Cardio Enhancements

[jnes]

Hey guys, planning to have my first amateur boxing fight in the summer and my training has been going great. One thing that I've always struggled with is my cardio, and I eat pretty damn well. I was reading into Dillashaw's EPO situation and it got me wondering is there anything that can help a bit with your cardio that is not illegal. I found this site and it seems heavy cardio based athletes use it, just wondering if any of the contents would be illegal. Anyways thanks for the help and sorry for you nutritionists and triathletes if this wasted your time.

Here's the website:
https://firstendurance.com/

 

[therealdope]

I was going to guess that Optygen would be one of the items mentioned.

Like most supplements on the market, this stuff probably doesn't work. Cardio is about volume of work, intervals, blood flow, blood hct, HR, and sleep.

the only 'magic bullets' are: sleep high/train low, an altitude tent or EPO.

 

[UnklBobBob]

I was going to guess that Optygen would be one of the items mentioned.

Like most supplements on the market, this stuff probably doesn't work. Cardio is about volume of work, intervals, blood flow, blood hct, HR, and sleep.

the only 'magic bullets' are: sleep high/train low, an altitude tent or EPO.

+ EQ and Cardarine

 

[therealdope]

+ EQ and Cardarine

If you mean GW501516, then ya --- no thanks. I'm happy with my health.

 

[ocean size]

Used correctly, caffeine is probably the only thing that will actually benefit your cardio slightly for the duration of an ammy boxing match. Sodium Phosphate might help as well. I don't know much about it and the studies are somewhat mixed so do your homework.

Make sure any changes to your training you do well in advance of the fight and make sure you know how they effect you. Caffeine for example might help cardio, but if you aren't used to it it will just have you blowing your energy load too early McGregor style.

Sodium Bicarbonate and BCAAs have a small effect on aerobic performance, but only prolonged cardio like 45 min. If this is 3 two minute rounds it might not do much for you.

Creatine - doesn't actually improve steady state cardio, but improves anaerobic performance, muscle endurance and time to fatigue which may provide you some benefits. I just wouldn't overdo it if you are cutting weight due to the increased hydration.

Beta alanine - and L-Carnitine are in the same boat.

These latter three could be used in training to allow you to do any high intensity work and still have the energy to put in the time for pure cardio.

 

[jnes]

Used correctly, caffeine is probably the only thing that will actually benefit your cardio slightly for the duration of an ammy boxing match. Sodium Phosphate might help as well. I don't know much about it and the studies are somewhat mixed so do your homework.

Make sure any changes to your training you do well in advance of the fight and make sure you know how they effect you. Caffeine for example might help cardio, but if you aren't used to it it will just have you blowing your energy load too early McGregor style.

Sodium Bicarbonate and BCAAs have a small effect on aerobic performance, but only prolonged cardio like 45 min. If this is 3 two minute rounds it might not do much for you.

Creatine - doesn't actually improve steady state cardio, but improves anaerobic performance, muscle endurance and time to fatigue which may provide you some benefits. I just wouldn't overdo it if you are cutting weight due to the increased hydration.

Beta alanine - and L-Carnitine are in the same boat.

These latter three could be used in training to allow you to do any high intensity work and still have the energy to put in the time for pure cardio.

So should I drink a bit of coffee or some other high caffeine source before I train?

 

[ocean size]

So should I drink a bit of coffee or some other high caffeine source before I train?

Yeah say 30 minutes before. Doesn't need to be a huge amount. And you need to listen to your body - if it makes you too anxious or disagrees in another way, it might not be worth the improvement in cardio that some study said. Especially if you find it makes it more difficult to pace yourself.

Also if you train late you need to make sure it isn't interfering with your ability to sleep a full 8+ hours because sleep is key to improving.

 

[jnes]

Yeah say 30 minutes before. Doesn't need to be a huge amount. And you need to listen to your body - if it makes you too anxious or disagrees in another way, it might not be worth the improvement in cardio that some study said. Especially if you find it makes it more difficult to pace yourself.

Also if you train late you need to make sure it isn't interfering with your ability to sleep a full 8+ hours because sleep is key to improving.

Alright, thanks man, how tf you know all this shit lmao. You a nutritionist?

 

[monkeyrhythm]

The science is by no means conclusive but you could experiment with beetroot juice:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5295087/
There are indications that caffeine may cancel out any potential benefits so maybe drink coffee OR beetroot juice (not both together).

 

[therealdope]

So should I drink a bit of coffee or some other high caffeine source before I train?

Ergogenic effects of caffeine on endurance performance become significant at something like 400mg --- which I wouldn't advise.

 

[therealdope]

Also if you train late you need to make sure it isn't interfering with your ability to sleep a full 8+ hours because sleep is key to improving.

I agree with this^^^.

Most high level endurance athletes sleep 8 hrs and take naps. I know that I did.

 

[CUAPO]

Idk but coffee doesn't do work for me strangely I feel the opposite effect. There are no short-cuts, do road work mix in some HIIT like sprints or whatever you enjoy the most.

 

[MMA_Wrestling93]

Coffee kind of works depending on the specific person

 

[Kenneth Andrews]

Pre-workout will give you the caffeine hit as well as usually having other ingredients that can help prolong your muscular endurance during a training session. But like others have mentioned this allows you to get more volume of training in which in turn will help build the stamina for a fight.

I wouldn't really bother with caffeine before a fight unless it's early in the morning or late at night and you need a general pick me up. Any benefits you'd get from it wouldn't really benefit you as far as endurance in a short fight.

 

[ocean size]

I agree with this^^^.

Most high level endurance athletes sleep 8 hrs and take naps. I know that I did.

Loosely speaking, training is when you are breaking yourself and sleep is when you are improving.

Note on this list only Tiger sleeps like a normal person, and golf isn't all that demanding physically.

 

[jnes]

Loosely speaking, training is when you are breaking yourself and sleep is when you are improving.

Note on this list only Tiger sleeps like a normal person, and golf isn't all that demanding physically.

Very interesting poster!

 

[Robocok]

Very interesting poster!

Read up on Joe Friel.

 

[Xoleth]

Yohimbe
caffeine
BCAA
beta-alanine
L-tyrosine
L-theanine
citrulline malate
l-arginine
Beetroot extract
Nitrosigine
Betaine

If these don't work

 

[therealdope]

I think that pic is from an article 10 yrs ago about a friend of mine.

 

[facePuncher7]

This is my own personal anecdote regarding caffeine:

I took it before sparring and before fights, in moderate doses (a bit more than a standard coffee, 25 mins beforehand).

The physical effects were minimal at best, but for me personally it had a great mental effect as I tend to want to sit back and set a slow pace when competing, whereas the caffeine would make me feel like being more aggressive and pro-active.

That might just be me in my situation though.