The Myth of the Aerobic System. Everyone has it all wrong.

[EZA]

This is basically just a rant, but I'm sick of reading all this nonsense that MMA is a predominantly anaerobic sport. There are so many articles these days floating around out there claiming you need to rely on lactic system for MMA and the aerobic system is overrated. Anyone who is making that claim is dead wrong and doesn't know what they are talking about!

Also, the idea that the aerobic system doesn't contribute to energy production for the first 1-2 minutes of exercise is completely false. Even at 100% execise intensity, in as little as 30 seconds the latest research has shown it is contributing up to 50% of the total ATP being regenerated. After that it obviously goes up to an even higher percentage.

People also need to realize that when the lactic system is working it inherently means that the aerobic system is working at 100% of its capacity. It doesn't stop working just because lactic metabolism is also contributing.

Fighting is an AEROBIC-ALACTIC sport and the aerobic system contributes by far the majority of ATP out of the three systems, especially as the fight wears on. Relying on anaerobic glycolysis for energy production is a sure fire way to gas yourself out in the first round. The more ATP you can regenerate Aerobically and the less you have to rely on the lactic and alactic systems the better.

People seriously need to stop with this idea that fighting is predominantly anaerobic because it is not. Sports like weightlifting, powerlifting, field events, 100 and 400m sprints, etc. are predominantly anaerobic, MMA is not. Also, both of the anaerobic systems are largely influenced and limited by genetics. Neither the lactic or alactic have a very large margin for improvement, it is the aerobic system that has tremendous ability to adapt and increase how much power it can generate.

Don't believe everything you read and do some research. MMA is an aerobic sport, plain and simple.

[paolo27th]

Lol, yes, there`s been some discussion on that on this board recently hasn`t it.
I think the real problem is that "aerobic" reminds people of lyotards and pink dumbells. It doesn`t sound nearly as hardcore as "anaerobic". I mean, you don`t want to tell your ufc training friends you do pussy-aerobic training do you?
Plus you have people saying how sprinters are so powerful because they are fast twich-anaerobic people. But the obvious thing they don`t understand is that no sprint lasts for a whole freakin` 15 mintes.

[EZA]

Yes, a sprinter would last about as long in a round of MMA as a football player, that's what people seem to fail to realize. A sprinter is the last person an MMA fighter should be trying to train like.

Also, anyone who thinks the aerobic system can't produce any real power should go try running at 14mph and see how long they can sustain it for. Marathoners can sustain this speed for 2 hours straight relying almost entirely on the aerobic system!

If it comes down to the energy system development of a marathon runner or a sprinter for MMA I'd pick the marathoner every time.

The idea that aerobic training will cause you to lose muscle mass and get weaker is also totally wrong as well. In fact, aerobic and alactic/strength work go together well and compliment one another.

Also, world class sprinters are lean because they are world class power athletes with great genetics and that body type performs well in the sport. Bodybuilders have been relying on steady state aerobic training forever and they are leaner than anyone! The notion that you can only get lean with intervals is equally incorrect.

There are so many total myths about the aerobic system it's mind boggling.

[paolo27th]

Originally Posted by EZA

Yes, a sprinter would last about as long in a round of MMA as a football player, that's what people seem to fail to realize. A sprinter is the last person an MMA fighter should be trying to train like...

Yes, Nick Diaz>>>>>>>>Bob Sap lol!!!

[Derek McConnell]

I found with heavy pad and bag work sprinting was overkill and actually hurt my conditioning.

[Ian Coe]

Originally Posted by EZA

This is basically just a rant, but I'm sick of reading all this nonsense that MMA is a predominantly anaerobic sport. There are so many articles these days floating around out there claiming you need to rely on lactic system for MMA and the aerobic system is overrated. Anyone who is making that claim is dead wrong and doesn't know what they are talking about!

Also, the idea that the aerobic system doesn't contribute to energy production for the first 1-2 minutes of exercise is completely false. Even at 100% execise intensity, in as little as 30 seconds the latest research has shown it is contributing up to 50% of the total ATP being regenerated. After that it obviously goes up to an even higher percentage.

People also need to realize that when the lactic system is working it inherently means that the aerobic system is working at 100% of its capacity. It doesn't stop working just because lactic metabolism is also contributing.

Fighting is an AEROBIC-ALACTIC sport and the aerobic system contributes by far the majority of ATP out of the three systems, especially as the fight wears on. Relying on anaerobic glycolysis for energy production is a sure fire way to gas yourself out in the first round. The more ATP you can regenerate Aerobically and the less you have to rely on the lactic and alactic systems the better.

People seriously need to stop with this idea that fighting is predominantly anaerobic because it is not. Sports like weightlifting, powerlifting, field events, 100 and 400m sprints, etc. are predominantly anaerobic, MMA is not. Also, both of the anaerobic systems are largely influenced and limited by genetics. Neither the lactic or alactic have a very large margin for improvement, it is the aerobic system that has tremendous ability to adapt and increase how much power it can generate.

Don't believe everything you read and do some research. MMA is an aerobic sport, plain and simple.

[ChachiKiller]

I remember GSP's game plan for fighting Penn was to avoid his boxing and grapple to wear down his arms so his hands would be heavy and slow. Aerobic?

[JRT6]

On this very forum I used to argue against aerobic training for fighting and felt at the time my prior aerobic training and my poor conditioning performances while training was proof of that. After I started doing aerobic training that EZA perscribes I have found my conditioning to have greatly improved recently despite the fact my anaerobic conditioning has gone down due to mental burnout. I wouldn't say my max output is better but my recovery certainly is and I don't walk around during rest breaks and after class like a zombie.

[oyaji poi]

Originally Posted by EZA

Bodybuilders have been relying on steady state aerobic training forever and they are leaner than anyone! The notion that you can only get lean with intervals is equally incorrect.

There are so many total myths about the aerobic system it's mind boggling.

I like your work, and this is one of the things that has been sitting in the back of my mind since I started training MMA 7 years ago. Even outside of MMA talk, guys like Alwyn Cosgrove would spit and piss all over aerobic training in favour of intervals and complexes for fat loss.

But in the back of my mind I kept thinking "Bodybuilders are some of the leanest guys around, and the serious trainees are some of the strongest guys around"

But still I'd read about steady-state cardio being "useless" for fatloss and "pointless" for conditioning.

And still, I'd be picturing Thai fighters running for 5k every morning and evening, and bodybuilders walking on on incline for 30min in the morning and afternoon.

Basically it came down to something not being right. Either the Thais had it all wrong for their conditioning, and the bodybuilders were doing intervals in secret to "really" get cut, or the anaerobic Johnny-come-lately's were wrong (or misleading to sell a product or image).

[JRT6]

I'm a 5k running mother fucker right now.

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