Are You Experiencing Overtraining Syndrome?

If you are an athlete who is training hard and not giving yourself enough recovery and rest time, overtraining syndrome could become a reality. You may think that the harder you train, the better you become and while working hard is important, working too hard can backfire and actually reduce your athletic performance. Overtraining syndrome is commonly seen in those training for a specific event or competition.

What are the Symptoms or Warning Signs of Overtraining Syndrome?

This is a syndrome just like any other medical illness. There are very real symptoms that can greatly affect you. These may include:

• Feeling without energy, fatigued or completely drained

• Joint and muscle pain

• Insomnia

• Decreased immunity

• Irritability and moodiness

• Losing enthusiasm and motivation for your sport

• Experiencing more injuries

• General aches and pains

• Mild soreness in legs

• Sudden drop in performance

• Headaches

• Reduction in your capacity to train

• Depression

• Reduction in appetite

• Compulsive need to exercise

Keeping Ahead of Overtraining

One of the best ways to stay ahead of overtraining is to keep a good exercise log. In this log, it is important to keep good track of your aerobic heart rate. You will want to track your resting heart rate (if it increases, overtraining is possible), your pace (slowed pace could indicate overtraining) and any other symptoms that could indicate overtraining or injury.

Overcoming Overtraining

If you do fall victim to overtraining, know that you can recover. First, it is a good idea to see your healthcare provider. This will help to eliminate any other possible causes of your symptoms. Once overtraining syndrome is found to be the cause, there are some things you need to do to recover. First, rest. You just need to stop and take it easy. Next, get plenty of fluids and make sure that you are fully hydrated. A sports massage can be helpful, especially if aches, pains and muscle pain is an issue. Once you are ready to get back into training, start by cross training and get back into things slowly and gradually so that you do not risk injury or overtraining again.

R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen is a former athlete and current coach. She has a background in nursing, fitness and nutrition and sports nutrition. She combines her passion and education for both sports and health and uses it to influence her writing. Follow Rose on Twitter @Rose_Kitchen

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