How well does cardio transfer?

[WinterIsComing]

Basically my question is will swimming help my ability to run? Will sprinting improve my ability to run long distances?

[ChopSteak]

Yes to all of that. All of those activities improve your bodies ability to take in and carry oxygen to the body. Sprinting won't make you a better swimmer, and swimming won't make you a better sprinter, because they both rely on different parts of the body for muscular endurance, but they both will help improve your cardio.

[Standard]

Yes, but there is a level of technique for each discipline. You could have the best cardio in the world as a swimmer but be lackluster as a runner without time on the pavement.

[FullContact.com]

Well, to answer your question: Yes AND No. The purpose of swimming and sprinting and all other forms of cardiovascular exercise is to get your heart rate up, making your heart stronger so that your body doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood and expend excessive amounts energy. It also, as I'm sure you know, increases lung capacity. So while the bloodflow, heartrate and breathing will transfer - the energy expended by muscle use will not. Take for example - I can run 20 minutes on a treadmill at 9 miles an hour and barely be winded - but put me on a stairmaster for about 2 minutes on a medium/high setting and my heartbeat jumps above my target heart rate. When you're swimming your working a lot of deltoids and quads; where as running you work your hams and tibialis anterior (the muscle that runs parallel to your tibia). Sprinting is an anaerobic exercise where long distance running is an aerobic exercise; so if you can run a super quick 100, you might not be able to complete a mile.

Basically what I'm saying is that every exercise works different muscle groups, thus spending energy differently. The intensity of that workout will change the outcome as well. Swimming and running are great for cardiovascular and aerobic training, but a fast paced game of basketball mixed in a couple of time a week will offer up a great anaerobic exercise as well; giving you a great overall workout of most muscle groups.

[Cydewynder20]

In my experience, there isn't a lot of direct carryover.

However.....I find that being in shape in general will let you increase your sport-specific conditioning faster.

For example, if I'm in good grappling shape but I haven't run for a while, the first few times I go out for a run I will gas quickly. But after a week or so, I will see a dramatic improvement in my running.

If I was not in any kind of good shape, the condition improvements would come slower.


This is all just my personal experience, your mileage may vary.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by Cydewynder20

In my experience, there isn't a lot of direct carryover.

However.....I find that being in shape in general will let you increase your sport-specific conditioning faster.

For example, if I'm in good grappling shape but I haven't run for a while, the first few times I go out for a run I will gas quickly. But after a week or so, I will see a dramatic improvement in my running.

If I was not in any kind of good shape, the condition improvements would come slower.


This is all just my personal experience, your mileage may vary.

I agree with this. Case in point. A couple of years ago I was doing a shit load of track running in preparation for a PT test. Got to the point where I could run a few miles quite comfortably at a decent pace and even throw in some sprints.

One day I took a walk to the bank, most of it was uphill and I was fucking gasping for air. Something as trivial as an incline was enough to throw me off.

[JSN]

Originally Posted by Standard

Yes, but there is a level of technique for each discipline. You could have the best cardio in the world as a swimmer but be lackluster as a runner without time on the pavement.

just look at lance armstrong.

[Ian Coe]

Originally Posted by Cydewynder20

In my experience, there isn't a lot of direct carryover.

However.....I find that being in shape in general will let you increase your sport-specific conditioning faster.

For example, if I'm in good grappling shape but I haven't run for a while, the first few times I go out for a run I will gas quickly. But after a week or so, I will see a dramatic improvement in my running.

If I was not in any kind of good shape, the condition improvements would come slower.


This is all just my personal experience, your mileage may vary.

I agree 100%

I haven't done much thai recently but I've been working on my cardio myself. I went training on tuesday and did a warm up run with a couple of the guys. I smoked them on the run and had to walk a good few times so they could catch up. I was going pretty slow for me anyway and finished with bags of energy to spare.
Come pads I was ok, surprised myself actually although my power was pants. Come spar time I could move and everything but my shoulders gave up the ghost quite quickly and my legs were just useless after 4 rounds.

In theory once I get back into the hard thai training though my fitness should come back very quickly.

edit- I think rowing has a good overall cross over though, due to the amount of muscle mass that is used.

[BOA]

as far as overall cardio they will all help indirectly. As far as one helping you in another like swimming helping you run faster that won't help but it does help your cardio.