Authors
Connor R. McKay, [1] Department of Kinesiology, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA, USA, [2] Institute of Sports Sciences & Medicine, Florida State University, Florida, USA
Zachary L. Durden, Department of Kinesiology, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA, USA
Andrew J. Jakiel, Department of Kinesiology, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA, USA
Parker N. Hyde, Department of Kinesiology, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA, USA
International Journal of Exercise Science 19(6): 6009, 2026.
Abstract
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a grappling-based combat sport and seminal art form in mixed martial arts. Though BJJ is rapidly growing, little is known regarding nutrition for the sport. Therefore, this review seeks to identify sport-specific nutritional requirements and ergogenic supplementation strategies in BJJ. A review of the relevant literature was conducted, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. All articles were obtained through a comprehensive search of the databases PubMed and SportDiscus. Searches were performed between 2/24 and 3/24, including articles from inception to March 2024. After an initial search, 190 unique articles were identified for primary review. After primary review, 151 articles did not fit eligibility criteria and were excluded. Of the remaining 39, only nine focused on sport-specific nutrition or supplementation. For the nine included articles, a risk of bias analysis found five low risk, three with some concerns, and one high risk. Of the nine, four (44.4%) used combat measures, three of which (33.3%) used a mix of both non-combat and combat measures, and only one (11.1%) used combat measures exclusively. The remaining five (55.6%) exclusively utilized non-combat measures. A consistent issue in studies examining BJJ nutrition is the lack of sport-specific combat use in testing protocols, which leads to substantial problems with the reliability and applicability of the findings and warrants further research.