Do you exercise frequently and intensively, but your performance is not improving as much as you would like? If you are suffering from fatigue, a bad mood and a decrease in sports performance, then it could be overtraining. In this article, we will take a closer look at the very often mentioned overtraining, discuss the facts from relevant sources and advise you on how to avoid overtraining and how to deal with it.
What is overtraining?
Overtraining is a condition that negatively affects both the physical and psychological aspects of a person. It is encountered mainly by athletes exposed to stress factors , which include both excessive physical and psychological strain. 1
How does overtraining manifest itself and how do I recognize it?
Recognizing overtraining in yourself is not at all easy. In its full form, overtraining manifests itself in stagnation or deterioration of sports performance , mood swings and high fatigue . If the situation is not addressed, these symptoms can become chronic and last for a long time. 2
What are the health risks of overtraining?
Inefficiency, poor mood and fatigue are symptoms of overtraining. Behind them are small changes in hormone production, nutrient absorption, brain receptor response to neurotransmitters, immune responses and muscle fiber structure. These changes in the body can be expected to increase certain health risks such as the risk of developing depression , the risk of more frequent respiratory diseases , increased fat mass, loss of muscle mass or an increased risk of injury. 1, 2
| Initial symptoms | Late symptoms and consequences |
| Stagnation or deterioration in performance | Psychological problems up to depression |
| Feeling tired and exhausted | Frequent illnesses (mainly respiratory infections) |
| Mood swings, feeling sad | Fat gain and muscle loss |
| Problems falling asleep, poor quality sleep | Frequent injury |
Source: Getty images
How to prevent overtraining and how to get rid of it?
When overtraining is suspected , increasing the intensity of the exercise or staying at the current intensity does not help, nor does a short break from exercise . The problem needs to be approached in the same way as when a coach creates a plan for his charge in order to prevent overtraining.
The key to preventing and treating overtraining is to strike the right balance between recovery and training over the long term . This can be achieved by eliminating stressful stimuli from your environment.
The right training plan is extremely individual . It depends on genetics, type of sport and additional stress in life. Some people can train 3-4 times a week, while others can train 6 or even more times a week.
You can think of regeneration as either fully passive , when you simply rest, or as active regeneration , when you can, for example, stretch , take a walk outside , take a light swim , or do another activity that doesn't exhaust you and makes you feel good .
The training plan needs to be adjusted until you achieve a satisfactory result. You need to find out by feeling how many training sessions per week are optimal for you , how many days of absolute rest you need or whether you are comfortable with active rest and what active regeneration is best for you. It is important to watch your diet , get enough sleep , include rest days and alternate demanding periods (for example, before competitions and during the competition season) with less demanding periods .
Creating training cycles where physically demanding periods are followed by periods of rest leads to what is known as supercompensation . The relative rest allows the body to adapt to the previous high load , which means improvement for the athlete. This type of training helps prevent overtraining and is also very effective for athletes. 3, 4
Source: Getty images
Burnout syndrome in sports
A special problem that, in addition to overworked employees, athletes can also encounter is burnout syndrome. It is caused by mental and physical exhaustion and the devaluation of sporting achievements by those around them and ultimately by oneself.
Initial symptoms include anxiety , loss of motivation , inability to enjoy one's own achievements , fear of failure , and a constant sense of stress related to sports. These symptoms tend to worsen , leading the athlete to either increase training intensity and overtrain or to completely aversion to the sport and end his career. 5
Solving such a situation is difficult. It is important to communicate about problems and feelings , learn to manage stress , take time off and find a positive relationship with sports again. Psychological support can be found in partners, family, a coach or a psychologist. A “sports holiday” for a few weeks can bring great psychological benefits and then the return of physical fitness will come very quickly.
Resources
- Weakley, Jonathan et al. "Overtraining Syndrome Symptoms and Diagnosis in Athletes: Where Is the Research? A Systematic Review." International journal of sports physiology and performance vol. 17.5 (2022): 675-681. doi:10.1123/ijspp.2021-0448
- Carrard, Justin et al. "Diagnosing Overtraining Syndrome: A Scoping Review." Sports health vol. 14.5 (2022): 665-673. doi:10.1177/19417381211044739
- Kellmann, M. "Preventing overtraining in athletes in high-intensity sports and stress/recovery monitoring." Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports vol. 20 Suppl 2 (2010): 95-102. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01192.x
- Grandou, Clementine et al. "Overtraining in Resistance Exercise: An Exploratory Systematic Review and Methodological Appraisal of the Literature." Sports medicine (Auckland, NZ) vol. 50.4 (2020): 815-828. doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01242-25
- Gustafsson, H et al. "Fear of failure, psychological stress, and burnout among adolescent athletes competing in high level sport." Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports vol. 27,12 (2017): 2091-2102. doi:10.1111/sms.12797
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