When and what to eat before test

[Thundering Hammer]

I will test be testing for my black belt soon and wanted to know what and when to eat before the test. I never really thought about it before but this is the BIG test and will be a couple of hours of pain, torture and exhilaration. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[GouRonin]

Originally posted by Thundering Hammer but this is the BIG test and will be a couple of hours of pain, torture and exhilaration. Any suggestions? Thanks. [/B]

When your instructor goes to kick you in, try and see if you can pull off "Deflecting Hammer" and if he complains then just tell him that it was a reflex action.

Seriously. Hydrate yourself with a sport drink before and during the test. (If possible) Anything with carbohydrates a few hours before the test. Hot air blown popcorn will provide a good carbo boost and you can eat it up until the test even.

I think black belt tests are one of the most stupid-@ss dreams that people bring to the martial arts but heck, if you're gonna do it then when am I to stop you? Good luck!

[Michael Billings]

Gou had it right in terms of what to eat, but I would start the carb packing the day before, and I prefer pasta over popcorn - unless it has lots of nasty real butter on it and I am watching Jennifer Lopez. No, but seriously - 24 to 36 hours is an appropriate time frame to start upping the carbs, then on the day of the test, hydrate Gatoraide, PowerAid, whatever, plus lots of water. Don't drink major amounts the night before unless you want to be up and down all night ... you probably need rest more than fluids at night. Day of the test, I want to make sure I have taken in enough sodium and potasium for the amount of work I expect to do. If you are testing outside, in the summer, in Texas ... I highly recommend lots of sodium and potasium for a day or two before the test.

This is what works for me, but you may have your own preferences. You know your body best.

-Michael
UKS-Texas

[GouRonin]

That preps your body ahead of time and allows it to get ready and have the resources it might need.

[Yari]

Remember to get som sleep, and dont work out hard a day or two before (this depends on how you work out ).

/Yari

[Seig]

Increase your stretching(nothing strenuous) a few days before the test.

[Thundering Hammer]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm definitely going to drink H2O. I didn't think of Gatorade. I'll have to get my family to make a big pasta dinner the night before.

[Robbo]

I think it's good idea to keep up the hydration throughout the test, the days of being a wimp cause you need a drink are/should be gone. Every 15 min or so (provided you are not in the middle of doing something) have a couple of mouthfuls of gator-aid. What I found also kept my energy up was eating strawberries during the test.

Thanks,
Rob

[Rainman]

Red meat not processed or overly cooked. Aids in aggression.
:)

[Michael Billings]

Drink during a test??? Maybe ... but eating strawberries????? Generous instructor indeed.

Part of some tests include you reaching the "Wall" that you hear marathon runners talk about. Certainly only a time or two during your entire Martial Arts career, but still - this can be another way of finding your own limits - whether it is sparring til you drop or doing all your basics, forms, techniques, sets, weapons, self-defense basics, and then getting to spar, and spar, and spar. I is up to the instructor to determine the level of intensity and gauge how far to push you. I obviously came up in a school that pushed you increadably, physically.

Red meat = aggression. Royce Gracie said that he ate red meat at least one a week while competing. That it did increase his aggression or testostore levels (not to mention iron intake.) If you eat meat (red) on a regular basis, don't worry about this. If you do not eat it regularly, you probably don't want a hamburger or steak sitting in your stomach right before a test. It is harder to digest than some other things that provide what you need, available carbohydrates, for energy and more specifically the complex carbs give you duration when you run out of simple carbs. (Do I have that right or is it the other way around? No I think this is correct, PASTA IS THE WAY TO GO if you like it.)

-Michael
UKS-Texas

[jfarnsworth]

Pick up an issue of flex magazine. I know it's a bodybuilding magazine but it's full of hydration, and eating habits of the pro. bodybuilders. There are just pages and pages of do's and don'ts in the issues. I believe they cost about 4 bucks so it's not too much of a big deal. Well happy reading.
Jason Farnsworth

[C.E.Jackson]

You've got some good advise on what to eat before a test.

However it's been MY experience;

"If one enters a test with an OVER confident point of view might have "crow" to eat after".:rofl:
Cecil Jackson

[Robbo]

Drink during a test??? Maybe ... but eating strawberries????? Generous instructor indeed.

Nothing Generous about it, when you are off to the side and not performing who is going to control what you do to make yourself perform better. When you are called you go and do your thing, but when you get a break you do what you have to, to recharge. For a grading instructor to deny a student these options would be akin to torture. We put ourselves through the grading by choice, so when we are on the mat then, yes, we get pushed to the limit, but when we are granted a breather there shouldn't be rules placed on what you can and can't drink/eat to keep your energy level up.

Now of course this is all within reason, I'm not talking about having a 1/2 hour nap, eating a steak dinner, showing up back on the floor with a mouthful of berries. You do these things discreetly.

Thanks,
Rob

[Rainman]

Originally posted by Michael Billings

Drink during a test??? Maybe ... but eating strawberries????? Generous instructor indeed.

