Overtraining
NCchar130
Posts: 955 Member
I've had a rough month with my exercise for a bunch of different reasons, including injury (for which I am in physical therapy since last week) and was reading about overtraining symptoms this morning. Thought this article had a lot of good information, several points applicable to me and might be helpful for others too. The link is at the bottom.
1. You repeatedly fail to complete your normal workout.
I’m not talking about normal failure. Some people train to failure as a rule, and that’s fine. I’m talking failure to lift the weights you usually lift, run the hill sprints you usually run, and complete the hike you normally complete. Regression. If you’re actively getting weaker, slower, and your stamina is deteriorating despite regular exercise, you’re probably training too much. Note, though, that this isn’t the same as deloading. Pushing yourself to higher weights and failing at those is a normal part of progression, but if you’re unable to lift weights that you formerly handled with relative ease, you may be overtrained.
2. You’re losing leanness despite increased exercise.
If losing fat was as easy as burning calories by increasing work output, overtraining would never result in fat gain – but that isn’t the case. It’s about the hormones. Sometimes, working out too much can actually cause muscle wasting and fat deposition. You’re “burning calories,” probably more than ever before, but it’s predominantly glucose/glycogen and precious muscle tissue. Net effect: you’re getting less lean. The hormonal balance has been tipped. You’ve been overtraining, and the all-important testosterone:cortisol ratio is lopsided. Generally speaking, a positive T:C ratio means more muscle and less fat, while a negative ratio means you’re either training too much, sleeping too little, or some combination of the two. Either way, too much cortisol will increase insulin resistance and fat deposition, especially around the midsection. Have you been working out like a madman only to see your definition decrease? You’re probably overtraining.
3. You’re lifting/sprinting/HIITing hard every single day.
The odd genetic freak could conceivably lift heavy, sprint fast, and engage in metabolic conditioning nearly every day of the week and adequately recover, without suffering ill effects. Chances are, however, you are not a genetic freak with Wolverine’s healing factor. Most people who maintain such a hectic physical schedule will not recover (especially if they have a family and/or a job). Performance will suffer, health will deteriorate, and everything they’ve worked to achieve will be compromised. Many professional athletes can practice for hours a day every day and see incredible results (especially if they are using performance enhancing substances), but you’re not a professional, are you?
4. You’re primarily an anaerobic/power/explosive/strength athlete, and you feel restless, excitable, and unable to sleep in your down time.
When a sprinter or a power athlete overtrains, the sympathetic nervous system dominates. Symptoms include hyperexcitability, restlessness, and an inability to focus (especially on athletic performance), even while at rest or on your off day. Sleep is generally disturbed in sympathetic-dominant overtrained athletes, recovery slows, and the resting heart rate remains elevated. Simply put, the body is reacting to a chronically stressful situation by heightening the sympathetic stress system’s activity levels. Most PBers who overtrain will see their sympathetic nervous system afflicted, simply because they lean toward the high-intensity, power, strength side.
5. You’re primarily an endurance athlete, and you feel overly fatigued, sluggish, and useless.
Too much resistance training can cause sympathetic overtraining; too much endurance work can cause parasympathetic overtraining, which is characterized by decreased testosterone levels, increased cortisol levels, debilitating fatigue (both mental and physical), and a failure to lose body fat. While I tend to advise against any appreciable amount of endurance training, chronic fatigue remains an issue worthy of repeating. Being fit enough to run ten miles doesn’t mean that you now have to do it every day.
6. Your joints, bones, or limbs hurt.
I’m unaware of any clinical tests that can identify overuse injuries specifically caused by overtraining, but don’t you think that pain in your knee might be an indication that you should reassess how you exercise that knee? In the lifts, limb pain can either be DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) or it can indicate poor technique or improper form; DOMS is a natural response that should go away in a day or two, while poor form is more serious and can be linked to overuse or overtraining. With regard to endurance training, if you creak, you wince at every step, and you dread staircases, it may be that you’ve run too far or too hard for too long. The danger here is that your daily endorphin high has over-ridden your natural pain receptors. You should probably listen to them more acutely. I tuned them out for longer than I should have and it cost me my career as a marathoner (so I got that going for me, which is nice).
7. You’re suddenly falling ill a lot more often.
Many things can compromise your immune system. Dietary changes (especially increased sugar intake), lack of Vitamin D/sunlight, poor sleep habits, mental stress are all usual suspects, but what if those are all locked in and stable? What if you’re eating right, getting plenty of sun, and enjoying a regular eight hours of solid sleep each night, but you find yourself getting sick? Nothing too serious, mind you. A nagging cough here, a little sniffle or two there, some congestion and a headache, perhaps. These were fairly normal before you went Primal, but they’ve returned. Your immune system may be suffering from the added stress of your overtraining. It’s an easy trap to fall into, simply because it’s often the natural progression for many accomplished athletes or trainees looking to increase their work or improve their performance: work harder, work longer. If you’ve recently increased your exercise output, keep track of those early morning sore throats and sneezes. Any increases may indicate a poor immune system brought on by overtraining.
