“If you want to know the road ahead, ask someone coming back.”
This proverb guides many people on their journeys to success by advising them to seek the wisdom of those who have been where they want to go. But, what if no one has done what you want to do?
You can either find something else to do, or you make your own path forward. Jackie Kaminski chose the latter and is changing the world of combat sports one day at a time. Very few fighters were working with nutritionists who specialized in combat sports. Even if you looked at the narrow field of those that did, there were no women. Where many people would’ve seen a forest with no path forward, the Florida native saw an opportunity to establish a career and build a legacy.
“I was definitely a pioneer in the sport, especially being a woman in the sport. There were very few dietitians trying to get in this space, and even less women trying to.”
Kaminski grew up as an athlete in the Sunshine State as a gymnast, playing tennis and volleyball, and she also was active in CrossFit.
“I have always been active and had a passion for sports. I always wanted to work with athletes.”
While she competed and enjoyed athletics, she acknowledged that her father did not make the best choices when it came to packing her lunches during her childhood. This actually served as a catalyst for her to dive deeper into sports nutrition.
“I started taking an interest in healthy food early on when I was younger, and that was another passion of mine.”
Kaminski embraced that passion and used it to begin building her foundation by earning a Master’s degree in Sports Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from Florida State University. Her initial goal was to learn about weight loss and how she could help clients live healthier lives, but the knowledge she was gaining was igniting her fire to do even more.
“I just felt in love with it, (learning) the human body, physiology, metabolism, and now applying it to a sports perspective to work with various athletes.”
While she was earning her degree, she had to go on rotations, similar to those that medical students do. During this time, she was taking kickboxing classes for personal fitness. That led to her searching for nutritionists that worked with fighters. She found an internship program with the UFC Performance Insititute and was one of 500 candidates to apply. She was the one that got accepted.
“I think I was their second intern ever,” she said. “That is what started my passion for combat sports. I got my training from them.”
After spending 13 weeks at the Institute, she returned home knowing what she wanted to do. South Florida is a hotspot for combat sports, so she has been able to establish herself without leaving home. Her most notable clients include stars from mixed martial arts such as Jorge Masvidal, Greg Hardy, UFC bantamweight Rani Yahya and featherweight Charles Rosa, and she has even helped champions from Bare-Knuckle Fighting Championships (BKFC). Their five-time flyweight champion, Christine Ferea, confirms that working with a nutritionist on the team translates to success.
“Working with a nutritionist, I have been able to change my body to be the best for my sport. It takes away all the guessing and worrying so I can just focus on my job and that’s winning the fight,” Ferea shared in a statement while giving Kaminski her flowers. “My wins and weight cuts have been directed by Jackie and I have had no problems making weight coming back strong, hydrated, and focused for fight day.”
Kaminski works with her clients on overall nutrition programs as part of their camps, but one of the biggest components is the weight cut to qualify for the fight. There have been several extremely controversial tactics used over the years by many fighters, but Kaminski’s knowledge and experience has served as a safe cheat code for her clients. Many fighters had called bodybuilding coaches to help them with these cuts, but there is no blanket method for all sports.
“Bodybuilding is for an aesthetic,” Kaminski explained. “Fight sports are completely different, and a lot of the practices of cutting for fighters can be life threatening, maybe not from the cut itself but for what happens after when they have been dehydrated and getting their head banged in.”
That is why she emphasizes providing more science and safer practices for the entire camp as well as during the final weight cut. One point she emphasizes to her fighters and others outside of her field that she speaks with is that weight cuts are a temporary shortcut for a purpose – a means to an end. Trying to copy a fighter’s cut strategy to lose weight, as in bodyfat, won’t work.
“I jokingly tell my fighters that if you’re fat, you’re f***ed.”
Jackie Kaminski
How You Can Work With The Fight Nutritionist
Kaminski’s client list is growing by the day, and now she is expanding her services and offering new potential clients the opportunity to learn and benefit from her knowledge, research, and experience through her six-week fight camp online program with a full meal plan included.
“This would be for people looking to lose weight, achieve a fighter’s physique, or even get ready for a fight. It is based on weight class and gender. This is as specific of a meal plan as you can get for your body type.”
One would imagine that after working with several world-class combat athletes and helping them be at their best, Kaminski may be tempted to see what she can do in a ring, cage, or octagon. As much as she is a fan of the fight game, she didn’t see herself becoming a participant anytime soon after a sparring session.
“After a punch to the face and a kick to the liver, I realized that I’m not going to be doing that,” she said with a laugh.
Jackie Kaminski
The Fight Nutritionist’s 3 Tips to Prepare for a Fight
Kaminski is at the top of her field, but she advises that losing weight for a fight doesn’t have to be overly complicated. She shared three simple tips for people to apply as they get ready for their next athletic encounter.
Don’t Starve Yourself
“If you can figure out your base calories, you can eat that every day and still lose the weight you need to lose.”
Keep Protein High
“We need the muscle recovery but also shedding the body fat because that is what we want to target.”
Nutrient Timing
“Eat carbs early in the day, specifically before exercise. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks can have carbs, but keep dinner to protein and vegetables only.”
