Signs-and-Symptoms-of-Overtraining

 I’ve discussed a lot of intense workouts lately and with these intense routines comes the risk of over-training.  What is over training?  What are the signs and symptoms of over training?  What should you do to combat over training?  I’ll answer all these questions so that you’ll know how to handle over training if you encounter it.

Signs of Over training

By definition, over training is when your body’s recovery capacity cannot keep up with the volume and intensity of your workouts.  The first signs of over training are a loss in muscle mass or getting weaker.  This is obviously easier to identify in weight training than it is with cardio.  With cardio, you’d notice less intense performance.  The most likely candidates for over training are those who are performing intense exercise while eating at a caloric deficit.  Oddly, you’d think that exercising intensely and eating a very low calorie deficit would help you to get leaner.  Done over the short term, these methods can be very effective for fat loss.  Done for too long and you stop burning fat and start burning muscle due to imbalances in cortisol and testosterone levels.

Symptoms of Over training

The initial signs of over training are not the only symptoms you may experience.  In fact, the symptoms of over training actually stretch outside the weight room and begin to interfere with your everyday life.

Physical symptoms of over training:

  • Excessive weight loss
  • Reduced muscle definition
  • Decreased strength
  • Fatigue
  • Inability to complete workouts
  • Chronic muscle soreness (not to be confused with DOMS)
  • Slower recovery
  • Increased injuries
  • Decreased immune system
  • Insomnia

Emotional symptoms of over training:

  • Loss of appetite
  • Loss of motivation / enthusiasm
  • Depression
  • Irritability

Avoiding and Combating Over training

The best way to avoid over training is to simply tone down the intensity every once in a while.  Remember that your muscles don’t grow in the gym; they grow outside of the gym.  A good night’s sleep and proper nutrition go a long way toward allowing your muscles adequate recovery time.  A good discipline is to take a full week off every 12 weeks.  Take half a week off every 6 weeks.  If you do find yourself in an over trained state, the simplest way to combat it is to rest until you feel refreshed.

Here are ways to avoid and treat over training:

  • Get lazy: just rest your body without worrying about exercising or dieting
  • Cut back: lower the volume or intensity of workouts
  • Increase rest time: take more time off between workouts
  • Eat more: it’s hard to be adequately nourished if you undertake an extreme diet for the long-term
  • Eat better: if you eat a low calorie diet but most of those calories are junk, then your body isn’t in a good position to properly feed your muscles
  • Drink more: don’t forget about the importance of water and hydration
  • Vitamins: if you’re performing an intense routine with a low calorie diet, consider taking a multi-vitamin to make up for any essential nutrients
  • Sleep more: a good night’s rest goes a long way

Final Thoughts on Over training

Over training can occur quite naturally.  Some people are motivated to do their absolute best which might mean performing an hour of exercise twice a day at 100% intensity while only eating 800 calories.  I admire that type of drive and motivation.  At some point though, you need to pull back.  Watch out for the signs and symptoms of over training.  Rest and recovery are critical to your long-term health and fitness goals.  Use them wisely and you’ll avoid over training.

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