Having better hydration for BJJ can be the difference maker between finishing a submission or surviving the round. Knowing how to use this simple recipe can help you improve your hydration levels and allow you to last longer in combat sports training. Iskiate is a relatively unknown combat enhancing secret to the martial arts community. This is a shame because many long-distance endurance cultures have been using this to their advantage for centuries. In this article, I’m going to show you how you can easily begin upgrading your hydration for Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA by adding this beverage into your lifestyle.

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What Is Iskaite?

Iskiate is a beverage consisting of chia seeds and other ingredients that have been used by the Tarahumara people located in the northwestern part of Mexico. This tribe was known for their endurance due to their need to run long distances to get between their settlements. It is rumoured that this mixture was the driving factor that helped these tribes survived by improving both their hydration and endurance levels. But is there any scientific evidence to back this up?

unfortunately, there isn’t any solid evidence that suggests that Chia seeds can directly benefit endurance. However, it is well known that dehydration can be a common cause of fatigue and a lack of performance in athletes. Chia seeds have been seen to create a ‘gel water’ substance around the seeds which has been shown to absorb water and enter the cells overtime allowing for insurance of hydration throughout the day and training session.

How Can This Help With BJJ and Martial Arts?

Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners can experience a dramatic amount of water and electrolyte loss due to training, especially if you are training in a BJJ gi in the summer. Proper hydration is associated with better focus and athletic performance. On top of providing hydration, this drink can help support your overall BJJ lifestyle by providing essential nutrients. These nutrients include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, magnesium and protein. (1) 

Bone health is crucial in combat sports as the nature of the art causes practitioners to consistently place bones under stress causing a greater chance of bone breaks. Another great way to support your hydration, bone and fascia health on top of including Iskiate is to use this bone broth recipe as a post-training recovery drink.

How To Make Iskiate For Better BJJ Endurance

There are many variations of Iskiate but here is a simple recipe that will help you support your BJJ training with additional electrolytes. 

Precautions and preparation: Soak the chia seeds for approx 20 minutes before consuming the drink to help with digestion. Some people will experience abdominal discomfort. I’m sure many of you have experienced something similar to this while training BJJ if you’ve been on the bottom of a ‘knee on belly position’. Try this beverage on rest days and evaluate your performance before implementing this hydration strategy fully on training days.

Instructions:

1. Grind the chia seeds with a coffee grinder or blender.
2. Place in powdered seeds into a glass and add 10 oz of water.
3. 2-3 tablespoons of lemon or lime
4. Add a pinch of salt

Ingredients 3 and 4 are known to have a great source of electrolytes. These play a crucial role in maintaining hydration levels. This article explains the importance of electrolytes in more detail. I hope this simple recipe helps you along with your Brazilian jiu-jitsu and martial arts journey. 

Let me know what you do to hydrate yourself and what your experiences were with this drink in the comments below. If you are just starting your BJJ journey, I suggest you check out BJJ for beginners for more helpful tips or visit the School of Sharks for more researched-based articles that have been designed to help optimize a martial artist’s lifestyle.