Martial arts training, competition and sports nutrition: A future beneficial alliance

Over the last decade, there has been a dramatic increase in martial arts participation driven by health and physical fitness benefits and the expansion of martial arts into Olympic sports. Additionally, the broad popularity of mixed martial arts (MMA), particularly, the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) has also fueled interest. Martial Arts is a broad-based term describing various disciplines and techniques implemented in self-defense, fighting and utilization of weaponry. Is there a coming intersection of the martial arts category and sports nutrition? The answer to this question depends upon first dissecting the components of training and competition in the martial arts arena and then comparing them to activities requiring the same components. The application of sports nutrition in those related areas should provide clues for this pathway and potential in training and performance relevance.