I think every athlete at one time or another, has experienced overtraining to one degree or another, at least once. Sometimes it’s harder to recognize than others, depending on how aware we are of our bodies, how we feel, and how closely we are paying attention to details, such as our training, weights, pounds, reps, distance, speed, so on and so forth.
Here’s a very good list of overtraining signs and symptoms to help you assess if you are overtraining:
- You find your performance is compromised: strength, power, endurance, cardiovascular strength.
- You can’t train as long or as hard.
- It’s taking you longer to recover.
- You lose your balance more than usual.
- Keep forgetting what rep and/or set you’re on.
- Form and techniques are compromised.
- Your heart rate is spiking faster than normal.
- Your heart rate is spiking faster than normal.
- You’re fatiguing more quickly.
- You’re fatigue lingers on throughout the day.
- If female, your menstrual cycle is not normal.
- Restless sleep and/or insomnia
- Headaches
- Aches in general, could be joint related as well.
- Getting sick more often
- Takes longer to regain health after a cold.
- Depression.
- Stress that you normally handle well, becomes more difficult.
- Easily agitated.
- It’s hard to think.
- Body fat plateau’s or increases due to cortisol levels rising.
- Muscle wasting due to not enough recovery time, poor assimilation, and overworking the body.
- You have a loss of enthusiasm for working out.
- Don’t feel like eating and/or eating properly.
- Overall performance throughout all daily activities decreases.
- Feel burned out.
- You’re more prone to injuries.
- Don’t feel like training, but force yourself to anyway.
What To Do If You Suspect You’re Overtraining
- Rest, rest and more rest.
- Be sure to get 8 hours sleep at night.
- Drink plenty of water and flush out your system.
- Go on a 3-day cleanse to give your digestive system a rest, and allow healing to go full fledge in the areas of need.
- Do something fun and enjoyable every other day, whether it’s photography, enjoying nature, playing with the kids, or reading that book you’ve been meaning to get to.
When You’re Ready to Return, Exercise…..Caution!
- Ease back into it. Don’t feel like you need to go double time or double as hard to make up for lost training, it will soon bring you back to overtraining.
- Have a plan. Be sure to vary things up, especially if you recognize you’ve
been overdoing it in one particular area, such as running, sprinting, etc.
been overdoing it in one particular area, such as running, sprinting, etc.
- Stay in tune during your workouts, and I don’t mean to your iPods!!!! Be in tune with how you are feeling, make note of what you’ve done that day, in other words, be mentally engaged in your training, not on autopilot.
- Enjoy your workout. If ever you enter a workout, and do not enjoy it, by all means CHANGE IT!!!! Life is meant to be enjoyed, and so are your workouts. Hugs!
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