What do you guys do? How do you guys keep yourself on the mats when you're in pain?

Have you tried 'roiding out of your mind... I mean... TRT? No? How about just sucking it up and being a man? All jokes aside, I've started taking "Osteo Bi-Flex" again. I still wake up in a little bit of pain after hard training days, but it definitely helps to take the edge off, since the majority of my health issues these days are arthritis related. Creatine and adequate protein/nutrition are important as well.

As I understand it, the benefits of creatine supplementation come from taking it daily, not necessarily after a workout like protein powder. It's something I am also looking at but have not yet made a decision on.

I had a passing thought of exploring TRT as a possible solution actually. I'd rather not though. I don't judge those that do, I'd just rather not.

I'm in the same boat. I can't imagine my T levels are the same as when I was 19, but I'm also not 19 anymore. I also don't think it's a magic pill for all my issues. I have to separate my fantasies of being able to train multiple times a day and healing like Wolverine, from the reality that I'm not supposed to be able to do that and maybe it's actually bad for me long term.

I was out of training over a year due to a recurring lower back injury, and even now I'm probably only about 30% as good as I was before my injury. It sucks, especially as I felt so close to black belt. But what keeps me going is that I'm just happy to be able to take part now, even in a small way. Even if I get smashed every round by everyone, at least I get to take part in a hobby that I love. In terms of pain management specifically, I do a mixture of exercises that were recommended to me by my exercise physiologist and physiotherapist - lots of anti-rotational work (pallof presses for example), anti-bending work (e.g. deadlifts, zercher squats), as well as pro-rotational work (yoga). I also know that there's just some positions and techniques I cannot safely do anymore, e.g. most forms of guard, getting stack passed, any sort of takedowns. It sucks, but at least I can still take part in a limited way. I'm not at a regular school anymore, since I live too far to attend regularly, but when i can make it for a roll then I'm happy. I just need to be mindful of what I can (not) do and my rolling game is a lot more permissive now; it's a choice between do I fight the sweep and risk injuring my back, or let the sweep happen and try to work from where I end up?

I totally understand you… But better to be on the mats with some limitations than not being on the mats… Before training I need kind of „icy hot“ on my back, have to use my asthma inhaler, have to wear an ankle brace, a knee brace and an elbow brace, I have to do mobility before warm up, but hey…it is still fun training.

I've unfortunately put a lot of miles on my body over my life. Lots of combat sports from age 5. My mind is sharp and active, but my body is slow and tired. I wake up in pain. My neck and my back prevent me from training as hard as my mind would like to. I try to stretch. I try to take my vitamins. There just doesn't seem to be anything I can do to dull the pain. I don't want to go to a doctor because every time I do that they seem to always recommend some type of surgery. They've been doing that to me since I had my shoulders checked out back in 2000. What do you guys do? How do you guys keep yourself on the mats when you're in pain? This is one of the reasons I stopped training for a bit after I first got my brown belt. I really don't want to have to stop again.

I've also got miles on my body, I'm 47, competing black belt. What I've found out, I can do max 3 hard and maybe 2-3 easy trainings in a week, but mostly do 3 trainings every week, sometimes 4. Before competition I might do 5 trainings a week for 2-3 weeks. I think it's easy to overtrain, so most of my rolling is pretty chill, but before competition I will do shark tanks, hill sprints and HIIT workouts to improve my cardio. I use little protein powder after training, I don't use TRT, I'm on a keto diet most of the time. I do cold plunges half of the year in the morning and very often go to sauna in the evening, which are very good for recovery, I do strength training 1 time per week, my upper body left side is considerably weaker than right side due to neck injury many years ago and seems to be very hard to build muscle mass there. Strength training does actually help when working out the muscle imbalances, which helps with recovery. I'm also "running" in deep water, it seems to help me with my lower back. Working the glutes is probably why it's helping.

We certainly aren't kids anymore. My brain wants me to be able to train like I did in my teens and 20s. My body remembers that its been over 20 years since I was a highly active competitor. I absolutely hate listening to my body. My body is stupid and obviously doesn't know what's best for me. Its concerned with "Survival" and "Being a functional adult with responsibilities". That's so lame.

