AUSTIN, TX — Three-stripe blue belt and two-time regional medalist Tyler Brandt wants to be clear that the large açaí smoothie he brings to every class, every open mat, and apparently every location he visits in daily life is strictly a recovery tool and has nothing to do with anything else anyone might be thinking about.
“The antioxidants,” Brandt said, when asked about the smoothie during a warmup this week. He then said “inflammation” and “mitochondria” before returning to his hip escapes.
Brandt, 31, began his açaí protocol approximately two months after he started competing seriously and approximately four months after he started following several Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitors on Instagram. He currently purchases his blended açaí base in bulk, frozen, from a specialty grocery store 25 minutes from his apartment. He does not consider this inconvenient.
When pressed on what he is recovering from, specifically, given that he trains four days a week at moderate intensity and has no documented injuries, Brandt explained that recovery is “cumulative” and that the body “is always rebuilding.” He also mentioned something about cortisol.
Training partners say they have noticed changes since Brandt began the protocol. He is faster to the mat, more consistent in attendance, and his guard passing has improved noticeably. He attributes this to the açaí. When one purple belt suggested that perhaps Brandt had simply been training more and sleeping better, Brandt nodded and said “the açaí helps with sleep too.”
The tub of unflavored powder currently sitting in the front pocket of Brandt’s gym bag is a different product entirely, he noted, which he uses at a different time for different reasons that he did not elaborate on further. It is also for recovery.