Red meat = aggression. Royce Gracie said that he ate red meat at least one a week while competing. That it did increase his aggression or testostore levels (not to mention iron intake.) If you eat meat (red) on a regular basis, don't worry about this. If you do not eat it regularly, you probably don't want a hamburger or steak sitting in your stomach right before a test. It is harder to digest than some other things that provide what you need, available carbohydrates, for energy and more specifically the complex carbs give you duration when you run out of simple carbs. (Do I have that right or is it the other way around? No I think this is correct, PASTA IS THE WAY TO GO if you like it.)

-Michael
UKS-Texas

They aren't the only ones:rolleyes:. If you have pastsa with nothing else there is a risk of crashing. Pasta is made with a fair amount of sugar. If you did your research better you would know that carnivores are very aggressive. IE Kenpo's Tiger just for an example. Why do you think that is? It has nothing to do with anything sitting in your stomach- don't eat right before and don't overeat. That will cause problems and possibley make one tired in the process from over using resourses for digestion. Protien feeds muscle.

[Michael Billings]

Just commenting I'm not an expert, but I do speak from 30 years of Martial Arts testing under my belt. Don't really think he has to worry too hard about carb crashing. Lots of nutrition book including a handful of good body building, bicycling or runners magazines that provide some good reasearch and practical advise.

-Michael
UKS-Texas

[Rainman]

Originally posted by Michael Billings

Just commenting I'm not an expert, but I do speak from 30 years of Martial Arts testing under my belt. Don't really think he has to worry too hard about carb crashing. Lots of nutrition book including a handful of good body building, bicycling or runners magazines that provide some good reasearch and practical advise.

-Michael
UKS-Texas

Thanks for the note Michael it was smooth and shows you are a class act.

:asian:

[Goldendragon7]

:asian:

[Blindside]

If you did your research better you would know that carnivores are very aggressive. IE Kenpo's Tiger just for an example. Why do you think that is?

Hi Rainman,

It may be a circular argument but I would say that carnivores aren't aggressive because of WHAT they eat, but becasue they HAVE to be, otherwise they don't eat!

Actually, if you look at lots of carrion eaters (vultures, condor) they aren't tempermentally aggresive despite having diets essentially similar to more predatory carnivores.

That being said, I had a steak and rice the night before my black belt test.

Lamont

[Goldendragon7]

Actually I eat normally to what I usually eat..... but man Lamonthas me wanting to hang with him.... but trade the rice for KFC mashed potatoes and gravy!!

:rofl:

:asian:

[Michael Billings]

As far as eating, did we forget about pizza, beer, and ice cream? - THE OTHER FOOD GROUP.

-MB

[Goldendragon7]

Yechhhhhkkkkkkkkkkk eeeeewwwwwwwwww

:barf:

Anybody got Chocolate MILK????!:D :drinkbeer

[Michael Billings]

Chocolate milk and pizza, one of my breakfast favorites. Now that is getting way to close to home Golden Dragon.

-MB

[GouRonin]

I will try and be kinder and more gentle in this post to reflect the new me.

1) Carbos are the way to go. Since most people in North America get their proteins there is little chance of him missing them. On top of that he would more than likely get his carbos and be able to retain them better as he would be hydrating. Unless he has diabtes or some sugar illness.

2)Red meat or any kind of meat. Man is actually an Omnivore. The whole red meat thing was not for the agression. It's for when training the proteins allow for muscle building. That's what proteins are for. I had a whole bunch of insults that I am saving on this one. I hope you're happy.

I have a few questions. You mentioned that you'll have your family prepare you a pasta dinner the night before? How old are you? if you say 15 I'll freak by the way. Also, on your bio, why do you state your rank as brown but testing for black? I never grasp that. Just curious.

I hope that this was up to the new "Gou" standards.
:D

[Rainman]

Originally posted by Blindside



Hi Rainman,

It may be a circular argument but I would say that carnivores aren't aggressive because of WHAT they eat, but becasue they HAVE to be, otherwise they don't eat!

Actually, if you look at lots of carrion eaters (vultures, condor) they aren't tempermentally aggresive despite having diets essentially similar to more predatory carnivores.

That being said, I had a steak and rice the night before my black belt test.

Lamont

Hi Lamont,

Eating is pleasureable, gotta kill to eat, gotta hunt to kill to eat. Tigers eat meat that they hunted and killed. THAT is just as circular and just as true.

I thought condors were vultures. Anyways no I was speaking of predetors as carnivores and the relationship with early humans as they went from herbavores, to carnivores and ominivores. That only works if you believe in evolution and took too many anthro classes;) which in those days I leaned toward creation. Now with all the information on dinos, neanderthal, etc. Anything is possible.

[Thundering Hammer]

I havent checkd this board in a few days and boy did you guys run with the topic and have a lot of conversationss. Thanks for the suggestions.

Gou:

"I have a few questions. You mentioned that you'll have your family prepare you a pasta dinner the night before? How old are you? if you say 15 I'll freak by the way. Also, on your bio, why do you state your rank as brown but testing for black? I never grasp that."


I am much older than 15! I also thought that since I probablywill be nervous/anxious/whatever that day that someone else could make dinner/luch what ever meal that day.

In the profile: i wrote brown belt and to let everyone else know that i willl be testing for balck soon. That's all.