EVER GET TIRED?
Anytime we expend energy during the performance of a task, we invite fatigue into our output equation.
It is important to study how quickly our performance in combat (and other survival activities) deteriorates as we expend energy during a fight and what we can do to mitigate performance deterioration.
‘GASSING OUT’ - PERFORMANCE LIMITATIONS
Fitness is an integral part of combat and survival.
The combination or aerobic and anaerobic conditioning an individual has will enhance his ability to engage his opponent and survive or control the engagement’s outcome.
Understand that the body has limitations and even in the best of conditions an individual will only have 10-15 seconds of peak efficiency to control, apprehend, or neutralize a threat.
Expect to experience a serious decrease in strength and output as your energy system becomes depleted.
YOUR THREE BASIC ENERGY SYSTEMS
The human body relies on three energy systems to support exertion during tasks involving great amounts of stress and physical performance:
The ATP/PC System - Burns out in 10-15 seconds
The lactic Acid System - Burns out in 90 seconds
The Aerobic System - Last dominant System 90+ seconds
As you physically exert yourself, your ability to perform tasks and apply force makes a rapid decline as these three systems are tapped and depleted.
OPERATING EFFICIENCY EXPECTATIONS
Here's the general expectation of where you'll be operating as you deplete your energy systems:
- ATP/PC System operating at 100%
- LAS System operating at 55% at 30 seconds, and then a further decline to 35% operating efficiency after 60 sec.
- Aerobic System operating at 31% efficiency. Your last dominant system.
The Individual's probability of survival deteriorates substantially the longer the fight or performance tasks are prolonged.
Thus, finish the fight and render your subject passive as quickly as possible. You've got a limited burn time attached to your performance potentials.
MITIGATING PERFORMANCE DETERIORATION
Performance deterioration is a fact of life, but there are other variables that can support or have impacts on the outcomes of combat that should be noted:
OTHER PERFORMANCE VARIABLES
- FITNESS (Aerobic and Anaerobic)
- FREQUENCY OF EXPERIENCE (Task familiarity)
- MOTOR SKILL SELECTION (Trained responses, exposure to recent practice and repetitions)
- MINDSET, WILL, AND DETERMINATION
- CONFIDENCE AND BELIEF FACTORS
- DURESS DYSFUNCTIONS (SNS Engagement)
It's important to study not only our capabilities, but our limitations as well.
swanson
