Overtraining can lead to a decrease in your exercise intensity, making you slower and weaker. Overtraining can decrease your tolerance for training volume, with the result that you accomplish less. It can also lead to sloppy performance and increase your risk of injury. By modifying your training, diet and rest patterns, you will once again train at full intensity. Be sure to consult a health care professional before beginning any diet or exercise program.
Training and Rest
Step 1
Train at only 80 percent of your previous volume. For example, if you were running 20 miles a week, decrease this to 16. If you were spending 10 hours a week in the gym, cut this to 8 hours.
Step 2
Train with only 80 percent of your previous intensity. Cut your running or cardio training times by 20 percent. Decrease the amount of weight you're lifting, on all exercises, by 20 percent.
Step 3
Avoid all non-essential exercise. Exercises that aren't critical to your performance should be dropped temporarily until you've recovered. There's no need for complex conditioning routines that will leave you exhausted -- and even more overtrained.
Step 4
Rest more. If you have difficulty sleeping, see a physician. Avoid late nights where you're up instead of sleeping, unless there's no alternative. Perform relaxing activities, such as reading or meditation, instead of watching television before bed.
Diet
Step 1
Eat more. To recover, you must consume more than you burn. While this isn't ideal if your goal is to cut weight, it does give you the opportunity to enjoy foods that you may have been denying yourself. If you were operating at a caloric deficit, bring your calories back up to maintenance. If you weren't dieting, increase your calories by 10 percent.
Step 2
Eat healthy fats. Overtraining depresses your endocrine system, but many of your hormones are synthesized from dietary fats and cholesterol. Get omega-3 fatty acids from oily fish, and conjugated lineoliec acid from red meat. You can also supplement with fish oil.
Step 3
Eat more carbohydrates. Don't load up on sugar, but at least half of your caloric increase should come from carbohydrates, in the form of fruits and vegetables. This increase will provide you with vitamins, minerals and energy for recovery.
Tips and Warnings
- Track your caloric intake and the effect it has on your training. Keep a journal of your sleep patterns.
- If long-term training problems continue, see a physician.
References
- "Physiology of Sport and Exercise, Fourth Edition"; Dr. Jack H. Wilmore; et al.; 2007
- "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise"; Markers for Monitoring Overtraining and Recovery; S.L. Hooper, et al.; January 1995
- "Textbook of Biochemistry with Clinical Correlations"; Thomas M. Devlin; 2010
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