BJJ Diet Guide — What to Eat Before and After Training

Jiu-jitsu is physically demanding, so a poor diet slows your recovery and makes it hard to keep training. This is a practical eating guide for BJJ practitioners.

The three macronutrients for BJJ practitioners

• Carbohydrates — the main fuel for high-intensity exercise. Explosiveness on the mat and glycogen for recovery
• Protein — muscle recovery. 1.4–2.0 g per kg of body weight per day
• Fat — hormones and overall health. Don't cut it to extremes

Before training (1–2 hours before)

• Banana + Greek yogurt + a handful of nuts
• One sweet potato + 100 g chicken breast
• Oatmeal + milk + honey + blueberries
• Apple + protein shake (when you're short on time)

What matters is not overloading your stomach — eat too much and you risk throwing up on the mat; eat too little and your pace collapses in the later rounds.

After training

Combine protein and carbohydrates in your post-training meal. About 20–40 g of protein at a time is enough:

• Protein shake + banana
• Chicken breast + brown rice + vegetables
• Tofu + kimchi + multigrain rice (Korean-style)
• 500 ml low-fat milk + cereal

One week before a tournament — making weight

• 7 to 3 days out: normal diet + plenty of fluids. Go easy on salt
• 3 to 1 days out: cut carbs slightly. Focus on fruit and vegetables
• The day before: light meals. A slightly smaller dinner than usual
• Competition morning: light carbs (banana, toast). At IBJJF-style events you weigh in right before your first match and go straight into it, so there's no time to refuel after weigh-in — be on weight beforehand

Five things to avoid

1. Greasy food right before training — instant noodles, fried chicken, fried food. Heavy stomach + nausea
2. Drinking after training — a study found alcohol after exercise lowered muscle protein synthesis
3. Extreme carb restriction (keto) — high-intensity exercise runs mainly on carbohydrates
4. Dehydration — don't let sweat losses exceed 2% of your body weight. Drink often during training
5. Skipping the post-training meal — slows recovery + ruins your condition the next day

Recommended supplements (not required)

• Whey protein — convenient when food alone falls short on protein
• Creatine 3–5 g/day — improves high-intensity performance, with safety established in healthy adults

For any other supplement, first ask whether there is something your diet really can't cover.

Source: ISSN Position Stand: Protein and Exercise (2017) · ISSN Position Stand: Creatine (2017) · AND·DC·ACSM, Nutrition and Athletic Performance (2016) · ACSM Position Stand: Exercise and Fluid Replacement (2007) · Parr et al., PLoS One (2014) (alcohol after exercise) · IBJJF Rule Book (weigh-in rules)