8. You feel like crap the hours and days after a big workout.
Once you get into the swing of things, one of the great benefits of exercise is the post-workout feeling of wellness. You’ve got the big, immediate, heady rush of endorphins during and right after a session, followed by that luxurious, warm glow that infuses your mind and body for hours (and even days). It’s the best feeling, isn’t it? We all love it. What if that glow never comes, though? What if instead of feeling energetic and enriched after a workout, you feel sketchy and uncomfortable? As I said before, post-workout DOMS is completely normal, but feeling like death (mentally and physically) is not. Exercise generally elevates mood; if it’s having a negative effect on your mood, it’s probably too much.
Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/overtraining/#ixzz2J5Xvv25S
1. You repeatedly fail to complete your normal workout.
I’m not talking about normal failure. Some people train to failure as a rule, and that’s fine. I’m talking failure to lift the weights you usually lift, run the hill sprints you usually run, and complete the hike you normally complete. Regression. If you’re actively getting weaker, slower, and your stamina is deteriorating despite regular exercise, you’re probably training too much. Note, though, that this isn’t the same as deloading. Pushing yourself to higher weights and failing at those is a normal part of progression, but if you’re unable to lift weights that you formerly handled with relative ease, you may be overtrained.
2. You’re losing leanness despite increased exercise.
If losing fat was as easy as burning calories by increasing work output, overtraining would never result in fat gain – but that isn’t the case. It’s about the hormones. Sometimes, working out too much can actually cause muscle wasting and fat deposition. You’re “burning calories,” probably more than ever before, but it’s predominantly glucose/glycogen and precious muscle tissue. Net effect: you’re getting less lean. The hormonal balance has been tipped. You’ve been overtraining, and the all-important testosterone:cortisol ratio is lopsided. Generally speaking, a positive T:C ratio means more muscle and less fat, while a negative ratio means you’re either training too much, sleeping too little, or some combination of the two. Either way, too much cortisol will increase insulin resistance and fat deposition, especially around the midsection. Have you been working out like a madman only to see your definition decrease? You’re probably overtraining.
3. You’re lifting/sprinting/HIITing hard every single day.
The odd genetic freak could conceivably lift heavy, sprint fast, and engage in metabolic conditioning nearly every day of the week and adequately recover, without suffering ill effects. Chances are, however, you are not a genetic freak with Wolverine’s healing factor. Most people who maintain such a hectic physical schedule will not recover (especially if they have a family and/or a job). Performance will suffer, health will deteriorate, and everything they’ve worked to achieve will be compromised. Many professional athletes can practice for hours a day every day and see incredible results (especially if they are using performance enhancing substances), but you’re not a professional, are you?
4. You’re primarily an anaerobic/power/explosive/strength athlete, and you feel restless, excitable, and unable to sleep in your down time.
When a sprinter or a power athlete overtrains, the sympathetic nervous system dominates. Symptoms include hyperexcitability, restlessness, and an inability to focus (especially on athletic performance), even while at rest or on your off day. Sleep is generally disturbed in sympathetic-dominant overtrained athletes, recovery slows, and the resting heart rate remains elevated. Simply put, the body is reacting to a chronically stressful situation by heightening the sympathetic stress system’s activity levels. Most PBers who overtrain will see their sympathetic nervous system afflicted, simply because they lean toward the high-intensity, power, strength side.
5. You’re primarily an endurance athlete, and you feel overly fatigued, sluggish, and useless.
Too much resistance training can cause sympathetic overtraining; too much endurance work can cause parasympathetic overtraining, which is characterized by decreased testosterone levels, increased cortisol levels, debilitating fatigue (both mental and physical), and a failure to lose body fat. While I tend to advise against any appreciable amount of endurance training, chronic fatigue remains an issue worthy of repeating. Being fit enough to run ten miles doesn’t mean that you now have to do it every day.
6. Your joints, bones, or limbs hurt.
I’m unaware of any clinical tests that can identify overuse injuries specifically caused by overtraining, but don’t you think that pain in your knee might be an indication that you should reassess how you exercise that knee? In the lifts, limb pain can either be DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) or it can indicate poor technique or improper form; DOMS is a natural response that should go away in a day or two, while poor form is more serious and can be linked to overuse or overtraining. With regard to endurance training, if you creak, you wince at every step, and you dread staircases, it may be that you’ve run too far or too hard for too long. The danger here is that your daily endorphin high has over-ridden your natural pain receptors. You should probably listen to them more acutely. I tuned them out for longer than I should have and it cost me my career as a marathoner (so I got that going for me, which is nice).
