Overtraining: signs, causes and recovery
Overtraining is a state in which your training load and other life stress exceed your ability to recover. The result is more than just a bad workout: it is a prolonged decline in strength, endurance, mood and overall capacity to perform.
What causes overtraining?
Training needs to challenge your body. Without that challenge, you cannot progress. Problems begin when your training load increases faster than your body can adapt. Halson and Jeukendrup (2004) and Meeusen et al. (2006) described overtraining as an accumulation of training and/or non-training stress that leads to a decline in performance, with recovery potentially taking several weeks or months.
The simple truth is that training is not the only thing that wears you out. Sleep, work, school, family pressures, nutrition and how well you rest matter just as much. When too many of these demands pile up at once, your body can remain in a constant state of alert.
A short-term dip in performance does not necessarily spell disaster. You may perform below your usual level for a few days without serious psychological or persistent symptoms. If you do not recover within 72h, this may indicate non-functional overreaching, a short-term problem. Long-term overtraining is more serious, and recovery can take weeks or months (Kenttä, Hassmén 1998).
How does overtraining affect your body?
Research has described two main forms: sympathetic and parasympathetic overtraining. In the sympathetic form, your body seems to be stuck in overdrive. Your resting heart rate may be higher, you may feel more anxious and you may sleep less well.
In the parasympathetic form, everything appears calmer on the surface. Your resting heart rate may be low, but you cannot exert yourself in training as you once could. Your heart rate during training may also stay below its usual level. According to Kenttä and Hassmén (1998), the sympathetic state may be an intermediate stage before parasympathetic overtraining.
This does not mean that every fluctuation in your heart rate is a warning sign. It is more useful to look at the pattern. If your performance is declining, your sleep is worsening, your appetite is disappearing and your mood is slipping, your body has probably already sent several warnings.
Overtraining symptoms to watch for
Overtraining syndrome is associated with four groups of symptoms: physiological, psychological, biochemical and immunological (Kenttä, Hassmén 1998). In practice, they do not always fit neatly into a checklist. Often, it starts with a simple feeling that something is wrong.
The psychological signs can be surprisingly clear. Kinucan and Kravitz (2007) identified personality changes, lower self-esteem, reduced motivation to train, difficulty concentrating at work, at school or during training, emotional instability, fear of competition, sadness, depression, apathy and a tendency to give up more readily when things get tough.
Hollander et al. (1995) emphasized that overtraining and burnout can also affect thinking and attention. You become more easily distracted, find it harder to process large amounts of information and experience a drop in self-esteem. Assessments using the Profile of Mood States, or POMS, have shown that as the condition becomes more chronic, positive moods decrease and negative moods increase.
Physical symptoms may include changes in resting heart rate and blood pressure, chronic fatigue, less efficient movement, poorer performance, a reduced lactate response, reduced maximal work capacity, frequent nausea and gastrointestinal irritation, headaches, reduced muscle strength, an increased breathing rate, unquenchable thirst, sleep disturbances, joint pain, reduced appetite, a lower body fat percentage, menstrual disturbances, muscle pain and longer recovery from training.
What should you do if you are at risk of overtraining?
The first step is to take an honest look at your training load. Have the weights you lift, your training volume or your intensity increased too quickly? Are your rest days truly rest days? Are you also dealing with more stress than usual in your life?
Measuring hormone levels and blood markers may help in some cases. Meeusen et al. (2006) described changes in pituitary hormones, including adrenocorticotropic hormone, growth hormone, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. Kraemer & Ratamess (2005) discussed elevated cortisol and reduced testosterone concentrations, noting that free testosterone may be sensitive to the stress of overtraining.
Creatine kinase concentrations, urea and iron levels, and reduced blood lactate concentrations during submaximal and maximal exercise have also been examined as possible signs (Halson, Jeukendrup 2004). However, a single laboratory result should not determine the whole picture. Taken together, your training diary, how you feel, your sleep, appetite and performance provide a much better answer.
When immunity weakens, upper respiratory tract infections may become more frequent. Meeusen et al. (2006) described a link between increased training load and susceptibility to infections, while Kinucan and Kravitz (2007) referred to the so-called “open window,” when the body is more vulnerable following substantial mental and physical stress. If you are also not getting enough protein, carbohydrates and fat, your body cannot repair itself properly.
FAQ: overtraining
Does overtraining just mean being tired?
No. Normal fatigue passes with rest, sleep and a lighter training load. With overtraining, the decline in performance lasts longer and may be accompanied by changes in mood, sleep, immunity and hormonal balance.
Does a week off always help?
It can help with mild overreaching. If the decline has lasted a long time and symptoms are severe, recovery may take several weeks or months. In that case, take some time to review your training load plan and overall stress load.
When should you seek help?
If your performance is declining, you are sleeping poorly, your mood has been low for a long time, your heart rate is behaving unusually or you keep getting ill, it makes sense to speak to a coach or healthcare professional. Especially if rest does not bring a clear improvement.
References
Halson, S.L; Jeukendrup, A.E (2004). Does overtraining exist? An analysis of overreaching and overtraining research Sports Med. 34(14): 967-981
Hollander, D.B; Meyers, M.C; LeUnes, A (1995). Psychological factors associated with overtraining: implications for youth sport coaches. Journal of Sport Behavior. 18(1): 3-20
Kenttä, G; Hassmén, P (1998). Overtraining and recovery A conceptual model. Sports Med. 26(1): 1-16
Kinucan, P; Kravitz, L (2007). Overtraining: undermining success? ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal. 11(4): 8-12
Kraemer, W.J; Ratamess, N.A (2005). Hormonal responses and adaptations to resistance exercise and training. Sports Med. 35(4): 339-361
Meeusen, R; Duclos, M; Gleeson, M; Rietjens, G; Steinacker, J; Urhausen, A (2006) Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the overtraining syndrome. European Journal of Sport Science. 6(1): 1-14
Appendix
Appendix 2: Psychological signs and symptoms of overtraining as defined by POMS studies
Psychological symptoms of overtraining:
Signs
- Tension
- Exhaustion
- Emotional instability
- Difficulty concentrating at work and during training
- Increased susceptibility to internal and external distractions
- Reduced ability to take in large amounts of information
- Personality changes
- General apathy
Symptoms
- Depressive feelings
- Lower self-esteem/increasingly negative feelings about yourself
- Sensitivity to environmental and emotional stress
- Fear of competition
- Hesitation when facing challenges
(Hollander et al. 1995, p.8)
Author: Marko Mumm
Source: Turg.Fitness.ee
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