Shane Carwin’s conditioning from a doctor’s POV

By Dr. John Ventrudo

There have been some questions of Shane Carwins’ conditioning after his submission loss to Brock Lesnar at UFC 116. His post fight description was “I seized up”. In the medical world, this situation can be referred to as lactic acidosis which is related to improper breathing (hyperventilation, or cutting weight too fast). Probably the most famous case of this was the marathon runner that collapsed 20 yards before the finish line a few years ago. Nonetheless, in his pro fight career none of his fights have continued past the first round, so this could support the theory of questioning his conditioning and be an excuse used by the fighter for a poor performance.

However, Shane Carwin is a competitor and understands the opportunity this fight provided, in short, I doubt conditioning was the issue. This brings us to the possible situation of “overtraining” where nutrition and demands placed on the body are not equal. I would like to discuss reasonable factors that CAN lead to a body seizing up after such intense physical exertion, as Mr. Carwin claims, which are independent of pure conditioning. I would hope that Mr Carwin has a licensed nutrionist on his staff considering the stakes. If not, shame on him because nutrition is as important as take down defense. If your body can’t sustain for 5 rounds, how can you expect to compete? You can’t rely on the first round knock out every time.

Nutrition consists of many factors, age, weight, activity, body style, BMI (body mass index) all which constitute metabolism. Some factors are readily monitored, some not. There are many, many factors in a nutrition plan and it is always best to have a consultation with a professional. But a few rules of thumb are; Protein is referenced in a range; figure 1.5 grams of protein per your weight in kilograms when trying to increase mass or conditioning. The trace elements, potassium, magnesium, etc which are extracted from green leafy vegetables and fruits are much more difficult to monitor but are very important to muscle and blood vessel function. When trace elements are low we develop cramping, fatigue and decreased energy. Recommended doses are clearly posted on nutrition.gov (dietary fact sheet) website and should not be exceeded. Moreover, if Mr Carwin cut weight improperly, such as losing 20lbs the day prior to a fight., all the proper dieting the weeks before was a waste of time because the water you lost had all the nutrients and electrolytes with it.

In this particular situation, excluding improper nutrition, a visit to the doctor would be needed. There are a few sinister things that need to be ruled out before further training. A basic cardiac work up and diabetes check would be required. Fatigue, weakness and muscle cramps are an early sign of adult diabetes. After these serious conditions are ruled out we must revisit the calorie intake and work out regiment and fine tune it.

John Ventrudo, M.D. completed a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center. He furthered his training at NYU completing a subspecialty Fellowship in Pain Management, Electrodiagnostics and Musculoskeletal Medicine. He is the Medical Director at NY Maritime College for Varsity Sports, a member of American top Team NY Mixed Martial Arts and registered with NY Metro Boxing Association as a ringside physician.