A hard session drains your energy stores and leaves small amounts of muscle damage. A good recovery meal refills the tank and gives your body the protein it needs to repair. None of this needs supplements; ordinary food does the job.
What a recovery meal needs
| Component | Why | Easy sources |
|---|---|---|
| Protein, roughly 20–40 g | Muscle repair | Chicken, fish, eggs, tofu, lentils, dairy |
| Carbohydrate | Refills glycogen for the next session | Rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, fruit |
| Vegetables | Vitamins, minerals, fibre | Anything colourful |
| Fluid and salt | Replaces sweat losses | Water, soup, a pinch of salt in cooking |
Aim to eat within a couple of hours of training. If dinner is far away, have a glass of milk or a yogurt in the meantime.
1. Chicken, rice and vegetable bowl
Serves 2 · 25 minutes
- 2 chicken breasts or 4 thigh fillets
- 1 cup rice
- 2 cups mixed vegetables (broccoli, carrot, capsicum, zucchini)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika, garlic, salt and pepper
- Lemon wedge to serve
Cook the rice. Rub the chicken with oil and spices and grill or pan-fry for about six minutes a side until cooked through. Steam or stir-fry the vegetables. Slice the chicken and serve over the rice with vegetables and lemon. Make extra for tomorrow's lunch.
2. Tuna and white bean pasta
Serves 2 · 15 minutes
- 180 g wholemeal pasta
- 1 tin tuna in olive oil
- 1 tin cannellini beans, rinsed
- A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
- Baby spinach, lemon zest, chilli flakes
Boil the pasta. In the last minute add the spinach. Drain, then toss with tuna and its oil, beans, tomatoes, lemon zest and chilli. High in protein and ready faster than a takeaway.
3. Red lentil chilli (vegetarian)
Serves 4 · 35 minutes
- 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 capsicum, chopped
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1 tin kidney beans, rinsed
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, chilli to taste
- 2 cups vegetable stock
Soften the onion, garlic and capsicum in a little oil. Add the spices for a minute, then the lentils, beans, tomatoes and stock. Simmer for 25 minutes until thick. Serve with rice or a baked potato and a spoon of yogurt. It freezes well.
Fight week is a different story
Professional fighters often eat very differently in the final days before a weigh-in, cutting water and sometimes food to make weight, then rehydrating and eating carbohydrate-heavy meals afterwards. That process is risky and should only be done under expert supervision; amateurs are generally better off competing near their natural weight. It is also something fight fans watch closely, because a hard cut can drain a fighter's cardio. Our guide to weight cuts and fighter styles explains what to look for.
Start the day right with our training-day breakfasts.
