Overtraining

What is overtraining?

Overtraining is an often-heard but little-understood word that is used to describe a myriad of different symptoms experienced by athletes during a prolonged period when training stress or overload increases at a higher rate than adaptation.

Overtraining does not have a universally-accepted definition. At best, it’s an umbrella term that refers to a list of symptoms. The cause is often attributed to chronic overload during strenuous exercise, without adequate recovery.

Some researchers are beginning to refer to overtraining syndrome in the literature. This is the first step towards recognizing that the various phenomena associated with overtraining are not psychosomatic. Symptoms associated with overtraining syndrome are reported to last from months to years.

Overreaching versus overtraining

In the popular press, mild overtraining that disappears after a short period of rest and recovery – perhaps two weeks or less – is labeled overreaching. In comparison, true overtraining takes significant time to develop and results in bodily changes similar to those caused by disease. Overreaching causes performance to degrade steadily, and performance remains depressed even after a typical period of rest and/or recovery. Longer than normal rest is the antidote to overreaching.

Is overtraining a myth?

Obviously, there are trainees who blame their lack of short-term progress on overtraining when the real culprit is an inadequate diet or an ineffective workout regimen. The lack of a precise definition contributes to the confusion.

But there are well-recognized patterns associated with excess training among a wide range of athletic disciplines, and we might as well lump them together under the rubric of overtraining since they all have the same cause: too much work and too little recovery and rest.

As long as a qualified coach has ruled out the other probable cause(s) of athletic underperformance – poor diet, injury, bad workout program design, etc. – it does no good to deny the existence of something that countless athletes have experienced at one time or another.

Most of the research (if you can call it that) on overtraining occurred during the 1970s in the Soviet Union. In those days, coaches and exercise physiologists forced some of their athletes to follow ill-advised training protocols just to see what would happen. Needless to say, this sort of research is no longer possible in today’s scientific climate of ethics and openness. There are modern overtraining studies using animal models, but they are few and far between, and the conclusions they draw all seem to be summed up by the phrase: “more research is needed”.

Types of overtraining

Syndrome – noun - A group of symptoms that collectively indicate or characterize a disease, psychological disorder, or other abnormal condition. – American Heritage Dictionary

Some have argued that overtraining is simply a collection of minor strains and sprains, the inevitable result of hard training. “It’s nothing a period of rest and recovery won’t cure”, they say. But true overtraining is something more. It is a systemic disorder with no readily-discernable cause: a syndrome.

In the past, most coaches categorized overtraining as one of two vague types: addisonic overtraining (A-overtraining) or basedowic overtraining (B-overtraining). They found it useful to distinguish between the types of overtraining, because each type has a semi-distinct group of symptoms. These days, this distinction is gradually being discarded in favor of a more precise list of symptoms and possible causes. The mechanism causing overtraining has been described variously as:

• Repeated micro-trauma of muscles and connective tissue that eventually stimulates an auto-immune response, allergic reaction to foreign molecules, and inflammation. This leaves the body less able to handle infection.
• Continued glycogen depletion leading to depleted energy stores in muscle and nerve cells, affecting the autonomic nervous system.
• Prolonged excess levels of cortisol and other stress hormones which cause problems with the hormone regulatory system.
• Increased infection and immune response caused by amino-acid imbalances resulting from prolonged training and/or an inadequate diet.

Science isn’t certain which, if any, of these mechanisms is what actually happens when an athlete experiences overtraining effects. Despite variations in symptoms, the root of every case of overtraining appears to be a disruption in the function of the autonomic nervous system. This, in turn, causes imbalances in the endocrine system which resemble those found in diseases of various endocrine glands (specifically the adrenal and thyroid glands).

Addisonic overtraining

So named because the symptoms resemble a disorder of the adrenal gland called Addison’s disease, this type of overtraining is sometimes difficult to recognize. It comes on gradually and doesn’t cause dramatic symptoms; rather, it causes a diminution of athletic ability and quality of life. It’s often called A-overtraining.

Addisonic overtraining symptoms

• A low resting pulse rate.
• Deteriorating athletic performance.
• A sustained diastolic blood pressure increase over 100mm Hg.

 
These addisonic overtraining signs are not immediately obvious. Without accurate records, it may be some time before an athlete realizes he’s affected by overtraining.

Basedowic overtraining

This type of overtraining mimics Graves-Basedow disease, an autoimmune condition that results in an overactive thyroid. Its effect is much more pronounced than that of A-overtraining. It’s often called B-overtraining.

Basedowic overtraining symptoms

• Fatigue.
• Irritability.
• Elevated blood pressure.
• Reduced appetite.
• Weight loss.
• Poor motivation.

Planned overtraining

Some training protocols call for “planned overtraining”. This is a misnomer. What coaches are hoping for is a period of mild overreaching followed by a supercompensatory effect. This sort of advanced program is best undertaken only when closely monitored by a good coach.

Recovery from overtraining

Whether you think you’re overtraining or not, it is important to keep accurate records of your:

• Diet
• Workout volume and intensity
• Heart rate
• Blood pressure
• Sleep quantity and quality

…and all the intangible things that contribute to your quality of life. Unless you know how changes in these areas affect you, it’s impossible to know how to fix your problem.

The good news is that you’re probably not really overtrained. Odds are you will quickly get back to normal after some R&R. Your workout programs should enable you to either maintain or increase your level of athletic performance. If you find yourself rapidly back-sliding, something is wrong. Increase your rest, institute a recovery protocol, and in the future, remember that progress takes time, patience, and determination.

How long does it take to recover from overtraining?

Overtraining recovery happens quickly with mild cases of overreaching. Most athletes will be back to normal in a few weeks unless there is concomitant connective-tissue injury.

But the effects of true chronic overtraining (which usually only occurs in people with psychological problems or abnormal living conditions like slavery or imprisonment) can take many months or years to abate. As with other self-imposed endocrine imbalances (steroid abuse, et al), once the neuroendocrine system is disrupted, it can take a significant amount of time to return to some semblance of normality.

So remember to work hard, but work smart. Even professional athletes have an off season when their bodies rest, rebuild, and recover from the cumulative micro-traumas that hasten the onset of overreaching and overtraining. Keep accurate records, think long-term, and don’t let your momentary enthusiasm get the better of your common sense.

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