Overtraining in athletic performance and recovery

Overtraining: The risks 'More is better.' Because of this mentality, many athletes assume that the more and the harder they work out, the better their performance will be when they compete. Coaches often reinforce this idea by stressing the concept of having to 'push' the athletes' limits. And, to some degree, this is a legitimate part of training: "Short-term overtraining is called over-reaching, and can be seen as a normal part of athletic training or peaking for performance, and must be distinguished from long-term overtraining" (Peterson 2011). Overtraining is particularly common amongst endurance athletes, who fall prey to the thinking that more miles mean faster miles. While 'long runs' have a clear place in training to build endurance, it does not follow that the more long runs an athlete completes, the better his or her final marathon time.

It can be difficult to draw a line between what constitutes overtraining and overreaching. Usually, the first, most obvious sign is a noted deficit in performance, despite a rigorous training schedule. Frequent injuries, nagging illnesses that will not subsist, and a sense of heaviness in the muscles are all evidence of overtraining. The athlete may be depressed and/or irritable. The athlete usually experiences a sense of 'heaviness' in the muscles that does not subsist, even with rest. Difficulty sleeping is also manifested, and a lack of appetite. A relatively high pulse rate for the athlete is manifested early in the morning. "Physiological testing may reveal reduced maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), reduced maximum power output and an increase in sub-maximum VO2 and heart rate, the heart rate taking a longer time than normal to return to the resting level following exercise... Early studies found a reduced response of the stressor hormones gonadotrophin hormone (GH), ACTH and cortisol, to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia in overtrained athlete" (Peterson 2011). However, most coaches cannot use physiological tests to determine when overtraining has occurred and instead must use their own judgment regarding the athlete's external symptoms. If a coach sees evidence of harder training, performance decline, and altered mood in the athlete, then he or she can intervene and discuss modifying the athlete's training schedule.

Few athletes will accept complete rest as a cure but it is recommended that at least one week of complete rest be prescribed to allow the muscles to recover. Then, light exercise, preferably cross-training if the athlete is dealing with overuse issues, may be undertaken. During the initial phase, aerobic exercise should be confined to "heart rates of 120-140 beats per minute ...this can be slowly built up over the period of 6-12 weeks. The emphasis is increasing volume rather than intensity, and volume should be increased gradually up to one hour per day. Once this is volume is reached, intensity can be gradually increased above the lactate threshold" (Peterson 2011).

Preventing overtraining requires moderating the intensity and the duration of work days, and building in one 'cross-training' or rest day into the training schedule. The mental component of overtraining should not be ignored. Not all athletes who train hard experience the syndrome and one reason some athletes are thought to be more vulnerable to overtraining than others is because of personal stresses that can enact an additional toll upon the body. "There is some evidence to suggest that the overtraining syndrome may be a response to an accumulation of both training and non-training stress" (Meehan 2011). Coaches must show sensitivity for athletes' life situations outside of the athletic environment to prevent overtraining, as well as moderate the schedule of athletes who show signs of the condition.