Hey MMA, Meet the Patino Diet [Interview]
In MMA the vast majority of fighters have to cut weight to “make” weight, which makes their diet a very important part of their life. Some have gone vegan, others call in the miracle worker known as Mike Dolce but for Mike Constantino and his AMA Fight Club, they are going with the Patino Diet.
“I first saw the Patino Diet on a UFC fighter and then MVC Sports Management Vice President Gerald Grube reached out to Dr. Frank Patino & started a relationship with him to become the exclusive Nutrition advisor for AMA Fight Club & MVC Sports Management Fighters,” explained Constantino.
Like I’m sure most of you, I’d never heard of the Patino Diet before so MVC Sports Management introduced me to Frank Patino. Along with his family, Frank Patino came to America at the age of six as a refugee. Patino received undergraduate degree from The University of Miami and worked as a full-time Fire Fighter for the City of Miami Beach. After being appointed the Physical Training Instructor at The Fire College he attended the University Of Florida College Of Medicine where he received his Medical Degree in 1987. He’s also authored a book titled; The Age of Globesity: Entering the Perfect Storm and founded the Health Help Project, a 501C3 nonprofit organization with his father. Along with all this Patino has also developed a Diet that according to Mike Constantino, “over 20 plus fighters” at the AMA Fight Club are currently using.
So what is the Patino Diet you ask? We’ll let Frank Patino himself explain that to you.
“The Patino Diet is actually a lifestyle that incorporates the Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index is a scientifically derived Index that classifies all Carbohydrates by a number system. it goes from 0 to 100. In the “Old Days” we used to classify Carbohydrates as Simple or Complex Carbohydrates. We have discarded that nomenclature because it had no scientific meaning or basis. For example we labeled Sweet Potato and Brown Rice as COMPLEX CARBS. We now know that sweet Potato is 63 on the Glycemic Index and Brown Rice is 68 on the Glycemic Index. That is considered high on the Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index assigns a number to each Carbohydrate depending on the amount of Insulin that it causes the Pancreas to secrete. The higher the number on the Glycemic Index, The higher the Insulin Secretion. High Insulin levels prevent the body from using Fat as a fuel source and Insulin also signals the body to store fat. When you ingest High Glycemic Carbohydrates (Above 55 0n the Index) it causes the body to store fat and also blocks the body’s ability to burn fat as a fuel source. Conversely, Low Glycemic Carbohydrates (those below 55 on the index) will maintain low Insulin Levels which allows your body to use FAT as a fuel source. Simply stated; if you incorporate a Low Glycemic Lifestyle, you will stay lean and preserve muscle mass.
Another benefit to eating a low Glycemic Lifestyle is that it prevents Type 2 Diabetes and for those who already have Type 2 Diabetes, it helps control it. Remember that high Glycemic Carbs Elevate Insulin levels. Many years of eating High Glycemic Carbs and having high Insulin levels causes “Over Stimulation” of Insulin Receptors. When this happens the Insulin Receptors become “Resistant” and they “Down Regulate”. When the receptors don’t respond to the Insulin then the blood sugar elevates, this is Type 2 Diabetes. By eating Low Glycemic you maintain Low Insulin levels so you don’t over stimulate the Insulin Receptors thereby avoiding the ravages of Type 2 Diabetes.
Another benefit of eating Low Glycemic Carbs is that you reduce the inflammation of the lining of the arteries. High blood sugar levels which result from eating High Glycemic Carbs cause Inflammation of the Endothelium (inner lining) of the arteries. This inflammation attracts cholesterol to adhere to the Endothelium producing a plaque. When this plaque grows and eventually ruptures, it causes a complete occlusion of the artery. This process can occur in cerebral arteries, Peripheral Arteries and coronary arteries. Eating low Glycemic Carbs reduces Inflammation which reduces plaque formation thereby reducing cerebral vascular disease, Peripheral artery disease and coronary artery disease.”
So scratch that it’s not a diet but a lifestyle change! They say diets don’t work anyway so that would explain why the AMA Fight Club fighters who have changed their lifestyle are “experiencing high energy, weight loss and better durability in the training room as well as throughout the day & recovery!” according to Mike Constantino.
Ok the Patino Diet, I mean Lifestyle, uses this thing called the Glycemic Index to maintain a low glycemic lifestyle. So how does that relate to Mixed Martial Arts and what the heck is this Glycemic Index you speak of?
Examples of High Glycemic Carbohydrates; Potato 88, Rice 72, Bread 80-90′s, Beer 103!, Soda pop very high, sports drinks, Pasta has a very high Glycemic Load!
Examples of Low Glycemic Carbs; Apples, Pears, Peaches Plumbs Oranges, Grapefruit, Strawberries, Cherries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Nuts, Beans, Celery, Spinach, squash, zucchini, Tomato, Carrot, peppers, lettuce, kale, radishes, artichokes, hearts of palm, beef, chicken, lamb pork, venison, all meats.
“The Patino Diet incorporates eating Low Glycemic Carbohydrates (below 55 on the GI). This is a Lifestyle that is “SUSTAINABLE”. You can eat this way forever; it is not a temporary fad diet. The reason why the Patino Diet has caught fire within the MMA community is because fighters are well aware of their body weight and have to maintain a certain weight in order to fight in their respective weight class. The Patino Diet Lifestyle allows the fighter to reduce their body fat while maintaining lean muscle mass. This allows them to maintain proper weight while also maintaining PERFORMANCE! If a fighter chooses to lose weight by caloric restriction, then the weight they lose is a combination of Muscle and Fat. This has negative effects on their performance,” explained Frank Patino.
While the Patino Diet might be gaining recognition for the work it’s done at AMA Fight Club, that type of lifestyle change is something anyone can benefit from, not just fighters. If you’d like more information make sure to check out the Patino diet website.
About the Author (Author Profile)
My brain child is MMAValor, something I had wanted to do for a long time and finally it’s here. Been an MMA fan since TUF season one (play catch up all the time) and the obsession started to grow like a weed and as the sport grows so does the love for the sport. I’m a jack of all trades, a very organized person that rides an emotional roller coaster daily.Subscribe
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