The muay thai diet for the vast majority of gyms in Thailand is relatively simple and comprises mainly what a normal Thai diet would look like.
The truth is the vast majority of muay thai fighters in Thailand are from the poorer rural areas of Thailand such as Issan.
And this is also where many muay thai gyms are located where they cater for young men and even children who seek to become muay thai fighters to help support their families financially.
As such, often muay thai fighters and the vast majority of gyms do not have dedicated nutritionists and specific eating plans.
Yet, despite not having dedicated nutrition experts these muay thai fighters who train and fight out of the smaller rural gyms as well as the bigger gyms in Bangkok still maintain high levels of strength and muscular endurance, low body fat and sufficient energy levels to be able to train hard twice a day, 6 days a week.
So how do they do it? What is their specific muay thai diet? And what do they eat everyday to be able to do this?
Traditional Thai Diets Are the Answer!
The truth is the professional muay thai diet is the same as what most Thais eat normally on a daily basis and the same food they have eaten since they were children.
Thai food is known the world ever as being well balanced in flavors with a healthy variety but often favoring chili and and more spicy flavor.
The traditional Thai diet is very healthy with a good balance of meat and vegetables. Thai cooking especially curries also include tumeric which has several researched health benefits.
The Thai diet is commonly made up of rice, green vegetables, meats like chicken and pork and fish and fruits.
The abundance of fresh fruit such as watermelon, papaya and pineapple at low cost as well as a variety of vegetable make eating these health food a lot easier for Thai people.
For those living in poorer regions and from poorer families, meat is not so common due to the cost. So fish and vegetables are the main focus in this case.
For pro thai boxers in order to get more protein due to cost of meat, they often eat a lot of eggs in the Thai omelete or Khai Jiao as part of their muay thai diet.
Also grilled insects are common in Thailand and are known for providing protein and other nutritional benefits at lower cost.
For one of the most famous Thai boxers in the world today, Buakaw, who is from Issan, he is known to love his favorite food that he has eaten since childhood which is sticky rice, omelete and fried fish.
A Typical Day for the Muay Thai Fighter Diet in Thailand
Morning Training and Breakfast
As morning training start pretty early, around 6 or 7am often morning running and the morning session will be done on an empty stomach.
Exercising in a fasted state further contributes to pro thai boxers staying so ripped, in addition to the many calories burned while training.
So when the morning training finishes, anywhere between 9-11am, its time for breakfast.
Like most Asian countries, breakfast often is the same as what people eat for lunch or dinner. Soups, rice, meat and vegetables are the norm for breakfast.
In the poorer region of Issan a typical breakfast consists of sticky rice, fish soup, som tam (Thai papaya salad), eggs, and vegetables.
Because they are often poorer farming families they often catch the fish themselves.
For the muay thai fighter diet, Thai favorites such as khao man gai (chicken and rice), gra pao (holy basil stir fry and rice), or khao soi (crispy egg noodles) are the norm after the morning session.
Lunch and Afternoon/Evening Training
Lunch meals look pretty much the same as breakfast for the professional thai fighter diet.
Rice is of course always on the menu at any meal but soup noodles also is a favorite of Thais.
So rice, some meats or fish for protein and vegetables again is the common lunch meal.
Again due to the cheaper cost, Thai omelets which are plain eggs is another favorite food served and eaten as part of the muay thai fighter diet.
The lunch meals are nutritious and not too heavy as the afternoon session begins anywhere around 3-6pm depending on the gym schedule.
Therefore boxers tend to not eat too heavy as it will make them feel sluggish for the afternoon session.
Dinner
Following the second training session of the day which can finish around 5-8pm, dinner is prepared and served by the gym cooking staff in most thai boxing gyms.
Again rice is included as a staple as well as the standard white meat and fish and vegetables. Soups are also commonly eaten with rice meat/fish and vegetables.
Unlike in the West and outside of Thailand desserts are not so common and sweet foods as well as dairy are generally not eaten by Thais, let alone as part of the muay thai fighter diet
Cutting Weight for Fights
With Thai boxers fighting so regularly they often tend to be within reaching distance of their fighting weight without having to cut too drastically.
Depending on the gym there are different methods for cutting weight but a common sight to see in Thailand is boxers running in sauna suits to cut weight.
The muay thai fighter diet when cutting weight usually is cut down in size and rice porridge is often eaten instead of rice.
Also when needed calories can be drastically cut and meals may just be soup and a little fruit depending on how much weight a fighter has to drop.
But generally speaking muay thai fighter’s prefer not to cut their calories too much so that they keep training hard in the weeks leading up the fight.
Wrap Up
When it comes to muay thai in Thailand, it is generally seen as a profession and a way to earn an income and support your family.
As such the muay thai diet and eating healthy are crucial to training and fighting.
Thankfully in Thailand the traditional Thai diet is already so varied and healthy with a focus on freshly grown vegetables and organic meats and fish, so this makes it a bit easier to maintain a healthy diet for muay thai fighters.
As professional muay thai fighters boxers generally eat the same food as most Thai people, there really is no big secret when it comes to their diet.
The benefits are already in their traditional Thai diet and foods they have been eating since childhood and this makes up the bulk of the muay thai fighter diet.
