Never before has a training aid been created with the single goal of helping elite fighters attain superior MMA cardio capacity. That was the goal of the product science team at AdapTx Labs when they created CardioFactor.
CardioFactor is the only cardio training aid designed specifically for fighters. The formulation was developed by a team of medical and exercise physiology experts in collaboration with professional MMA athletes.
The enhanced oxygen delivery potential of the adaptogens in CardioFactor was first discovered by Tibetan Sherpa's climbing mount Everest. To bolster this potential, AdapTx Labs added its own proprietary blend of compounds (Mitochondrial MatrixTM) studied for their ability to promote endurance through the following mechanisms:
- Increased VO2 Max
- Increased anaerobic threshold
- Reduced accumulation of lactic acid
- Increased tolerance to high levels of stress
- Increased recovery between bouts of high intensity exercise
When you experience extreme fatigue ("gas-out") during training or competition, it is caused by your body's inability to keep up with the energy demands you need to win. Your body uses two primary metabolic pathways to try and meet those demands: aerobic and anaerobic.
It is often said that fighting is "all anaerobic." That is in fact not the case. Intense exercise lasting more than 2 minutes generally uses about 50% aerobic and 50% anaerobic energy systems. That's one of the things that make fighting sports so challenging - the demand for highly trained aerobic and anaerobic energy systems, thus the need to improve cardio.
In order to understand how CardioFactor can help you better manage energy demands, let's take a look at how your body makes energy (ATP - Adenosine Triphosphate, the molecular currency of intracellular energy transfer)
ATP-CP Cycle
- Creatine phosphate serves as fuel
- Total energy available: Extremely limited
- For extremely high intensity, rapid, short movements
- Example: 5-second all-out effort
Anaerobic Energy System (Anaerobic Glycolysis)
- Carbohydrate serves as fuel
- Total energy available: Limited
- For high intensity, short duration activity
- Example: 1-minute all-out effort
Short-term Aerobic Energy System (Aerobic Glycolysis, aka Krebs Cycle)
- Carbohydrate serves as fuel
- Total energy available: Low/Moderate
- For longer duration activities
- Example: 2+ minute hard effort
Long-term Aerobic Energy System (Electron Transport Chain)
- Fat serves as fuel
- Total energy available: Very high - almost unlimited
- For longer duration activities
- Example: 5 min - several hours
These pathways don't simply turn on or off. They all generally contribute along a continuum more or less depending on the current energy demands.
Anaerobic ATP Production
The anaerobic system is the fighter's biggest ally. It responds to high intensity energy demands very quickly, providing the immediate power needed to execute most fighting skills. However, it is of limited supply, and overdependence can lead to production of lactic acid and free radicals, which reduce muscle performance and leads to acute fatigue ("gassing"). Ingredients found in CardioFactor can help deal with lactate accumulation and the synthesis of ATP.
CardioFactor also helps conserve precious anaerobic energy by promoting engagement of aerobic energy pathways. This shift to aerobic energy production also results in faster recovery between bouts of high intensity anaerobic work, permitting the fighter to sustain high intensity efforts longer and more frequently.
Preserving Muscle and Power
Concerned about losing muscle mass through a daily regimen of cardio? Not to worry. AdapTx Labs added Suma to CardioFactor to resist muscular atrophy commonly seen in endurance athletes. Suma contains Beta Ecdysterone, a natural plant sterol studied for its role in protein synthesis and ability to increase lean muscle mass.
Stress and Adaptation
Let's face it - hard work, training and fighting are all mental and physical stressors. If managed properly, stress will shape you into a stronger and smarter athlete leading to training adaptations and ultimately achieving your goals. On the flip side, the hard training, pain, constant discipline and mental focus required of the fighter-athlete can lead to over-training and reduced performance if not managed properly. AdapTx Labs takes its name from this concept (adaptation) and is the driving philosophy behind our products. The adaptogens in CardioFactor have been used for centuries to combat stress and help the body achieve homeostasis. That added capacity to handle stress is what permits you to train longer and harder and cope with the mental and emotional stress that all elite athletes experience.
It goes without saying that hard training, proper recovery and good nutrition provide the foundation of physical fortitude that defines the elite athlete. But, for optimal cardio adaptation beyond what can be achieved by training and diet alone, there's CardioFactor.
