Turns out there are advantages to having a good doctor. Who knew?

Tony Dismukes

Tony Dismukes

MT Moderator
Staff member
One thing that's bothered me for years is that despite training 5+ days per week, my cardio is crappy. I compensate pretty well in class, because I have the technique to be more efficient and use less energy than most of my sparring partners. Still, it would be nice to have the kind of cardio conditioning I'd need to go to tournaments and compete against other guys at my skill level. In recent years, though, whenever I make the commitment to an intense cardio training regimen, I seem to end up getting sick with some sort of respiratory infection that takes weeks or months to fully clear up.

Finally, thanks to tests ordered by my new family doctor, I have an explanation. Turns out I have asthma. Also bad acid reflux, which exacerbates said asthma. I had no idea. I guess maybe my fitness level is good enough that it masked the symptoms well enough so none of my previous doctors caught it.

Now that I have medicines to treat the underlying problems, I plan on seeing how far I can develop my cardio this year and maybe start competing again occasionally.
 
I just discovered this quite recently as well. I just thought that it was because I am overweight. Well it gradually got worse and worse no matter how much I tried to work out. A month on a daily inhaler and it is a night and day difference!
 
Tony Dismukes said:
One thing that's bothered me for years is that despite training 5+ days per week, my cardio is crappy. I compensate pretty well in class, because I have the technique to be more efficient and use less energy than most of my sparring partners. Still, it would be nice to have the kind of cardio conditioning I'd need to go to tournaments and compete against other guys at my skill level. In recent years, though, whenever I make the commitment to an intense cardio training regimen, I seem to end up getting sick with some sort of respiratory infection that takes weeks or months to fully clear up.

Finally, thanks to tests ordered by my new family doctor, I have an explanation. Turns out I have asthma. Also bad acid reflux, which exacerbates said asthma. I had no idea. I guess maybe my fitness level is good enough that it masked the symptoms well enough so none of my previous doctors caught it.

Now that I have medicines to treat the underlying problems, I plan on seeing how far I can develop my cardio this year and maybe start competing again occasionally.
Click to expand...
I'm glad you found a doctor who worked that out, Tony!

For many years, I suffered with exercise-induced asthma. I'd had recurring infections just like you mention. In my 20's, a doctor finally recognized it for what it was and got me an inhaler. The change was remarkable. I'm now able to work without the inhaler (no significant asthmatic symptoms anymore), but I think I wouldn't have gotten there without that doctor's help.
 
Glad you got that figured out.

I had a similar thing, would often get low-grade sick and it would last for weeks at a time. Finally had my doctor check everything, lung X-rays etc., couldn't find anything wrong. She finally suggested it might be allergies so I started taking Claritin and it cleared right up. So now if I start feeling crappy, I get back on Claritin and often that does it.

I never had the typical allergy symptoms like runny nose and itchy eyes, and never had allergies as a kid, so I never would have guessed that was the issue. But I live in a different part of the country from where I grew up, different flora, new sensitivities.
 
yak sao said:
oh great, it was hard enough dealing with you, now I find out that you've been going at it with one lung tied behind your back.
Click to expand...
Also, I was recently diagnosed with ADD and I've started taking Ritalin, so I should be more focused during sparring. :D
 
So let me get this straight, you're an asthmatic riddled with ADD that grapples like a freaking anaconda and kicks like a mule.... I have no hope.
 
The stuff we go through, and still train and train. I think everybody here is nuts. I so love nuts. :)
 
Flying Crane said:
With whom are you training capoeira?
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Ray "Charuto" Jordan of the Cordao de Ouro lineage. Very good teacher. He just started teaching at my school 3 weeks ago and I jumped in right away. It's something well outside of my comfort zone, so I figure it'll be a good growth experience.
 
An upside to finding out about the asthma is I now longer have to feel like my poor cardio over the last 10+ years is due to my own laziness. The flip side is that since it's now being treated, from here on out if I don't build up some great cardio, it will be my own lazy fault.
 
Tony Dismukes said:
An upside to finding out about the asthma is I now longer have to feel like my poor cardio over the last 10+ years is due to my own laziness. The flip side is that since it's now being treated, from here on out if I don't build up some great cardio, it will be my own lazy fault.
Click to expand...

there's a third option....just be lazy and blame the fact that you forgot your meds on your ADD
 
Tony Dismukes said:
Ray "Charuto" Jordan of the Cordao de Ouro lineage. Very good teacher. He just started teaching at my school 3 weeks ago and I jumped in right away. It's something well outside of my comfort zone, so I figure it'll be a good growth experience.
Click to expand...
Is he part of Suassuna's group?
 
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