Although exercise has many health and fitness benefits -- lowered risk of disease, improved control of body weight, improved cardiovascular endurance and increased strength -- it is also often challenging and can leave you feeling tired. However, if you see a decline in your performance and fitness even though you are still working out, you may be overtraining.
Overtraining
Overtraining is defined as excessive frequency, volume or intensity of training that results in fatigue, illness or injury and is often attributed to a lack of sufficient rest, recovery and possibly nutrient intake, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Excessive training on a short-term basis is called overreaching and can lead to overtraining. Overreaching can be beneficial when followed by a tapering, or recovery, period. However, if it goes on too long, it can negatively impact your fitness and performance.
Symptoms
Your body will tell you that you are overtraining, but you need to pay attention to the signs. During exercise or performance, you will notice that you have decreased maximal output and you fatigue more quickly and easily. You may also have a decreased desire to exercise or compete, along with slower recovery from exercise. Your resting heart rate and blood pressure increase and you may also be more irritable or depressed. Your appetite may decrease, and you may have a higher rate of injury or infection and illness.
Rest and Recovery
If you are overtraining, not just overreaching, you will need to do more than take a few days off. If an injury resulted from your overtraining, you need to follow the directions of your doctor, physical therapist and/or coach in order to recover properly. You then need to analyze your program and training schedule to see if it was resistance training and/or cardiovascular training that was the cause. Adjust your program and decrease the overall training in order to prevent future problems. Also look at nutrition to make sure you were eating enough to sustain activity and fuel recovery.
Considerations
Sometimes overtraining has a psychological component. You may feel pressure to succeed due to being an athlete or trying to reach a fitness goal. If this is the case, then you also should seek the advice of a therapist. Addressing the psychological components will help you avoid overtraining in the future. Remember that rest and recovery make you stronger, while exercise makes you weaker.
References
- "Essentials of Strength and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
- Rice University; Overtraining Syndrome; Dr. Mark Jenkins; 19988
- ExRx.net: Physical Overtraining
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