7. You’re suddenly falling ill a lot more often.
Many things can compromise your immune system. Dietary changes (especially increased sugar intake), lack of Vitamin D/sunlight, poor sleep habits, mental stress are all usual suspects, but what if those are all locked in and stable? What if you’re eating right, getting plenty of sun, and enjoying a regular eight hours of solid sleep each night, but you find yourself getting sick? Nothing too serious, mind you. A nagging cough here, a little sniffle or two there, some congestion and a headache, perhaps. These were fairly normal before you went Primal, but they’ve returned. Your immune system may be suffering from the added stress of your overtraining. It’s an easy trap to fall into, simply because it’s often the natural progression for many accomplished athletes or trainees looking to increase their work or improve their performance: work harder, work longer. If you’ve recently increased your exercise output, keep track of those early morning sore throats and sneezes. Any increases may indicate a poor immune system brought on by overtraining.
8. You feel like crap the hours and days after a big workout.
Once you get into the swing of things, one of the great benefits of exercise is the post-workout feeling of wellness. You’ve got the big, immediate, heady rush of endorphins during and right after a session, followed by that luxurious, warm glow that infuses your mind and body for hours (and even days). It’s the best feeling, isn’t it? We all love it. What if that glow never comes, though? What if instead of feeling energetic and enriched after a workout, you feel sketchy and uncomfortable? As I said before, post-workout DOMS is completely normal, but feeling like death (mentally and physically) is not. Exercise generally elevates mood; if it’s having a negative effect on your mood, it’s probably too much.
Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/overtraining/#ixzz2J5Xvv25S
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Replies
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Thanks for the great post! I have been wondering if I have been overtraining. I burn around 600-700 a day working out five to six days a week. Then I get to eat more! I Have been averaging losing 2 pounds a week. I went at it hard and ended up with the flu. Thought I was recovered and ended up with a cold. I am so close to my goal, only 13 lbs.! I hate taking time off when I am sick. I just never know if I am overtaining. I see other people doing way more than me so I don't think I am, but then I get sick. I am 52 and sometimes I wonder if I am just old. Any thoughts?0
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bump (because it's interesting)0
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Thanks for the great post! I have been wondering if I have been overtraining. I burn around 600-700 a day working out five to six days a week. Then I get to eat more! I Have been averaging losing 2 pounds a week. I went at it hard and ended up with the flu. Thought I was recovered and ended up with a cold. I am so close to my goal, only 13 lbs.! I hate taking time off when I am sick. I just never know if I am overtaining. I see other people doing way more than me so I don't think I am, but then I get sick. I am 52 and sometimes I wonder if I am just old. Any thoughts?
That nice list of symptoms I found suggests it's possible. You sound like me. I discovered HIIT back in November and started out just doing it once a week but then went to twice a week after weight training. That plus a third day of weights and 3 days of cardio was my routine for about a month.
Sidelined since right before Christmas with bursitis in my hip, IT band problems (severe enough pain with those problems I went to the doctor and am now in PT), as well as flu which led to bronchitis, etc etc. I suspect I was a little too enthusiastic! Also, though I've continued to lose weight, I seem to not be losing much in inches which is frustrating.
At any rate, my body has forced me to take some time off from the gym which is probably a good thing.0 -
Sidelined since right before Christmas with bursitis in my hip, IT band problems (severe enough pain with those problems I went to the doctor and am now in PT), as well as flu which led to bronchitis, etc etc. I suspect I was a little too enthusiastic! Also, though I've continued to lose weight, I seem to not be losing much in inches which is frustrating.
At any rate, my body has forced me to take some time off from the gym which is probably a good thing.
Great post! Everyone should read this before starting an exercise program and then about once every few months after that.
Ugh, I had bursitis in my hip about 7 years ago, developed it while training for a marathon (thought I was doing it gradually enough but didn't take into account my higher weight than the normal runner). Out of curiosity, what does your PT have you doing to help alleviate it?0 -
Thanks for posting this!0
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Great post! Everyone should read this before starting an exercise program and then about once every few months after that.
Ugh, I had bursitis in my hip about 7 years ago, developed it while training for a marathon (thought I was doing it gradually enough but didn't take into account my higher weight than the normal runner). Out of curiosity, what does your PT have you doing to help alleviate it?
