MMA nutrition is one of the most complex aspects of the sport of mixed martial arts. As long as there are weight classes, there are going to be weight cuts. That is always going to require the guidance of experts if you’re to have any success with it. Not to mention the overall effect on health that nutrition has when it comes to athletes. So what’s the problem then? The trouble is that there are not many experts out there and plenty of fighters. That means that getting one-on-one time is hard and it costs. A lot. A simple workaround is looking for anything the best MMA nutrition experts have out. Like, for example, the Best MMA Nutrition Books of 2021!
You can’t really learn nutrition from books. And that is perfectly ok, as you’re looking to be an MMA fighter, not a nutritionist. MMA nutrition books usually contain specific information that pertains to the needs of MMA. The trouble is, knowing which are solid, and which are nothing more than a scam. Nowadays, everyone can claim they’re a nutrition expert. Trusting unknown sources might really get you in trouble by missing weight or messing up your hormones. Our best MMA nutrition books 2021 guide features nothing but the very best authors and prominent experts in the field.
MMA Nutrition In A Nutshell
There’s no real way of dumbing down MMA nutrition, but we’ll do our best. Once you know what are the aspects of nutrition that really affect MMA fighters you’ll know what to look for. Not that you’ll need to, after seeing what this best MMA nutrition books 2021 guide has to offer.
MMA nutrition is largely based on three main areas. One is very clear and has to do with day-to-day eating and a healthy 24/7 meal plan. The second and third parts are largely conflicting, but they are a must during the career of every MMA athlete. One has to do with packing on some healthy muscle and getting stronger. The other has to do with weight cutting, one that’s going to allow you to be heavy on fight night, and not die in the process.
Day-to-day nutrition is of paramount importance for MMA fighters. Okay, the occasional binge, particularly after a fight is alright, but it shouldn’t be a daily lifestyle. So, we have a few titles below in pour best MMA nutrition book guide that covers this particular subject for many different aspects.
Weight gaining has a lot to do with training the right way so that you get muscle and not fat. Once again the requires a dialed-in approach that pays a lot of attention to what, when, and how you eat. Finally, weight cutting is a science on its own that is arguably the most important of the three. Cutting weight means manipulating your body so that you drop fat and water, and retain much of that hard-built muscle. Once again, the best of the best’s strategies are right here in our guide.
Best MMA Nutrition Books in 2022
Time to go through the best titles of 2022 when it comes to MMA nutrition. There’s something for everyone below. You’ll find weight gaining, weight cutting, and long-term nutrition plan guides. Moreover, you’ll find stuff for meat-eaters, vegetarians, and even vegan fighters. The best thing about it is that every author knows what they’re talking about. Each has a huge stable of MMA fighters, most of which are in the UFC. Now, you get to learn about their expertise without having to pay a fortune to add the actual nutritionists to your team.
In a nutshell, MMA nutrition is not too difficult. Yeah, you’ll need some time to get through these books, but even if you’re not big on reading, you have options with our best MMA nutrition books guide. First of all, books are nothing difficult when it comes to reading. They’re all easy to read and understand. Moreover, you can get most books in either a paperback edition or an electronic one, making them easy, portable, and always accessible. Finally, if you’re dead set on not reading, lots of the books come in an audiobook format. That way, you can learn how to set your nutrition up while commuting or even training.
MMA NUTRITION: 50 MEALS, SNACKS, AND PROTEIN SHAKES (M Laurence)
This one is as straightforward as they come. The title actually says it all: “50 Meals, Snacks and Protein Shakes.” This is MMA nutrition simplified as much as possible. the author, M. Laurence is extremely well versed in the field of sports nutrition. The author has a lot of experience with meal plans for football players, grapplers, and MMA fighters. Category-wise, this book contains information on day-to-day nutrition as well as strategies for bulking up.
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What you’ll find in this book are no less than 50 meals that will help you fuel your daily MMA training. They’re not only perfect fuel but are also delicious and extremely nutritious. And, all you vegetarians out there, worry not. Vegetarian meals are included particularly high-protein muscle-building ones. The sheer number of meals in this book, all categorized as either breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks. means you won’t run out of ideas for food for months. The best part is that during those months, you’ll hardly ever have to repeat a meal. I love the fact that snacks, as well as key pre and post-workout, shakes are included as well. A brand new edition, available in paperback. 
