Ray Peats Ideas Applied To Boxing

[Anthony]

No offense, but boxing and any other fighting sports are really dumb. These sports are very violent and have no place in society. And your basically signing up for brain damage.

No offense but I did not ask for a lecture. I am well aware of the risk jackass. I choose to do this out of my free will

 

[Anthony]

I am an aspiring boxer and I find a lot of Ray Peats research very fascinating I was hoping for people more knowledgeable than I to help me apply some of his ideas to my sport.

Don't boxers need something like 6-8,000 calories on training days? What have you been fueling with so far in your athletic career?

I think Ray's general ideas that help reduce inflammation and stress hormones in non-athletes would be equally helpful to you as well. They're kind of no-brainer's though that you are probably already doing intuitively. Probably best to fuel with quality fruit juices, refined well cooked
starches like white rice, potatoes, and saturated fats (coconut oil, butter).

Thank you Brian. I have been eating mostly Eggs, meat trying to emphasise geletanious meat cuts but not avoiding muscle meats cooked in coconut oil. Lots of fruits some vegetables (Dont digest Brassica well) Oatmeal Coffee. Sardines and Albacore tuna but dont really like fish. I have trouble with Dairy (even if grass fed)

 

[tara]

Please engage in disagreements without insults and name-calling. In fact, how about cleaning up your acts and editing them out now.

I am not aware that there is any evidence that encouraging violence in the ring/on the field reduces violence off the field in society in general. I think there is some evidence to the contrary.

I think there is an important place for vigorous physical play, even if it involves some risk. But boxing seems to be fundamentally about intitutionalised violence, which puts it in a different category from soccer etc. The other martial arts are not primarily about systematically causing brain trauma. Sure you can get injured playing other sports, but you have a better than even chance of getting signicficant brain damage by playing boxing.

Just because someone has a legal right to do sth doesn't mean everybody has to agree that it is a good idea. All sorts of ill-advised activities are legal, including eating lots of canola and fish oil. A lot of this forum is about figuring out how we can improve and maintain our health. I'm fairly sure that Peat would consider trauma to the brain to be likely to be detrimental to health.

Obviously the OP can choose to engage in behaviour that risks harm to his health. Advising against it here doesn't seem particularly unreasonable, though - after all, people here routinely feel free to advise against much less harmful activities, like training too long, or using a wifi network unnecessarily, or eating a sandwich, or and avocado. I don't think all such thoughts should be suppressed just because people have the 'right' to do as they please.

 

[Such_Saturation]

But were really dumb and no place in society appropriate in your opinion?

 

[tara]

But were really dumb and no place in society appropriate in your opinion?

If that is addressed to me, I wasn't aiming my comment at just one poster. I wondered about making the plural more obvious by working 'youse' into it.

 

[jaa]

I am not aware that there is any evidence that encouraging violence in the ring/on the field reduces violence off the field in society in general. I think there is some evidence to the contrary.

I wonder if you've ever participated in sports growing up? I say this because it seems self-evident that sports would reduce youth violence. Athletics (like any other structured activity) require large chunks of time. It builds confidence and leaves you feeling drained of energy after the activity. Just from a temporal perspective, kids in athletics will commit less violent acts off the field. Of course there are times when a kid will have free time and energy off the field, but I think the confidence and relationships built during athletics will reduce violent acts somewhat. Though it does make kids prone to violence more athletic, which can be viewed as a problem. But I don't think it will make kids more prone to violence. A quick google search of athletics and youth violence will flood the results page with papers suggesting a reduction in violent acts.

With martial arts, it's my opinion that the confidence in one's ability to fight likely leads to decreased aggression. If you're put in a situation where a fight might break out, it's much easier to remain calm and choose the most rational action, whereas if you're unsure of what to do and the possible consequences, emotions take hold and you react. It's my experience that most people become less aggressive and confrontational after joining Muay Thai and especially after sparring. Sparring has a way of dissolving the ego or weeding out those who hold onto it. Muay Thai is a striking art similar to boxing, so I expect boxing would have a similar result. The downside is that doesn't dissipate aggression outside the gym in all people, and just makes them better fighters. This seems to be a minority, and in listening to MMA podcasts and reading forms it is the general consensus across the board that MA reduces violence outside the gym.

 

[Such_Saturation]

Seems to me like by the third post there is usually a clarification or agreement on this forum which is nice, but perhaps the moderation has a part in that, I don't know.

 

[charlie]

But were really dumb and no place in society appropriate in your opinion?

No. I thought it was rude and disrespectful. A terrible way to treat someone who is trying to get information on how to better himself.

Anthony, it's very disappointing how some have handled this thread.

Btw, I loved hitting the heavy bag back in the day. I got pretty good at it and it made me much more confident and calm in my every day life. Something about knowing that you can land some serious punches really did calm me down. If I was well enough I would still be hitting the bag, it was great therapy.

 

[RPDiciple]

I love boxing. RP told me that active people need up to 150g protein from good sources the rest you need is just sugar. Fruit etc etc. You dont need any fat but you can have some if you want or feel u need. But focus on getting eough protein and alot of sugar

 

[answersfound]

No offense, but boxing and any other fighting sports are really dumb. These sports are very violent and have no place in society. And your basically signing up for brain damage.

