Cardiovascular workouts are the backbone of fight conditioning for combat sports such as Muay Thai, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, and many more, but there’s a catch. Spending multiple hours performing low to moderate intense cardio exercises, like running, isn’t the only way to get ready for a fight. Too much of that can harm you, leading to muscle loss. You end up looking more like a marathon runner instead of a fighter.

Micro-dosing cardio is a more appropriate approach to cardiovascular training for fighters. It involves sprinkling short periods of cardiovascular training throughout your training day. It’s a way to break up the monotony of cardio workouts while still reaping its benefits.

Understanding How Micro-Dosing Works

Micro-dosing involves performing short, intense cardiovascular exercises in small doses. If conventional exercises are likened to gulping down a gallon of coffee in one sitting, micro-dosing would be seeping expresso shots throughout the day. You get caffeine either way, but the latter keeps you steadier (and less jittery) than the former.

Micro-dosing allows you to build up your endurance without dealing with the fatigue you feel after a long cardio session. The practice has become increasingly common in recent years for intense, endurance-heavy sports like Boxing, Muay Thai, and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

Benefits Of Micro-Dosing

Some of the reasons why a growing number of fighters are taking a micro-dosing approach to their cardiovascular training include:

1) Less Fatigue And Faster Recovery

Micro-dosing spreads out your workload, helping reduce muscle fatigue and enhance recovery.

Intense cardio sessions often involve pushing your body to its limits, which leads to longer recovery times. Micro-dosing spreads out your workload, reducing muscle fatigue. You get to avoid the feelings of complete exhaustion you often go through after a long, intense cardio session. Less fatigue means more energy for your other training sessions.

Studies show that regular short bursts of intense exercise help to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness, so you need fewer rest days.

2) Improved Metabolism

Micro-dosing intense exercise leads to the “afterburn effect,” which leads to your body burning more calories than usual hours after you stop working out. It’s a cardio hack that fighters can use to stay lean and on weight for their fights. Studies show that a few minutes of intense exercise can elevate your metabolism for hours.

3) Less Overwhelming

Balance is key—your strength routine should support, not compete with, your fight training.

Your motivation isn’t always as high as you want it to be on some days. Sometimes, the thought of an hour-long cardio session can make you want to throw in the towel before getting started. However, a five to ten-minute workout is much more doable on such days.

Micro-dosing makes it easier to be consistent with your cardio workouts without overwhelming yourself. Your sessions can be as short as a few quick sprints, a five-minute round of jump rope, or a ten-minute circuit of bodyweight exercises.

4) Better Suited For Combat Sports

Micro-dosing helps tailor your cardio training to the unique demands of combat sports—be it Boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, or Muay Thai.”

Micro-dosing allows you to adapt your cardio training to the unique demands of combat sports, where you rarely operate at a consistent pace. Martial arts are all about short, high-energy bursts that are followed by periods of low activity. Breaking up your cardio sessions mimics the natural rhythm of fights.

For example, MMA fighters can spend five minutes performing intense exercises, followed by a one-minute rest period since fights in the sport consist of five-minute rounds with one-minute breaks between them. A few rounds of this would take less than 20 minutes, and it would better prepare you for the energy demands of an MMA fight than regularly going on hour-long runs.

Integrating Micro-Dosing Into Your Training Routine

Making micro-dosing an integral part of your training routine requires discipline and consistency. Some simple ways you can start enjoying the benefits of micro-dosing include:

1) Morning Cardio Boost: Jump Rope For Five Minutes

Skipping is one of the most popular cardiovascular exercises among fighters because it’s quick, engages multiple muscle groups, and only requires some jump rope. Give your cardiovascular system a boost soon after getting up in the morning to get your blood flowing, open up your sweat pores, and wake up your reflexes without going through a complete workout.

2) Sprints Or Burpees Between Rounds

An easy way to get some cardio work in during your training sessions is to perform intense cardio like sprints or burpees during your break when performing technique drills that aren’t particularly physically tasking.

Not only will performing intense exercise for a short period helps to keep your heart rate up, it also mirrors the structure of a fight where you fight for three to five minutes before getting a short break.

3) Shadowboxing Intervals

A few rounds of intense shadowboxing can give your cardio an extra boost after your training sessions. Set a round timer for three rounds of two-minute high-intensity shadowboxing, with 30-second breaks between rounds. Pretend you’re fighting an imaginary opponent and give them everything you have.

Does Micro-Dosing Replace Traditional Cardiovascular Exercises?

Not quite. Micro-dosing can help take your cardio to the next level, but you still need to include longer cardio sessions. Extended aerobic exercises help to improve your lung capacity and cardiovascular health in ways short bursts of intense cardio can’t.

Think of micro-dosing as a way to support your base cardio without overworking yourself to the point it takes away from your fight training sessions.

Some of the simple things you can do to get the most out of micro-dosing include:

• Focus On High-Intensity Workouts: Prioritize exercises that get your heart rate up super fast when micro-dosing, like sprinting as hard as you can for 20 seconds before taking a short break. You shouldn’t be able to talk without feeling out of breath after your short but intense exercise.
• Spread Workouts Out: Don’t stack all your micro-dosing together in one part of the day. Instead, spread them out throughout the day and aim for three to five sessions.
• Stay Consistent: Consistency is vital to get the most out of micro-dosing. Stick to your routine, and results will show over time.

Give Micro-Dosing A Try

Micro-dosing allows you to keep up with your conditioning, regardless of how busy your schedule gets. It can be a game-changer for busy fighters seeking to maximize their cardio without compromising their fight-specific training.

You may also like: 

The Impact Of Music On Training Focus And Performance In Martial Arts