Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir said it best in episode seven of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8:
"People can take physical pain, people can take mental anguish, but cardio pain crushes everybody."
The same reason Junie Browning couldn't finish Rolando Delgado on TUF 8 is the same reason Mauricio "Shogun" Rua lost to Forrest Griffin at UFC 76: Low anaerobic threshold.
Combat sports falls under the anaerobic umbrella because it requires a great deal of power output in a short period of time. The energy is quickly available, but short term energy stores are rapidly depleted, lactic acid builds up and exercise soon comes to a halt (SportsMed 97).
Once the production of lactate (lactic acid) by the anaerobic system is greater than its removal, lactate begins to accumulate in the bloodstream and the body must return to a state of rest to recover.
How do you know when you've reached your anaerobic threshold? When you're out of breath! When the energy supplied by your breathing is insufficient to sustain your activity, you have reached your anaerobic threshold.
This is why so many mixed martial arts fighters falter as they go deeper into a fight. They may have excellent aerobic endurance, but their body is not conditioned for the quick bursts of power that only anaerobic endurance can provide.
The key is to find a balance between aerobic and anaerobic conditioning. The treadmill is of course a must, but so are sprints. Despite what you may have heard, slow and steady doesn't always win the race!
Your training should also include interval work consisting of a repeated series of short, high intensity bursts with alternating rest periods. Constantly changing levels and speeds to mimic the frequent stopping and starting of close range combat is the only way to prepare for three or even five rounds inside the cage.
Unless of course you're "elusive" enough to avoid contact altogether.
For those of us however who make it a point to engage, I bring good news. Feel it! Nutrition is offering $20 off its MMA Stack.
Don't worry about trying to figure out what nutritional supplements are going to help you increase your anaerobic threshold. Once again the Feel It! Nutrition experts have already done the research for you and assembled the most comprehensive stack available to help you achieve your goals.
MMA Stack consists of the following cutting-edge supplements:
Protein Powder: Pro Lab Pure Whey Chocolate (5 lb.)
Creatine: Axis Labs Creatine Ethyl Ester (240 Capsules)
L-Glutamine: ISS Complete L-Glutamine Power (14.1 oz.)
Amino Acids: Universal Amino 1000 (500 Capsules)
The key to using MMA Stack is incorporating it into your fight preparation. Former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk, notorious for his high anaerobic threshold, begins training for a fight about twelve weeks out.
In addition to lifting weights and strengthening his fast-twitch muscle fibers, Sherk also trains grappling, striking, distance cardio, swimming, wind sprints and the dreaded running of the bleachers.
Of course his regimen wouldn't be complete without the proper nutritional supplements and neither should yours. With the addition of MMA Stack you can take yourself to the next level.
If you're stepping into the cage with an opponent who matches up evenly with you, the difference in the fight could come down to which fighter has the higher anaerobic threshold.
Just imagine if UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn had used MMA Stack prior to his bout with Georges St. Pierre at UFC 58!
Get to the head of the pack. Get MMA Stack. Now $20 off for a limited time.
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