Why do fighters prefer & promote long distance running over shorter interval based training?
I regularly see people promoting running long distances 4/5/6 x per week. They say it is essential to Muay Thai but is it? This goes back to when evidence and science were way behind, especially in Thailand so are people just accustomed to training this way and see this as the be-all and end-all, or do fighters take an interest in Sport Science and identify methods that get you better results quicker?
I would always recommend interval training over LISS (Low intensity steady state training) for several reasons (some of which I will list below)
- Half the training time, with equal or greater results on Vo2 Max
- Less impact on joints which will promote longevity in training
- Less time spent running = more time spent on technical skills
- Mimics fight scenarios and builds fight-specific endurance
- Builds mental resilience = pushing through rounds at 90-100% MAX HR is much more demanding than a 5k run
Interval training can be used to develop your Aerobic base, ATP PC system and Anaerobic Lactate System and various machines can be used Ski Erg, Rower, Assault Bike, Treadmills, Circuit/Pylometric based work to prevent it from being down right boring.
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17414804/
https://jag.journalagent.com/jiasscience/pdfs/JIASS-68077-ORIGINAL_RESEARCH-SOZEN.pdf
**EDIT** - Note this is not intended to be continuous high intensity training, I do understand and promote that High Intensity Training is done at a specific time in camp but there are alternative methods to running to enhance your aerobic base. Further source, Joel Jamieson promotes this massively.
Reading materials useful to understand where I am coming from: Joel Jamieson Ultimate MMA Conditioning