The CNP Professional range of protein supplements played a key role in Ricky Hatton’s winning comeback fight on Saturday at the City Stadium, Manchester.
56,000 fans watched England’s most famous boxer, Ricky Hatton overwhelm Mexican-American scrapper Juan Lazcano in a unanimous points decision.
The outcome was all the more remarkable considering last December’s defeat against Floyd Mayweather and Hatton’s subsequent weight gain. In twelve weeks of hard training for the Lazcano fight, Ricky returned to his original light-welterweight fighting weight without compromising his awesome strength.
Key to the nutritional side of his training was an intensive daily course of what he calls his "super magic shakes" – protein and other supplements from CNP Professional – and drinking lots of water – upwards of four litres a day – even though many boxers fight shy of drinking plenty of water.
Ricky Hatton’s diet and supplements program was created by sports nutritionist guru Kerry Kayes, founder of the CNP Professional range and advisor to the Team Hatton camp. Kayes, who studied nutrition when he himself was a champion bodybuilder in the 1970s and 80s, took Ricky under his wing several years ago and is credited with ensuring a solid program of dieting and selected weight training to perfect his body for boxing.
This diet gave Ricky around 2,700Kcal, and just over 200g of complete protein daily. It allowed the weight to drop off while properly nourishing and restoring his body after the gruelling training – and helped him develop the peak fitness that overwhelmed Lazcano.
Kerry Kayes emphasises that the Hatton diet is not only for professional sportsmen. "Anyone working to peak physical fitness can benefit," he says.
CNP Professional is one of the UK’s leading sports nutrition specialist companies. For more information visit www.cnpprofessional.co.uk or call +44 (0) 161 320 1212 for sports nutrition advice and +44 (0) 161 320 8145 for sales.
The Ricky Hatton training diet:
At the heart of the Hatton training/weight-loss approach is the CNP Professional ‘Pro’ range of protein supplements. It starts off in the morning with Pro CLA, capsules of a healthy fat that have been shown to help reduce bodyfat whilst retaining and possibly helping to increase muscle tissue.
For breakfast the sportsman enjoys Pro MR or Pro Peptide – blends of undenatured "fast and slow" proteins – sometimes with porridge, as well as Pro Vital (high strength multi-vitamin/mineral/antioxidant formula capsules) and Pro Lipid, an EFA supplement delivering unique ratios of Omega 3, 6 & 9 and cholesterol-lowering plant sterols. Around 45 mins before training, on leaving home, he will take Pro GF, a formula of creatine and nitric oxide which helps water hydrate the body during the workout.
Immediately before all hard exercise comes a serving of Pro Slam, a ready-to-drink vial that delivers 27 grams of protein without carbohydrates or fats in only 86ml. It comes in three delicious fruit flavours and can be drunk in seconds, delivering a ‘tingle’ that shows it’s working quickly. Immediately after the workout Ricky takes a Pro Recover, a recovery drink containing fast-acting carbohydrates and proteins that aid muscle repair and growth, as well as antioxidants that help to limit the muscle damage caused by intense exercise.
If Ricky feels really hungry for a snack, he’s advised to eat a Pro Flapjack, combining the complex carbohydrate of oats, with a high-protein blend, without the high sugar and fat content of most commercial products.
The biggest meal of the day usually comes in mid-afternoon, with chicken, fish or turkey accompanied by potatoes, rice or pasta, and – naturally – plenty of green vegetables, followed by relaxing to digest the meal properly.
An evening run is bookended by a Pro Slam before and a Pro Recover after the run, with more Pro Vital and Pro Lipid capsules during the evening, and Pro MR again shortly before bed, to ensure the body has nutrients to repair and recover during the night.