Yea I've seen this over years and happen to me with age and injury and ling time martial arts but with time and wisdom to know when to slow down take it easy even for me after shoulder surgery is to just stand back and coach and teach. Good diet and rest with stretching, support and physical therapy helps alot to

Thank you for that. I've been talking the same approach. Slowing down and focusing on teaching. That's helped my body feel better even if my brain wants to go into battle mode. My body just can't keep up with my mind. My wife recommends yoga. I might give it a try

I've unfortunately put a lot of miles on my body over my life. Lots of combat sports from age 5. My mind is sharp and active, but my body is slow and tired. I wake up in pain. My neck and my back prevent me from training as hard as my mind would like to. I try to stretch. I try to take my vitamins. There just doesn't seem to be anything I can do to dull the pain. I don't want to go to a doctor because every time I do that they seem to always recommend some type of surgery. They've been doing that to me since I had my shoulders checked out back in 2000. What do you guys do? How do you guys keep yourself on the mats when you're in pain? This is one of the reasons I stopped training for a bit after I first got my brown belt. I really don't want to have to stop again.

Brother, I hear you loud and clear. I’ve walked a similar path, years of sports layered with the wear and tear from my Gulf War service and fibromyalgia. Chronic pain isn’t just physical, it’s tactical friction between who we are and what our bodies allow. But I’ve built a system that helps me stay on the mats without surrendering to surgery or burnout. Here’s what’s kept me moving: Natural anti-inflammatory stack: Turmeric, ginger, and omega-3s are my go-tos. I lean into nature before pharma whenever possible. Hydration and sleep discipline: Not just “get more rest”, I treat sleep like a recovery protocol. Magnesium, blackout environment, and no stimulants late. Creatine for cellular resilience: Not just for muscle, creatine helps with recovery and cognitive sharpness. It’s part of my daily stack. Joint support: I rotate between collagen, MSM, and glucosamine blends. I vet every supplement like I’m prepping for a mission. Modular movement protocols: I don’t stretch randomly. I map pain zones and build micro-mobility drills around them. Tactical movement, not passive stretching. Gear and recovery tools: PEMF, percussion therapy, and infrared when needed. I treat recovery like training, intentional, layered, and adaptive. I’ve had docs push surgery as well. But I’ve learned to walk in with my own data, my own goals, and a refusal to be sidelined. You’ve earned your brown belt and your battle scars. You don’t have to choose between pain and purpose. There’s a third path!

You're a goddamn champion brother. As always I appreciate your help here. I'm lacking on the anti-inflammatory, the sleep hygiene, and the creatine. I'm sure working at my desk in my chair for 10-12 hours a day isn't helping. Maybe i should get one of those standing desks.

Not a champion, brother, just an average guy doing the best I can and trying to help others along the way. For me, anti-inflammatories are everything. Without them, sleep doesn’t even happen. I’ve had a standing desk from Amazon for about three years now, no issues at all. Truth is, I don’t stand at it as much as I should. But my service dog keeps me moving enough that I don’t rely on it as much as I thought I would.

Brother, I hear you loud and clear. I’ve walked a similar path, years of sports layered with the wear and tear from my Gulf War service and fibromyalgia. Chronic pain isn’t just physical, it’s tactical friction between who we are and what our bodies allow. But I’ve built a system that helps me stay on the mats without surrendering to surgery or burnout. Here’s what’s kept me moving: Natural anti-inflammatory stack: Turmeric, ginger, and omega-3s are my go-tos. I lean into nature before pharma whenever possible. Hydration and sleep discipline: Not just “get more rest”, I treat sleep like a recovery protocol. Magnesium, blackout environment, and no stimulants late. Creatine for cellular resilience: Not just for muscle, creatine helps with recovery and cognitive sharpness. It’s part of my daily stack. Joint support: I rotate between collagen, MSM, and glucosamine blends. I vet every supplement like I’m prepping for a mission. Modular movement protocols: I don’t stretch randomly. I map pain zones and build micro-mobility drills around them. Tactical movement, not passive stretching. Gear and recovery tools: PEMF, percussion therapy, and infrared when needed. I treat recovery like training, intentional, layered, and adaptive. I’ve had docs push surgery as well. But I’ve learned to walk in with my own data, my own goals, and a refusal to be sidelined. You’ve earned your brown belt and your battle scars. You don’t have to choose between pain and purpose. There’s a third path!