I have gotten quite a few PMs regarding this and with the ever growing expansion of people training, I figured it was time to make something like this. I hope to clear out a lot of the bad advice that many MMAers receive as far as supplementation is concerned and to understand general do's and don'ts
I will divide this into 4 sections: staples, highly recommended, and peaking (amount in parentheses is my dosing).
Staples
These are the supplements that I take year round and are invaluable tools for recovery, strength, and cardio.
BCAAs-help to slow muscle catabolism from training or increase LBM if attempting to add some weight to your frame (20g).
Poseidon-this is for hydration and electrolyte balance. I could honestly go on for pages about how important this is to overall performance and it is a must after cutting weight to replenish (3-4 servings).
Whey Protein-helps for quick replenishment after training or to add LBM (40g post weights)
SuperCarb-slow digesting carb source that I add to my BCAA and Poseidon drink to avoid hypoglycemia and to add extra calories into my diet (25g)
Anabolic Pump-this is one of the greatest nutrient repartitioners I have ever used and is a vital tool for those are heavy for their weight class. This also helps out with recovery and strength gains due to it's ability to maximize glycogen storage within the muscle (3 caps).
Fish Oil-EFA source and anti-inflammatory are amongst the myriad of fish oil uses (6-10g/day).
Beta Alanine-lactic acid buffer to help push through those painful moments and maintain strength in the later rounds (6-8g/day).
Highly Recommended
These are supplements that I find to be great tools if your budget permits them. Not quite important enough to be a "staple," but I prefer to have them in my arsenal most of the time.
RPM-best pre-WO stim I have ever used. A clean energy without the crash and also adds a little more aggression into the system (3 caps).
Protein Blends (e.g. egg/casein/whey together)-I always have some sort of blend lying around if I am pinched for time or don't quite feel like eating a full meal. Helps to add sufficient protein and calories for the MMAer (40g per meal).
P-Slin-this is for pre-WO nutrient repartitioning. Similar in AP to it's action, but shorter-acting. Helps to utilize the pre-WO meal to the max and provides great energy during the long hours in the gym (1 cap ~20 minutes til pre-WO meal/90 minutes pre-training).
Peaking
These are the supplements I like to add 4-6 weeks prior to competition. These range from ergogenic aids to mood enhancement to sleep aids.
HEAT-great supplement for those that have to diet to make their weight. Great appetite suppressant and also helps with mood during those periods of carb-depleted crankiness (3+6 caps/day).
Ecdysterone-this helps out with VO2 and EPO production. For those that don't wtf that means, basically this is a great supplement for cardio (500mg active/day).
Rhodiola-mood enhancement, sleep aid, and helps with cardio. It's also very, very cheap (300-400mg @ 3% rosavins/day).
Activate Extreme-outside of the nutrient repartitioning, sleep aid, and strength gains, this supplement gives me the best, or worst, aggression. This combined with RPM makes me want to really, really hurt people (6 caps/day).
Drive-reduces BF, increases cardio and aggression, and great mood enhancer...enough said (6 caps, 5x/wk).
Avoid
These are supplements that I would avoid or minimize for various reasons.
Yohimbine HCl-BP and cardio killer
Clenbuterol-same reasons as Y-HCl
Arachidonic Acid-don't get me wrong, I love this supplement, but when gearing up for a fight, it does more damage (literally) than good; save this for periods when you have 3 months between fights or DC use ~5 weeks prior to event
That is my list, but remember, without a solid diet, these will not matter. Train hard my friends.
