Tournament week: what to eat and what to avoid
Simple food, good hydration and no trying new foods the day before your match.
Competition week is no time to experiment. The goal is to make weight with energy, not weak and dehydrated.
What works
- Meals you already know: rice, beans, lean meats, eggs, vegetables
- Hydration throughout the week: drink water steadily, not all at once
- Carbs on competition day: fruit, bread or tapioca between matches help keep your energy up
What to avoid
New foods, too much fried food, alcohol and drastic weight cuts without supervision. At IBJJF events, the weigh-in happens before your first match, so cutting a lot of weight can leave you out of gas on the mats.
Every athlete is different. For a weight-cut plan, see a sports nutritionist.
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