Muay Thai Strength and Conditioning: Energy Systems

Learning effective ways to strengthen and condition the body is essential to bridging the gap between what goes on in the ring and in the gym. While Kru Chris effectively covers stance, footwork, and Muay Thai training, the goal here is to understand the science behind Muay Thai strength and conditioning to better prepare your body for the battle at hand.

The key to understanding any movement at all, much less Muay Thai strength and conditioning is to understand the body’s three different energy systems. Depending on what you are doing and the intensity of that activity, your body will interchange between these energy systems because no one of them acts strictly alone.

1. ATP-CP
2. Starting with the quickest energy systems, the ATP-CP (for all of you science geeks, this is your adenosine triphosphate-Creatine Phosphate- Anaerobic).  This energy system produces a high amount of force and energy but is short lived.  Usually, this system will burn out in under 12 seconds. Think about when you’re sparring and the bell chimes for 10 seconds left in the round. You go balls to the wall throwing punches, knees and kicks until TIME is called.
3. Glycolytic Energy
4. The Glycolytic Energy system is a little more complex (anaerobic).  This is your entire 2-minute round when you are trying to survive the barrage of attacks from an opponent while trying to give them your best shots. This energy system is characterized by medium duration and medium power. Without getting too descriptive, there are two different phases to this system. The fast glycolytic system is going to last about 12 seconds to around 30 seconds. The slow glycolytic will take over from the 30-second mark up to 2 minutes. Another key factor that will start to creep in is lactic acid – the cause behind that burning sensation in your muscles.
5. Oxidative energy system (Aerobic)
6. This is characterized by long duration with low power output. Think of stringing all of your two-minute rounds together nonstop or running a 5K. It’s also important to note that this energy system is aerobic, meaning it uses oxygen, whereas the other two are not.

In the next segment, I will cover different ways to train these energy systems in order to maximize your time in the ring.  I hope this helps, and if there are any questions, feel free to reach out to me @ Federick.brooks@gmail.com—Federick Brooks is a former fighter and coach for T.A.G. coming to you from the other Washington.  Federick moved to Washington State last year with his wife and (2 kids now) and is the Assistant Fitness Manager at 24 Hour Fitness in Lynnwood, WA.  Federick’s combat background began in the United States Marine Corps as a Martial Arts Instructor and Combat Conditioning Specialist who pursued Muay Thai nearly 4 years ago. After 10 years of honorable service, Federick finished his B.S. in Kinesiology (the study of Human Movement) at George Mason University. As fitness enthusiasts, he’s gained several certifications in Aerobics, USA Weightlifting, USA Track and Field, and Strength and Conditioning.