heat induced fatigue

mshest · Posted On: 7/09/2012 1:57pm

Hi there,

I have had cardio issues even though I've been training MT & BJJ for 7 years and am in good shape. I've read a lot about breathing, sprint-training, and even gluten-free diets. I feel like I've tried everything w/out having too much success. I recently started thinking that my bad cardio problems have to do with the heat level in the gym.

First to describe my cardio issue: After training HARD for 30 minutes I feel like I have a hard time breathing and a loss of strength. Basically whether I am doing MT or BJJ I switch from thinking-aggression to survival mode.

I notice that this is much more apparent when its hot outside. The places I've trained at didn't have A/C or chose not to use it. Or maybe when its nice out, they've purposely turned up the heat. I believe that the temp inside the places is easily 90 degrees.

Now as much as I enjoy whining about that.... most everyone else is doing fine. So I'm thinking its me and possibly my reaction to the temp.

Anyone else have this reaction to high heat whether its from a hot room or from getting very hot from hard training?

**slamdunc** · Posted On: 7/09/2012 2:08pm

First of all, Welcome to Bullshido.

Have you had your lung volume (capacity) and oxygen levels tested? Did you ever have asthma or bronchitis? Most important question: have you been to your doctor and explained your concerns?

mshest · Posted On: 7/09/2012 2:27pm

Yup, I've gotten lung tests and just as a precaution they even checked my heart. The doc said everything looked fine. I've had pneumonia and bronchitis before but not asthma. I do experience something similar to this when I am taking a really hot shower... I get all tired and have a hard time breathing.

The doc said something along the lines of "well thats just how you are and don't measure yourself against other people etc etc".. which is fair I guess... but still I remember feeling a hell of a lot better training in the Fall or Spring than I do in the Summer or Winter.

**BadUglyMagic** · Posted On: 7/09/2012 8:06pm

How tall are you?

What is your weight?

How old are you?

What is your bodyfat percentage?

Describe a strenuous cardio workout you have done. Recently, as in the last 30 days.

Describe your diet and water intake.

mshest · Posted On: 7/09/2012 9:00pm

I'm 5'10.5" 171 lb and 32 yo. I don't know my body fat percentage but lets just say that I'm in better shape than most dudes outside of the gym and pretty normal for dudes that train regularly at the gym. I eat a lot of tuna salad sandwiches and chips for lunch and chipotle for dinner. I don't go crazy on water but my pee is always clear or very lightly colored so I think I get a good amount.

So here are two example of workouts from last week that just killed me. I want to point out that over here its been 95/96 degrees at around 6pm when my class starts. I'm in a rather large room w/ no A/C but the garage doors are open. Its very humid.

MT: 15 min warm-up (ropes), 4 3-min rounds of holding pads, then 4 3-min rounds of hitting pads, 2 4-minute rounds of bag work, clinch drills. Total time 1.5 hours. Felt like crap mid-way through the pad rounds and barely made it through the end of the class. I felt like I was sweating more than anyone else there just standing around.

NO-GI: 15 minute warm up, 45 minutes drills (by this point I'm feeling tired but not sure how tired since I haven't really exerted much energy). Then there are supposed to be like 3 8 minute rounds of grappling to finish up the 1.5 hour class. After the first 8 minute round I am just dead tired. I'm assuming I'll recover in the minute or 2 between rounds but as soon as round 2 starts I realize muscles aren't really responding and I'm getting smashed. At the end of that round I thought it was smart to leave (15 minutes early).

Now conversely today we had low 80s. And to be fair my MT workout wasn't as strenuous as the one above but I just felt a lot better and walked out of the class feeling good instead of dead.

**gregaquaman** · Posted On: 7/10/2012 3:25am

Moving to queensland and training I suffered from that. But I got over it eventually.

**erezb** · Posted On: 7/10/2012 5:03am

I would check my blood pressure. I also suffer from the heat its usually about 28 c in the evening, we use big ass fans, and i just plant myself next to one, i still get tired quicker in the summer, there is only so much sweating like a wet fish can do to cool you. Try wearing less, and having a cold water bottle that you can seep from. you can freeze it over night and use it to cool yourself off in the breaks. Also take it easy in the worm ups, less cardio more stretching, you are already as worm as the sun.. save some for the more interesting parts.

**daishi** · Posted On: 7/10/2012 10:39am

Have you always suffered from this? I'm just turning 30 and I've found heat and cold affect me a little more than they used to. I've done multiple combat deployments to places with really hot temperature while wearing and carrying heavy ass crap and did fine. Recently, I went to a Hot Yoga class with my wife...I was wearing shorts and a tshirt and no shoes or socks...and got heat exhaustion for the first time in my life (where my body temp would continually rise and not dissipate...a little scary actually).

That really sucks though, I hope you and your body can work it out.

mshest · Posted On: 7/10/2012 1:17pm

Blood pressure is high-normal. But I haven't tested it right after my workouts.

Its possible that its gotten worst with age. I've never had the cardio to get through fighter training, even when I was down to 163 lbs but seems like its gotten worst. As anecdotal evidence I remember being at a different gym for a year and that place was cool as a cucumber. They had A/C on blast. In No-Gi I was just rolling and smashing through everyone except people that were really skilled and strong. When I cam back to my original gym (w/ out A/C) I got handled.

**W. Rabbit** · Posted On: 7/10/2012 2:15pm

It's possible you're just suffering from heat exhaustion because you're not replacing fluids properly or simply not keeping cool enough for nominal performance, which can be difficult or impossible in a hot environment no matter how great shape you're in.

Highly conditioned, superstar athletes (e.g. competitive swimmers) have just passed out and died outright from heat exhaustion. All it takes is nowhere for all that excess heat to go and your body and strength can give way pretty quickly.

Just think about the fact your body is designed to stay within a 96-99F degree range, and the air you're breathing is nearly the same....and you exercise in a room full of people...if that heat has nowhere to go it's heating YOU, and you have only a few degrees of "breathing room" before you'll begin to have fever symptoms and all sorts of bad physiological effects, with loss of strength and trouble breathing being just two.

Everyone's body is different but heat exhaustion is going to be a factor anytime you're breathing warm/hot air (i.e. not cooling off properly). Some people's bodies will just stay naturally cooler because they're in better condition.

My advice is make sure you add a little salt or gatorade or even fruit juice to your water supply.

Even if you do, if the air you're breathing is around your body temperature in the mid 90s, you might just not be cooling fast enough for the body heat you're generating during training. That just means learn to take breaks and cool off properly...

One thing to try is actually drinking cold water (which will cool you down) vs. room temperature water...which will not if it's been sitting in a hot room for even a short time.