Symptoms Of Overtraining

Overtraining is the condition in which an individual has pushed past their body's ability to recuperate from strenuous exercise. This syndrome often occurs in those athletes who are in training for a specific event or competition and who train beyond their physical capacity for recovery. Athletes tend to exercise harder and longer in the pursuit of improvement. Without proper rest and recuperation, however, these training tactics can backfire and actually cause performance to decrease. It's crucial to be familiar with the most common warning signs of overtraining to stop the damage from getting worse and so treatment can begin promptly. Get to know these symptoms now.

Chronic Injuries And Strain

Muscles and joints that are experiencing overuse can be in a constate state of aches and joint pain. When pain does not fade within two weeks, it should be considered a chronic, notable injury. Getting injured more frequently, particularly aggravating old injuries, may indicate overtraining. An athlete who overtrains does not allow the body enough time to mend between workouts, which results in, at some point, beginning to train in a weakened state. Doing this too often increases the occurrence of injuries. Forced rest periods should be introduced into training regimens to prevent this. Other options are the enjoyment of active low-impact sports and changing up training intensity regularly.

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Excessive Fatigue

Fatigue for a few days after a serious workout can be expected at times. Also known as the feeling of heavy legs, fatigue is a state of weariness that persists. It will accumulate, rather like sleep debt in individuals who push their endurance in wakefulness and rack up a penalty of missed sleep, in bodies that simply do not receive the chance to recover fully from workouts of the recent past. In addition, chronic fatigue can lead to a state known as low energy availability, in which the body is consistent in pulling energy from its stores such as protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Too little fueling or too much training can lead to this state. Excessive fatigue can complicate other symptoms of overtraining, such as moodiness and depression.

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Lowered Performance Levels

When an athlete's training intensity increases and yet there is no sign of improved performance, it is a sure sign of overtraining. Lowered performance levels can lead to frustration and compound the problem as athletes push harder and more intensely, furthering the debt of recuperation time and putting themselves at greater risk of injury. When progress halts in overtraining, the body is being pushed in the counter direction of growth. This is because torn muscles aren't healing and are simply being torn again. Muscles require the opportunity to repair, which is only possible when the mechanisms of the body have time to recover. Lowered performance levels also can contribute to the mood disorders that often accompany overtraining.

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Falling Ill Frequently

Overtraining is a burden on all of the systems of the body. Sometimes, frequent sickness is the body's way of informing an athlete it is being overtaxed. In overtraining, the body is put into a state that is continually catabolic, which comes with a lowered immunity and an increased chance of falling ill. Athletes experiencing this symptom of overtraining should consider upping the amount of rest in their routine as well as making adjustments in diet, intake of nutrients and supplements, and contemplating the addition of glutamine as well as vitamins A and E into the mix. For athletes, it should also be noted that just over half of the athletic diet should be consumed in the form of carbohydrates. Overall, falling ill frequently is a strong indicator of a body in distress that needs more healthful rest.

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Decreased Motivation And Self-Esteem

The problem with decreased motivation and self-esteem due to overtraining is two-fold: first, overtraining has a significant impact on stress hormones including epinephrine and cortisol; second, it is exceedingly frustrating for an athlete to push harder and faster and discover only faster deterioration results from this increased work that is pushed past pain thresholds that are greater than ever. Negative results take a big bite out of the motivation to continue to press on. Also, when an athlete ties their self-esteem to physical prowess and ability, the lack of positive results and the persistence of negative ones gnaws at self-worth and can be the onset of depression. Those who live to push themselves in competitions or races also find it frustrating to be sidelined while waiting for the frequent injuries and illnesses of overtraining to heal and recover.