When training for combat sports, understanding the anaerobic threshold and heart rate reserve (HRR) is critical to optimizing performance. These metrics help gauge fitness levels and how efficiently your body performs during high-intensity activities, especially during explosive movements common in combat sports like striking or grappling.
The anaerobic threshold (AT), often referred to as the lactate threshold, is the point during exercise when your body transitions from using predominantly aerobic (oxygen-based) energy to anaerobic (non-oxygen-based) energy. As exercise intensity increases, your muscles require more oxygen, but eventually, they can't get enough. At this point, they start to produce energy anaerobically, which leads to a buildup of lactate in the blood.
When your muscles accumulate more lactate than they can clear, you start to feel the "burn," and performance begins to suffer due to muscle fatigue. For combat athletes, delaying the onset of this burn can mean the difference between dominating in the later rounds or gassing out.
Heart rate reserve is the difference between your maximum heart rate (MHR) and your resting heart rate (RHR). It’s a valuable tool for determining the intensity of your training. The greater the heart rate reserve, the more cardiovascularly fit an athlete tends to be. Here’s how to calculate it:
Determine Max Heart Rate (MHR): This is generally calculated as 220 minus your age.
Determine Resting Heart Rate (RHR): This is the heart rate when you are fully at rest, like right after waking up.
Calculate HRR: Subtract the RHR from the MHR (190 bpm - 60 bpm = 130 bpm).
Once you have your HRR, you can use it to structure your training zones, determining the intensity of your workouts based on percentages of your HRR.
Improving your anaerobic threshold and HRR requires structured, targeted training. Both involve increasing cardiovascular efficiency, muscular endurance, and your body's ability to handle higher intensities without fatiguing too quickly.
One of the most effective ways to improve your anaerobic threshold is through high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Short, repeated bursts of maximum effort followed by rest periods allow your body to improve its tolerance to lactate buildup.
Example:
Repeat this cycle for 20-30 minutes. This helps combat athletes build endurance for explosive movements like striking combinations or grappling transitions.
Tempo runs or threshold-specific intervals can improve your ability to operate just below your anaerobic threshold for longer periods.
Example:
The goal here is to train your body to delay the point at which lactate builds up. Over time, you’ll notice an increased ability to sustain high-intensity efforts during sparring or competition.
Although combat sports are highly anaerobic, training your aerobic system with low-intensity cardio is crucial. This enhances overall cardiovascular health, helping to improve your HRR by lowering your resting heart rate. The result is a wider heart rate reserve, meaning your body can handle more intense work when needed.
Example:
This builds a solid aerobic base, which supports recovery between high-intensity efforts and enhances endurance during long matches.
The hard truth is, if you don't use it, you lose it. Cardiovascular fitness, including anaerobic threshold and heart rate reserve, can decline rather quickly if training stops. Studies suggest that after 2 weeks of inactivity, noticeable declines begin in both anaerobic and aerobic capacity:
The good news is that it doesn’t take as long to regain fitness as it does to lose it. With consistent training, most athletes can bounce back to their previous levels within a few weeks.
As you age, both your maximum heart rate and your ability to recover decline. This means older athletes often have a smaller HRR and a lower anaerobic threshold compared to younger athletes. However, with proper training, these declines can be minimized:
That said, older athletes can still maintain high levels of performance with consistent training, focusing on longer recovery periods and optimizing training intensity.
Outside the ring or gym, the best way to train these metrics is through cross-training methods that don’t replicate your combat movements but still push your cardiovascular system. These include:
By incorporating these methods into your routine, you’ll not only improve your performance in combat sports but also maintain a balanced approach to fitness, reducing injury risks and improving longevity in the sport.
Understanding and improving your anaerobic threshold and HRR are essential to being a successful combat athlete. By incorporating targeted interval training, threshold work, and steady-state cardio, you can build cardiovascular efficiency, sustain high-intensity efforts, and recover more effectively between rounds. Age can affect these metrics, but with consistent training, it's possible to maintain a high level of performance.
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. 10th Edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2017.
Jones, A. M., & Carter, H. (2000). The effect of endurance training on parameters of aerobic fitness. Sports Medicine, 29(6), 373-386.
Bosquet, L., Léger, L., & Legros, P. (2002). Methods to determine aerobic endurance. Sports Medicine, 32(11), 675-700.
Wisløff, U., Støylen, A., Loennechen, J. P., Bruvold, M., Rognmo, Ø., Haram, P. M., ... & Ellingsen, Ø. (2007). Superior cardiovascular effect of aerobic interval training versus moderate continuous training in heart failure patients: a randomized study. Circulation, 115(24), 3086-3094.
Coyle, E. F. (2005). Very intense exercise-training is extremely potent and time efficient: a reminder. Journal of Applied Physiology, 98(6), 1983-1984.
Tanaka, H., Monahan, K. D., & Seals, D. R. (2001). Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 37(1), 153-156.
These references help validate the recommendations made in the blog and provide scientific backing for the training methods discussed.