THE GRACIE DIET – REVISED EDITION (Rorion Gracie)
This is another pretty self-explanatory book. If you’re into MMA, you most certainly train BJJ and are aware of who the Gracie family is. Well, they do not just have BJJ as their legacy, but also a great nutritional system that’s perfect for grapplers and MMA fighters. The author is Rorion Gracie, and the system is based on Helo and Carlos Gracie’s eating habits. We couldn’t really do the best MMA nutrition books 2022 guide without including this one.
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This is my personal preferred nutrition system and has been for the past couple of years. The diet works mostly because it is simple, easy to follow, and most importantly, inexpensive. It is built around food groups and the combinations of different groups. While this may sound complicated and intricate, it is actually pretty easy to follow. This book is the ultimate day-to-day eating guide and is also perfect for healthily dropping weight. It may work for gaining weight well, but you’ll need to adjust a few parameters. That said, this book is all about performance and it guarantees you’ll never be hungry, nor gas out during training or fighting. Available in Kindle and paperback editions.
THE DOLCE DIET: 3 WEEKS TO SHREDDED (Mike Dolce)
When it comes to MMA nutrition, Mike Dolce is practically royalty. He is the man who figured out weight cutting in the first place. Awarded the “trainer Of the Year” Award four years in a row, the New Jersey Martial Arts Hall Of Famer certainly knows about nutrition. The “3 weeks to shredded” book is his first one and is the weight-cutting manual of most of the professional and amateur MMA fighters of today.
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I’ve used this book on numerous occasions while getting ready for fights. It was my go-to before discovering the Gracie Diet. However, Mike’s work is by far the best I’ve ever used in the particular field of weight cutting. During three weeks, you can drop as much as 20-30 lbs, without going hungry once! His system has helped pretty much every UFC champion at a point, and Mike’s also famous for easily having problematic fighters drop the weight. The book is organized on a day-to-day basis, with clear outlines of what, how much, and when you need to eat. Some of Mike’s recipes are also included, leaving no room for wondering. You simply get this book, follow it, and enjoy the results. Kindle and paperback editions available.
VEGAN MMA TRAINING AND MEAL PLANS (Mariana Correa)
Time to pay some attention to vegan fighters in our best MMA nutrition books 2022 guide. More and more athletes seem to be favoring this way of eating nowadays. While there were some disputes as to how effective a vegan nutritional lifestyle is for fighters, today we know that it fits in perfectly. Mariana Correa has it all outlined for the non-meat eating MMA fighter – from meal plans to timing and even shopping guidelines.
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These books actually have lots more than just meal plans and a nutritional guide. MMA training has three main parts to it. One is training actual martial arts, the second is eating right, and the third is strength and conditioning. The latter two parts have a lot in common, as you can’t gain or drop weight if both your nutrition and your strength and conditioning training aren’t aligned. There are over 60 MMA-specific workouts in this book, that work perfectly with more than 60 different vegan meals. Moreover, each meal has a complete breakdown of macros (proteins fats, carbohydrates, and fiber). Comes in a paperback version.
FIGHTER’S BODY (Loren Christensen)
This book came up as a surprise contender in our best MMA nutrition books 2022 guide. I came across t by accident, but am amazed at how great it is. Loren Christensen is an author that knows MMA, the needs of MMA athletes, and the complete ins and outs of MMA nutrition. The co-author, Wim Demere only adds more weight to everything written in this amazing book. Perfect for all aspects of MMA nutrition.
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This book is actually a very complete manual on how to fuel and use your body for optimal MMA performance. What you’ll learn in this book, is basically everything you need to know about eating for mixed martial arts. First, you’ll learn about what diets work for MMA fighters, and which can hurt your performance. Next, the authors cover calculating macros, particularly protein needs daily. Furthermore, there are chapters on using supplements, cutting weight, gaining weight, and creating an overall nutrition plan. The best part is that there are chapters that will guide to cheat meals, and occasional splurging. there’s even advice on how to eat at common fast food places. Available in paperback and Kindle.
THE DOLCE DIET: LIVING LEAN (Mike Dolce)
No wonder, Mike Dolce features more than once in our best MMA nutrition books 2022 guide. He is, after all, the most recognized MMA nutritionist so far. If his previous book was all about dropping weight, this one covers sustainable day-to-day nutrition and some core principles of the Dolce Diet. This is actually a complete book, as there are also workouts by Dolce that tie in perfectly with his nutrition system.