No offense but I did not ask for a lecture. I am well aware of the risk jackass. I choose to do this out of my free will

My apologies. You are right, it is not my place to comment on your choices. I am sincerely sorry.

 

[tara]

@Jaa,
I entirely agree with you about athletics and many other sports. It is the deliberate severe blows to the heads of players that makes me see boxing in a different light. If there are variants that don't emphasise or allow this, and maybe the sparring you refer to is in that category, or primarily punching inanimate objects, etc, I'd be much happier with them.

 

[burtlancast]

As Charlie says, hitting the heavy bag is perfectly harmless and enjoyable.
But sparring, even amateur, is not.

There's a relentless concerted effort by the medias in glamorizing combat sports, while cleverly hiding their awful consequences on the health of their participants.

I believe this was lookingforanswers' genuine aim in writting his post, rather than an intention of disrespecting other posters.

 

[cantstoppeating]

I am an aspiring boxer and I find a lot of Ray Peats research very fascinating I was hoping for people more knowledgeable than I to help me apply some of his ideas to my sport.

The good news is that because Peat is about reducing stress and promoting regenerative stress-free energy, applying his ideas to boxing is no different to applying them to mountain climbing, sprinting or chess.

Stress is stress, whether it's mental or physical.

So for boxing, you'd want to take extra protein (2g per kg of body weight), extra sugar (at least double that of protein). Taking vitamin B1, aspirin, caffeine, niacinamide and sodium bicarbonate (or plain salt) before your training or bouts would help in lowering free fatty acids, lactate and promote glucose oxidation -- leading to increased endurance and faster recovery times.

 

[jaa]

As Charlie says, hitting the heavy bag is perfectly harmless and enjoyable.
But sparring, even amateur, is not.

Sparring once is pretty harmless, especially if done correctly where each partner is trying to learn the dance of fighting without taking the other guys head off. It's very playful in that sense. It's the repetitive, hard hitting sparring that will be damaging over time. Another thing to note is that hitting a heavy bag might help your punch mechanics and power a little bit, but isn't going to help that much in a self defence situation. You can throw a beautiful technical punch on the heavy bag, but when someone is in front of you trying to hit you back your technique will go out the window. Sparring is critical for distance control and timing and learning to relax and throw proper technique when someone is trying to hit you back. Luckily they don't have to be throwing heavy to gain the self defence skill.

Check out this Muay Thai play sparring tutorial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqx_RPrmT4g

You can use headgear and gloves and land light shots to the head and it's only a bit more dangerous than a pillow fight. Yet you'll learn proper defensive manoeuvres amongst other skills.

 

[tara]

I would expect most of Peat's recommendations to be helpful. However, I would avoid bag-breathing or reduced breathing exercises for at least a day after any blow to the head. Concussions can be worsened by increased CO2 levels, and it is one of the situations where hyperventilation can be protective, even though it undermines general metabolism.

 

[Waynish]

I wonder if anti-serotonin substances should be avoided due to their reduction of aggression...

 

[macaroot]

Some of you guys are freaking losers. I mean, seriously. If the dude wants to be a boxer, great! Hes not sitting there judging you for over analyzing everything and being incredibly nerdy.

Combat sports is highly entertaining, is a rush to compete in, and is part of our DNA. It’s as primal as you can possibly get.

Someone suggested drinking orange juice during training LOL. Come on dude. You don’t need acid sloshing around in your gut when your heart rate is 180.

Best advice I can give to you Anthony, is pick and choose some of the principals you see here. Some will work, some won’t. Drinking milk doesn’t work for everyone. Drinking OJ doesn’t work for everyone. Some people do better with very low fat. Some do better with fairly moderate amounts. Some thrive on coffee. Some, it’s like poison.

Don’t be like so many of the sheep on here and follow this stuff blindly. Your health regimen is vitally important to your cardio, mindset, and even your ability to take a punch. Don’t listen to the idiots who camp in front of their computer for 12 hours a day, and don’t actually LIVE life.

Hope that helps.

 

[Frankdee20]

The most successful heavyweights champions of the seventies were Ali, Frazier, Norton, Foreman, Holmes, Spinks.

Out of the six, 3 died while afflicted with a degenerative brain disease, and the remaining one, Ali, has been a legume for the past 10 years and will join them imminently.

That's a 67% ratio.

Perhaps it’s just what I noticed but appears these brain issues are more proliferate in heavyweights. Pernell Whitaker, DeLaHoya, Hopkins, and countless other middle/welterweights seem to be ok.

 

[Frankdee20]

We can’t throw Floyd in there because he’s never been rocked in his career, except Maidana, Mosley.

 

[Fame]

No offense, but boxing and any other fighting sports are really dumb. These sports are very violent and have no place in society. And your basically signing up for brain damage.

I agree with you on the whole fighting and violence aspect; but for someone to engage in boxing doesn't necessarily have to mean fighting. Boxing in terms of training is an excellent way to get/stay fit, and it's fun too!

I joined a boxing gym years ago in my early 20's, but only to train. I remember my coach kept asking me to sign up for upcoming fights or sparring, and I would always decline, telling him I do not like fighting, which must have sounded funny to him. I only ever stuck to the mats, for stretching and shadow boxing, the heavy bag and speed bag. At that time I was at my physical peak, and not to mention the crazy amount of confidence it helped me achieve.