asthma and muay thai

[mcdowels]

I just started muay thai kickboxing at a well respected place (I am 35). I love it, but after doing it for a couple weeks, every class I would get more and more winded until after one class I couldn't catch my breath for like 5 days. I went and saw a pulmonary specialist and she said I have asthma.

So I am supposed to take a puff of albuterol before exercise. I went back after a couple weeks off and the whole time I feel like I am trying to catch my breath - especially the high rep kicks with the pad work. So I take breaks to catch up (which is frowned upon). Everyone else seems normal. Granted muay thai is a crazy workout and I am just a sedentary office lawyer trying to get in shape.

I am taking a methacholine test to confirm this diagnosis. I played sports when I was younger without a problem, so I don't understand this late onset (i never smoked). I am in a city with very poor air quality however.

I had some trepidation regarding muay thai in the first place, and so I"m not sure about all this. Has anyone had a similar asthma issue and got a handle on it ?

 

[crossFTW]

high rep kicks are a bitch man, more experienced guys can do them easy but when your just starting out they are exhausting, even more when you have to put power into them. I don't know if its your asthma playing up or not, but know that a roundhouse kick is an explosive movement that requires alot of energy, 20 kicks each side will have most people panting

 

[Midnighter]

Are you overweight?

 

[Nosweat]

If you've got Asthma, that just sucks. There is no way round it. You've just got to follow medical advice, and probably accept there will be significant limitations on what you can do in Muay Thai but this should not put you off.

Tell your coach about the asthma, what he does with the information depends on him, but he has to know for all kinds of safety reasons apart from anything else.

I had asthma as a child and still managed to compete at reasonable level at track & field. Asthma feels different from fatigue, and as your get more experienced in training you should start to spot the difference, and act accordingly.

Asthma apart, if you are a 35 year old sedentary lawyer there are things you can do to make kicks less fatiguing.

Stretching - particularly hip flexors and lower back. The more flexible you are, the less you will be kicking against the resistance of your own tight muscles.

Strengthening hip flexors and building muscle endurance - if you have spent a decade slouching in an office chair, your hip flexors probably need a lot of work. Rapid step-ups, tuck jumps and sprints can help strength. For endurance you can just do 3 minute rounds relentlessly checking kicks, making sure to lift the leg high every time. Do these things and your legs will be 'lighter' and move more quickly and easily.

Balance - if you're wobbling with each kick, that will fatigue you.

 

[HIMBOB]

You are most likely just unfit and have asthma.

I have asthma and I take a hit of ventolin before class sometimes.
You should be able to tell the difference though,

Asthma feels like you are breathing through a straw, like you have some sticky mucusy stuff around your airways like you get with a cold, and you want to try and hock it up but can't.

Tired just feels like you are well tired.


They are pretty different feelings.

Also if you are new to something like Muay Thai it will tire you out even if you are fit because you are doing something your body isn't used to.

I got the fittest guy I know to come along to a class and he was dead by half time, I wasn't even breathing hard. This guys does 10km swims etc so fit as hell, but not Muay Thai fit.

 

[LizaG]

Check the gym and see if unsanitary conditions and poor ventilation could be making your condition worse. intolerances in diet? too much too soon? I know some people at my old Thai gym had issues as there were no fans/air conditioning/all windows were kept closed...even in heatwave. Made a drastically negative impact on peoples training.

 

[ChachiKiller]

Are you stressed? Vascular constriction as a result of stress can make exercise more strenuous. Perhaps the news of being asthmatic and in class makes the situation.

A need to please sometimes pushes people to do more than is expected. If you are new, you should be able to pull back a bit. Be economical with your intensity. Pull back a bit because you are NEW! Also it seems like you have not done much since you refrenced your youth and you mentioned that you sit all day. You are 35 and all biological performance suffers. I am like that when I do not train for a while. Then I play with the 20 year old fighters and my workout comes down to survival. After a while I can play at their level but for not as long (I am older than you). I sometimes can not catch my breath. You need to back off for your health reasons. My guess is that the school/gym wants you safe.

1. Eat apples before workout - enzyme that opens air passages and redily available carbs with water in them
2. Do something to expand your lungs an hour before you get to the gym. The proverbial second wind is very effective for expanding your lungs prior to the workout.
3. My gym turns the heat on which makes air dry and that may irritate asthma
4. Let yourself be a beginner. You are an attorney so you have learned to push yourself. Let go of that. Economize your use of energy and do not compare yourself to kids who have been training. Many successful people push too hard. Any chance you are doing this because of concerns for your health because you gave your adult life to school and study? If so, let it go and relax. It is to be enjoyed at YOUR pace for now.

 

[Da_Rev_Ong]

As someone with asthma who trains, I have two pieces of advice for you:

1) Listen to your body and don't push yourself too hard too soon. There are some days I can drill and spar for multiple rounds more than the other guys (but I've been doing this regularly for over 5 years now), and there are some days where doing the warm-up makes me feel like passing out. Don't be afraid to drop back and catch your breath. Let your teacher(s) know about it before hand and they should be understanding.

2) See you doctor and (if it is at all applicable) get on a preventative medicine (like Advair or Singulair). This made all the difference in the world when it came down to dealing with my asthma. At this point in my life, it's pretty much a long-standing condition that I won't be able to get rid of (I'm 36 and I've had it ever since I was 3), but being able to get on the right meds has prevented it from being a full-blown chronic condition. Find out what the nature of the asthma and what triggers it. The Albuterol and Epinephrine inhalers are rescue inhalers more often than not, and while they're great for your "time of need" it is much better to be able to bring it to a tolerable level and maintain that in stead of riding the roller coaster between being able to run a marathon and passing out while walking through the parking lot.

Otherwise, have fun. Don't quit. Your body will get used to what you're doing.

 

[mcdowels]

Thank you for all your comments

 

[DClinch]

My Asthma was really bad prior to me starting Muay Thai, in fact the doctor even advised against it.

I just took it one step at a time, any time I would have shortness of breath I would fall back - don't push yourself too hard. 3 Years later, I train, I compete, and I can honestly say that my asthma is nowhere as bad as it was before.

Don't let asthma keep you out of Muay Thai, just learn to work around it.


I still keep my ventaline inhaler around but I'm rarely ever using it.


GOOD LUCK!!