Issue 076
June 2011
Other sports have been doing it for years but altitude and mask training is no longer the best-kept secret in a fighter’s camp
Barry Gibson
Strength & conditioning trainer
Barry Gibson is a kettlebell and fitness instructor as well as a third dan black belt in judo.
We’ve all seen the video clips of Sean Sherk and Wanderlei Silva, or at least heard about them. MMA fighters running around with a gas mask or snorkel when they perform clean and presses, sledgehammer work etc. It looks weird in a cool sort of way, but how does it work?
Altitude Training
Altitude training has been used by athletes not only in MMA, but almost every other competitive sport in the world. But most notably the altitude is the reason so many Kenyan runners fly past their counterparts from most other nations. Mohammed Ali blazed a trail preparing out of Big Bear, California, which is located 6,752 feet above sea level. And back to our sport it’s no accident that Greg Jackson’s gym is strategically located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is 5,312 feet above sea level.
What is the relevance to combat athletes?
In lay terms, the concentration level of oxygen in these high altitude areas is lower than areas where fights actually happen. For example, Las Vegas is only 2,000 feet above sea level. While training at altitude, athletes are subject to a state of hypoxia, when they are deprived of oxygen. The body’s response to this is to create more red blood cells, and decrease the heart rate due to increased efficiency.
Sean Sherk has released an Altitude Training Mask – a type of gas mask similar to the one he used in his famous Caveman Training videos. It’s now become a popular item among mainstream MMA fighters.
By limiting the amount of oxygen intake, rather than by directly being somewhere at altitude, MMA training gas masks make use of valves and filters to limit oxygen intake. This in turn then has the same effect on the athlete in terms of the benefits of being in altitude.
Dr Frank Wyatt, exerise physiologist, wrote a review of Bas Rutten’s version of the gas mask, with regards to hypoxic training for MMA, in it he stated: “The purpose of this breathing device is to restrict the intake of air (i.e. inspired ventilation) and thus lead to reduced oxygen intake. With reduced oxygen intake one works harder for any given workload. This is the same premise one faces when exposed to high altitudes. The pressure of oxygen at higher altitudes is reduced, leading to a reduced intake of oxygen.”
Not only does gas mask training improve red blood cell physiology and increase oxygen intake capacity, but it also works to strengthen the body’s ventilation system. This could have some carryover to asthma sufferers too, although my research didn’t unearth anything on this side of things.
Imagine doing met-con work with the mask on, and without the mask on. Which one would condition your body better for the competition itself?
Sherk’s invention also hits another aspect of MMA – that of claustrophobia. The feeling of potential helplessness mid-fight. We’ve all experienced that at some point – even grapplers, wrestlers and judo players get that. The ability to train at this level of intensity while maintaining composure is a must for combat athletes.
On the whole this seems like an awesome product – but what if you can’t afford the price tag?
A simple solution would be to go all Wanderlei on it and use a snorkel with some tape. Or on a lesser level, wear your mouthpiece for all of your work. Not only will it condition your lungs, but you’ll also get used to wearing it.
Want more info? Then check out the latest edition of Train Hard Fight Easy magazine, sparring partner of Fighters Only, which features a full investigation into hypoxic training for MMA.
