant & anti-inflammatory
• Turmeric – natural anti-inflammatory (Meriva Turmeric is ideal for recovery)
• Spiriluna – For a strong base of micronutrients
• Ginseng – Enhance immune system
• VSL 3 or another probiotic- For gut health
• Colostrum may provide some support to the immune system
• Magnesium – natural muscle relaxant (great for stiff neck after wrestling)
• Niacin / Vitamin B3 – the painful ‘flushing’ caused by a high dosage, is said to introduce and stimulate blood and blood flow to the capillaries

Allergies can also interfere with your recovery – inflammation, brain fog etc.
See my blog post here on supplements for allergies.

I’ve recently created a subreddit for MMA Fitness – as all of the quasi-relevant forums on there are full of MMA fans rather than competitors.

Check it out and please subscribe:

https://www.reddit.com/r/mma_fitness

Other modalities:

• Hyperbaric chambers appear to help heal specific injuries and even infections. The one human study that I could find, didn’t see an increased recovery in BJJ competitors however. Study here.
• Cupping – has lots of anecdotal evidence, but I couldn’t find any scientific papers that back the claims. Michael Phelps and a number of Olympic gymnasts swear by it though!
• Replenishing dopamine and clearing dopamine receptors – stay away from computer games, adult videos, gambling, social media. Consider doing yoga nidra or NSDR each day:
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKGrmY8OSHM
  
  
  

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Massage for MMA

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If you have tightness and painful knots in your glutes, lower back and/or neck, the TimTam Power Massager is definitely worth looking into. A very powerful and accurate massager, it can help relieve the pain of tight muscles & trigger points:

For more information on the Tim Tam handheld massager please visit my review page

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For the ultimate recovery, see my article about the Ketogenic diet & exogenous ketones for MMA.

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BlackBeltWhiteHat.com – MMA, Fitness & Nutrition Blog

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2022 updates:

• Tape your mouth at bedtime to improve sleep quality
• arginine and L-Citrulline can be supplemented to increase growth hormone levels quick significantly – study here
• If you have leaky gut – look into using BPC 157 (orally) – at your own risk

Try the Add-On Technique for Conditioning

Rather than training MMA 6 times per week and then doing another 3 separate strength and Conditioning sessions. Try arriving training 15 minutes early, warming up and performing 2 or 3 Conditioning exercises or drills.

You can also add your conditioning at the end of an MMA session. For example, after a muay Thai class, perform 2 sets of plyometric tuck jumps, and 2 sets of jumping lunges.

MMA Recovery FAQs

How long do MMA fighters take to recover?

After a fight, an MMA fighter will usually take at least 2 weeks of full rest. However, it all depends on what type of damage he/she incurred during the fight. For example, if a fighter suffered a concussion, they may be told by their doctor to rest from all training for at least a month.

In terms of training, most MMA fighters will take one or two rest days per week. It’s virtually impossible to train hard every day, without PEDs. Most fighters will spend lots of time drilling technique, stretching and doing low-impact workouts, in addition to sparring and intense strength & conditioning sessions.

How many rest days do MMA fighters take?

MMA fighters will normally take 1 or 2 rest days. However, if a fighter trains 6 days a week, at least 2 days will typically be ‘light’ and involve steady state cardio, stretching and drilling technique, rather than sparring and rolling at a high intensity.

TAURINE

Update – August 2023, taurine for recovery

Accpuncture Points with Moxabustion Sticks

If yiu struggle with a stiff neck, consider DIY acupuncture, but not with needles, try massaging the point between your thumb ans index finger, or stick a moxabustion stick there and light it for 5 minutes (at your own risk!). Put the stick out before it burns you.

The moxa stick should go were the red dot is, try both hands for 5 mins