Competitive boxers are familiar with extreme dieting. Weight requirements combined with the need to maintain nimble, lightning-fast footwork while fighting causes elite boxers to alternate fasting and gorging. Some professional boxers proudly recite their typical 4,000-calorie breakfast, but former welterweight boxing champion Antonio Margarito describes his diet in key principles, not detailed menus.
Low Calorie
One of Margarito's dietary pillars is consuming large quantities of low-calorie, nutrient-dense food such as fruits, vegetables and egg whites. Margarito's low-calorie regimen while training is different from his competitors, such as Manny Pacquiao, who reports regularly consuming thousands of calories in one sitting. Consuming primarily low-calorie foods was necessary for Margarito in 2010, when changing to a lower weight class gave him a competitive advantage.
Low Fat
Along with avoiding high-calorie foods, Magarito also rejects those high in fats. While training with Robert Garcia in Oxnard, Margarito's meals were prepared by a professional chef whose responsibility included preparing nutritious meals within the confines of his training goals. During this period, Magarito wrote in his training journal, "She [the chef] takes care of me and cooks all kinds of foods, but always low in calories. I don’t have limitations. I eat anything but it has to be low in fat and calories."
Protein
Any elite athlete understands the importance of protein for building strong, healthy muscles and joints, and Margarito is no exception. He never explicitly discusses his most frequent protein sources, but reporters described him downing a 16-ounce protein shake immediately after weighing-in for his fight against Pacquiao in November 2010. Protein shakes allow boxers to ingest large quantities of this vital nutrient easily and quickly. Other low-fat, low-calorie sources of protein professional boxers frequently consume include lean chicken and turkey, egg whites and skim milk.
Consistency
Margarito rejects the practice of "carbo loading," where an athlete consumes copious amounts of carbohydrates several days before competing. Instead, Margarito maintains a consistently low-fat, low-calorie diet through training and competition weigh-in. In response to Margarito's preparation for an upcoming fight, his trainer, Robert Garcia, noted that he was "eating very well, carefully made food, high in nutrients, he is even consuming carbs." However, reporters from the Filipino newspaper News Flash noted that before weighing in for his fight against Pacquiao in 2010, Margarito appeared "drained, dry and weak."
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