4 minutes
PROFESSIONAL mixed martial arts is a cutthroat game at the highest levels where all athletes are super-talented. The margin for error is incredibly small, and each athlete has a specific set of strengths and weaknesses that make up their unique style.
Success often comes to those who train harder than their would-be opponents.
Malaysian sensation Jihin “Shadowcat” Radzuan knows all too well just how much work goes into maintaining her spot among the top female atomweights in ONE Championship.
A lot of her hard work goes into, of course, time spent in the gym drilling techniques endlessly to perfection. But much can be attributed to how she also takes care of her nutrition. For Radzuan, it’s all about striking a good balance.
“Normally, I watch my diet all the time. However, occasionally, I will give myself a ‘cheat day’ to prevent mental breakdown,” said Radzuan.
“Most of the time, I have a protein shake before and after my workouts too, to prevent muscle loss.”
Just like everyone else, however, Radzuan admits to harboring an internal battle, deciding to either eat what’s good for her body, or succumb to temptation and give in to cravings. The Malaysian warrioress is proud that she’s been able to, more often than not, allow discipline to take precedence above everything else.
“I drink lots of water and protein to fend off cravings and fight hunger pangs. We normally crave for things when we’re hungry. So it’s important to stave off the hunger first with something healthy,” said Radzuan.
“Once it became a force of habit, it just got easier.”
That’s not to say that Radzuan doesn’t enjoy herself when it comes to food every once in a while. Radzuan is proud to say she prefers her native Malaysian cuisine whenever she decides to let her guard down.
“If I’m not in training, I love to order out. I enjoy eating the Malaysian classics like chicken rice, mee rebus, and of course, nasi lemak. Rojak is also something I like, because it has a lot of vegetables and fruit.,” said Radzuan.
“I try to keep my diet healthy and well-balanced.”
ONE Championship recently announced a partnership with food delivery service, Foodpanda, which will see the two companies work together on a variety of initiatives and activations to bring fans closer to their favorite athletes.
Radzuan has been tapped as part of this initiative to become a champion for proper nutrition, and to satisfy cravings through the popular food delivery app.
“Personally, I love Foodpanda. It’s very easy to use. Just download it and get started, and the food comes very quickly. It’s really convenient,” said Radzuan.
“During this lockdown period, it’s obviously very hard to go out to eat. So I’ve gone between cooking my own food at home, and ordering delivery.”
As the entire world continues to deal with the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, Radzuan, like many others, has been spending the majority of her time at home, safe and indoors. But unlike anyone else, the Malaysian “Shadowcat” still goes hard with her workouts everyday, taking the extra time she has on her hands to work on developing her overall game.
“Nothing has changed much, I still work hard everyday,” said Radzuan.
“Everyday we learn and drill new techniques and skills. We study strategy, and everything else. I’ve used this time to reshape and restructure my entire mixed martial arts skill set. My day is packed with lots of stuff to do.”
