Is running the way forward for combat athletes? A lot of combat martial artists comment how they feel that waking up at 5am and going running feels great because they know that they are out working while their opponent is still in bed. Not sure if they actually mean it or perhaps they just say it because that’s what Mike Tyson said in an interview in the late eighties and they want to copy him.The purpose of what I’m writing is to open your eyes to the science of the matter and refute that running is a good way to prepare for combat sports. I can back up what I say with evidence if anyone wants to see it. So let’s begin. First think of the word cardiovascular cardio = heart, vascular = veins/ blood vessels. Cardio vascular training of all kinds will stimulate your heart to pump blood around your body more efficiently. And that blood contains oxygen which is need for your muscles to create movement.Cardio vascular training will help your body to develop dense capillary networks in the muscles used which allow the muscles to absorb the oxygen in the blood. Cardio training also stimulates adaptations inside your muscles. Muscle cells develop enzymes and mitochondria (the powerhouse of a cell) that allow them to use that oxygen for energy. So now you understand that cardiovascular fitness adaptations are Heart (central) and intramuscular (peripheral). Without both of these you will not have fitness. So let’s go back to running, it works the Heart pretty well but in terms of the intramuscular adaptations its not really working the same muscles as combat does. So this means that running alone is not sufficient for combat sport cardiovascular training. You would have to supplement it with other sport specific training such as bag work, pad work and circuits e.t.c. In terms of the Heart adaptions research has shown that working on a bag/pads can stimulate your Heart rate to reach anywhere from the same moderate levels seen in jogging all the way up to 100% if you go all out. It has the added benefit of working the intramuscular cardio adaptations and teaching you skill at the same time. If you did nothing except hitting the bag at various intensities your cardio would be fine. If you are looking for something you can do in the mornings at home, why not shadowbox or practice footwork for 30mins nonstop. That will give you Heart adaptations, Intermuscular adaptions and again build your skill. Much more beneficial than running. Let’s not forget that running also poses a lot of risk of injury to the knees, feet, and lower back really the last thing you need. To summarize running is an exercise that does not fully prepare you for combat sport and it has a high risk of injury. Hitting the bags. pads and doing circuits can not only give you the cardio you need but they can give you skill, strength and power at the same time. So really it just does not make sense to use running for combat sport preparation. I personally spent years waking up and doing roadwork, and I do enjoy a good run for recreational reasons especially when I’m in a hot country, but there is no way I’ll ever make it a regular part of my training. Of course you can argue that a lot of the best combat athletes run, but then they wouldn’t know or understand the science of it because most of them can not even read. And the fact that they run does not mean that’s what makes them good. It is more likely years of sparring, fighting and hitting the bag that got them where they are, not running around like Forest Gump at 5am. It is up to you whether you want to cling to an outdated tradition and be stuck in your ways or open your mind, become more efficient, effective and move forward. Have a good day. Jonathan
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 16:38:47 +0000