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“Living Lean” is Mke’s second book and the first one outlining his complete nutrition system. The book is divided into three parts, each covering a different subject. Part one is testimonials by MMA fighters and the principles of the Dolce Diet. The second portion covers recipes, divided into breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, shakes, and salad dressings. The book also includes vegetarian and vegan options for most meals, as well as gluten-free options. The final part of the book is all about training, with several complete workouts by Dolce himself. This book, much like the Gracie Diet is about nutrition for life, and once you get used to the system you’ll never look back again. Nor will you ever have to worry about maintaining weight again. Available in Kindle and paperback.
TRAINING FOR WARRIORS: THE ULTIMATE MIXED MARTIAL ARTS GUIDE (Martin Rooney)
This book is actually a strength and conditioning book before it is an MMA nutrition book. Martin Rooney is one of the best strength and conditioning coaches of all time. His stable includes world champion grappler and UFC champions, like Romulo Barral and Frankie Edgar, for example. The book has a large portion of MMA nutrition that is done in collaboration with John Berardi, a Ph.D. in nutrition.
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Martin Rooney traveled the world to collect information on training martial arts in their original settings. From Japan to Russia and Brazil, Rooney gathered invaluable experience in strength and conditioning training specific to martial artists. During his research, he also uncovered some nutritional secrets, that he brought back with him. Along with the marvelous John Berardi, they devised the perfect nutrition plan for fighters. It follows a 12-week template, just like the workout programming in the book. However, it applies to a whole year, More importantly, some key weight-cutting guidelines in there’ll make sure you drop weight safely and efficiently.
NUTRITION AND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (George Lockhart)
The final entry in our best MMA nutrition books 2022 guide is by one of the absolute best MMA nutritionists of all time. The only man to give Mike Dolce a run for his money so far is George Lockhart. Connor McGregor’s nutritionist is currently the most sought-after one. he has a revolutionary system of nutrition principles that have cracked MMA nutrition, as it seems.
When it comes to nutrition, having the advice of George Lockhart is just about everything you might need for as long as you train and compete. Lockhart is hard to get to, but his work is now available in a perfect bundle. the bundle includes a highly comprehensive E-book that has it all. In it, Lockhart covers macros for fighters, food timing, how to prep meals, and a complete nutritional plan. he also offers several different ways in which you can set up your nutrition, so you can choose the best one for you. Moreover, the bundle includes a DVD that further explains everything in the book. There are even recipes and complete prep in the DVDs. Currently, this is the best possible MMA nutrition guide you can get in 2022.
Pro MMA Fighters’ Nutrition Strategies
So, how do pro fighters pull off nutrition? Of course, there’s the draw they have regarding their status. Champions, particularly UFC or Bellator ones can easily get one-on-one access with some of the top MMA nutritionists out there. Still, very often even pro fighters manage to miss weight.
Concerning nutritional strategies. you most definitely need to know at least how to cut weight properly. It is down to you if you want to look like Daniel Cormier or Yoel Romero. As long as you can cut weight the right way, and as often as you need to, you’ll be okay. Most of the titles in our best MMA nutrition books 2022 guide will help you with this. Of course, one of the most successful strategies UFC champs use is to keep an eye on what you do in between fights. That means adhering to the principle of eating clean and having a meal plan based on some key nutritional principles. Once again, this is all covered in each title above.
When it comes to gaining weight, you need to be very careful about it. If you’re looking to move up a weight class, then putting on some quality muscle is certainly the best strategy. However, you must know that this is much harder than cutting weight, That means you’ll need to devote a lot of time to training, and even more attention to nutrition. Here, how much you eat and when you eat it becomes as important as what you’re eating.
Closing Thoughts
So, now that you went through our best MMA nutrition books 2022 guide, how do you use the information in it? Well, there are several ways. If you want a complete system, get Dolce and Lockhart’s work and you’ll be set for life. If you want the easiest system to follow for day-to-day nutrition, and don’t mind eating meat, go with the Gracie Diet. For weight cutting, particularly if you’re in a hurry, go for Dolce’s “3 weeks to shredded.” Or, just pick up any books you like so that you fulfill your MMA goals.
