My cardio is bad even tho I've been training for 2 years

[makehimfirst]

I've been doing combat sports for almost 2 years now, but my cardio doesn't seem to be improving much. After a boxing sparring session today, I found myself gassing out in less than 3 minutes. I've recently started running 3 days a week for 10-15 minutes in the early morning for the past 3 weeks. Interestingly, when I sparred with a friend after one of my morning runs, I managed to go 5 rounds with just a 1-minute rest between each, without feeling excessively tired.

However, the issue arises during my regular boxing training sessions at the gym, usually around 9 p.m. I tend to feel tired and gas out easily, which has become a concern. The coach noticed my subpar performance during sparring and has even restricted me from competing due to my lack of endurance.

I'm seeking advice on why this discrepancy exists and how I can address it. Any insights or tips would be greatly appreciated, as I'm determined to improve my cardio and overcome this hurdle in my training.

 

[drjon]

@makehimfirst Do more conditioning work specific to your sport.

Bas Rutten's boxing rounds, either the 2 minute or the 3 minute version, come to mind.

Otherwise you could look to improve your general fitness level. Things like burpees, complexes, sprints, slow and steady work, skipping, etc.

 

[ady2015]

@makehimfirst Probably because it’s 9pm…CNS overload by that time of the day…assuming you’re on a normal sleep schedule, etc.

Maybe start doing zone 2 cardio for 30-45m a few times a week and reassess after a month.

 

[ladyjones]

@makehimfirst How is your sleep and nutrition? Caffeine/sugar intake? Do you think it's your body's inability to get rid of lactic acid, oxygen intake, or sugar levels? When I bonk it's usually a lack of sugar. I tend to take glucose packets before my strenuous workouts. E.g. Gu. Or a banana. Also may want to get a blood test if it's been awhile.

Assuming everything is fine. Long Zone 2 sessions is where I build my endurance. It was counter intuitive to me to train at such a low intensity but it does significantly build my cardio as opposed to zone 4 high intensity for shorter durations.

Also age, I can't recover from high intensity as quickly as I used to.

"Zone 2 is commonly associated with a period or phase of the training cycle that’s widely referred to as the “base training” period, and is perhaps THE intensity range of choice to strengthen the foundational aerobic fitness which will support higher intensity training further down the line. "

https://www.highnorth.co.uk/articles/zone-2-cycling#:~:text=Zone%202%20is%20commonly%20associated,training%20further%20down%20the%20line.

Edit: added quote from article

 

[corinne]

@makehimfirst I run 5 days, 3 day HIIT intervals and 2 days 5-mile recovery jogs. Cardio is off the charts