Ultimate Supplements For MMA Guide

What are the best supplements for MMA fighters?

With so much conflicting advice and hype in the fitness industry, it’s hard to decide what supplements you should take for MMA.

Eating wholesome nutritious food provides your body with vitamins & minerals in the most biologically available form. That being said, the majority of martial artists are people who work a full-time job and train in there spare time. Due to a busy lifestyle, It’s not always possible to consume all of the nutrients needed for optimal performance.

In this MMA supplements guide, I discuss the best MMA supplements that I recommend to increase performance and overall health & wellbeing.

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Why You Should Take Supplements for MMA

Martial Artists should take supplements as they can help address nutritional deficiencies as-well as improve your athletic performance. MMA is one of the most physically demanding sports out there. For that reason, fighters must use every option available to keep their bodies well oiled and healthy.

Fighters preparing for a fight usually train at least two times a day and burn a crazy amount of calories. Supplements can be used to consume a large amount of calories quickly, enabling the body to start repairing itself ASAP.

Another benefit many people don’t often associate with supplements is cost. Fighters burn a lot of energy during training and need to replenish their bodies using food. The cost of buying and preparing food can add up during fight prep. Supplements can save you money as they often work out cheaper than food per portion of protien.

Other benefits of taking supplements for MMA fighters Include

  • Supplements can help with nutritional deficiencies
  • They can help prevent Injuries & Illnesses
  • Supplements are inexpensive calories
  • Supplements can give you energy before MMA class
  • They can reduce muscle loss during training

MMA puts a lot of stress on your physical and mental well-being. For that reason, you should always aim for your body to be healthy and in the best shape possible. Having an effective supplement stack will keep your body healthy and help reduce unnecessary injuries.

In this MMA supplements guide we discuss our favourite supplements, and some of the benefits they have for MMA fighters.

MMA Supplement Guide

Are Supplements safe to take?

So you’ve heard the horror story about the man who lost his arm after taking a multivitamin? Nope, neither have I.

Martial artists take supplements to recover quicker and fight better, so supplements need to be both safe and effective. 

Stick to commonly researched supplements that give you the most benefits, and if you get any slight side effects stop taking them immediately.

Here are some tips to make sure you’re taking safe supplements

  • Take the recommended dose
  • Check the research and clinical trials 
  • Read to bottle and check for warning messages
  • Buy from reputable sellers
  • Be cautious when taking with other medication

The MMA organisation you fight for will be able to give you a list of banned substances. Fighters should always check that the supplements they’re taking don’t contain any banned substances.

Overall if you are buying a supplement from a reputable seller, it’s probably been clinically tested and is safe. You should always check the label and take the recommended dose.

Supplements are almost always safe and beneficial for MMA fighters. As far as we’re concerned, the benefits outweigh the risk.

What are the best supplements for MMA fighters?

Protien Powder

For martial artists, it’s necessary to consume between 1.4 to 2.0 grams of protein per kg of body weight every day. Getting enough protein will help you recover from training, keep you full, and help maintain muscle mass.

Protein has many roles in our bodies; it helps build and repair body tissue, coordinates bodily functions, and can act as an energy source.

Once glucose and fat stores deplete, your body will look to your muscle for energy.

Our bodies don’t store amino acids; so muscle breakdown is the only way to release amino acids for energy. Martial artists must make sure they consume enough protein to reduce the loss of muscle mass.

Athletes can get enough protein through food sources alone, but when this isn’t possible protein powders and supplements are great for convenience.

Most martial artists live busy lives, finding time to train around their full-time commitments. Having some protein powder in the cupboard is great for days when you haven’t hit your protein requirements or for easy protein intake after exercise.


Check out the latest price for Protein Powder on Amazon

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of the 24 micronutrients essential for survival. It plays a critical role in a large number of functions in the body, including bone strength, and muscle fatigue as-well-as maintaining a healthy immune system.

Approximately 40% of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D, so its a good idea to add Vitamin D to your supplement stack.

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Gareth Davies

I'm a martial arts competitor and enthusiast. Over the last 15 years, I have trained and competed in several martial arts. I live in Manchester U.K working as a strength & conditioning coach when I'm not travelling and exploring martial arts around the world.