I've gone twice so far and we are focusing on very specific stretches for my hips. I had thought I was stretching enough/correctly but I guess not. They are for the IT band too. And she also applies a cortisone gel using ultrasound to the bursa area which has been wonderful. She suggested I avoid any activities at least for 6 more weeks that seem to irritate it - for me that's squats and running :sad: Next week, I believe she is going to take me through some strengthening exercises for the abductor/adductor areas.0 -
Yes, you do sound like me, I have had IT band problems too and had physical therapy. I have lost 30 lbs since I was my heaviest, 9 since I started MFP. Hard workouts do two things for me, they take away my appetite and give me more calories to eat. The pounds just melt off. That is what makes slowing down hard. I am not sure what I am going to do; Maybe I will just start with adding one extra rest day a week and see what happens. Thanks again!0
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Great post! Everyone should read this before starting an exercise program and then about once every few months after that.
Ugh, I had bursitis in my hip about 7 years ago, developed it while training for a marathon (thought I was doing it gradually enough but didn't take into account my higher weight than the normal runner). Out of curiosity, what does your PT have you doing to help alleviate it?
I've gone twice so far and we are focusing on very specific stretches for my hips. I had thought I was stretching enough/correctly but I guess not. They are for the IT band too. And she also applies a cortisone gel using ultrasound to the bursa area which has been wonderful. She suggested I avoid any activities at least for 6 more weeks that seem to irritate it - for me that's squats and running :sad: Next week, I believe she is going to take me through some strengthening exercises for the abductor/adductor areas.
Good luck with it! Mine knocked me out for almost a year because I was young and stupid and thought "i can run through this". I couldn't and it wound up hurting just to walk... *hangs head in shame*
I'm glad you got it looked at sooner rather than later.0 -
Bump to remind myself.0
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Bumping my own old post because....I did a search for "overtraining" and had forgotten I'd found this article and posted it before! :noway:
Since I first posted it, I scaled back my workouts and upped my calories and still feel crappy (and have been sick again since then) so considering going to the doctor for blood work to see if I'm anemic or something. Also, planning to get my RMR tested to make sure I'm eating the proper amount. 1700 plus exercise calories would seem to be plenty for a 5,6" 170 lb, 34 year old woman, but I'd like to know for sure at this point.0 -
One way to catch yourself overtraining is to monitor your resting morning heart rate. Take it first thing in the morning upon awakening. Get a feel for where it should be. It's going to vary a little day to day but will probably stay within a range that you will learn is normal for you.
If you detect your morning heart rate consistently elevated above what you have determined is normal then it can be an indication you've over trained.0 -
Overtraining isn't something that most of the people on this website are in danger of. It takes a lot more than you would think to reach a state of overtraining.0
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Overtraining isn't something that most of the people on this website are in danger of. It takes a lot more than you would think to reach a state of overtraining.
Honestly, I think most people who might consider themselves "overtrained" are really simply UNDERFED. Now, if they were eating enough calories to support their activities, then this wouldn't happen. I see far, FAR too many people claiming 500+ calories burned daily while they are netting 1000 or less calories, and then they wonder why they have some of the above symptoms.0 -
Overtraining isn't something that most of the people on this website are in danger of. It takes a lot more than you would think to reach a state of overtraining.
Good perspective from Layne Norton here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K1GStV46Ck 0 -
Overtraining isn't something that most of the people on this website are in danger of. It takes a lot more than you would think to reach a state of overtraining.
Honestly, I think most people who might consider themselves "overtrained" are really simply UNDERFED. Now, if they were eating enough calories to support their activities, then this wouldn't happen. I see far, FAR too many people claiming 500+ calories burned daily while they are netting 1000 or less calories, and then they wonder why they have some of the above symptoms.
TRUE^0 -
Bump0
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What most people neglect is the idea of recovery for ligaments and tendons. It's not all about muscular or CNS recovery.
If you don't intelligently program your workouts, you can end up with a kind of RSI. It's not always overtraining in the sense of "practical programming" (the Rip book which delves into this extensively), which is what most lifters think of when they read overtraining.
I was massively into Kung Fu for years and learned the hard way how recovery is important for joints, tendons, ligaments. It goes double where the activity/sport/exercise may involve regular impact ie MA/Boxing/Rugby/etc. I also think running is a massive culprit due to repetitive impact on the knees and hip alignment issues if you do it for long enough without sensible recovery.0 -
Overtraining isn't something that most of the people on this website are in danger of. It takes a lot more than you would think to reach a state of overtraining.
Honestly, I think most people who might consider themselves "overtrained" are really simply UNDERFED. Now, if they were eating enough calories to support their activities, then this wouldn't happen. I see far, FAR too many people claiming 500+ calories burned daily while they are netting 1000 or less calories, and then they wonder why they have some of the above symptoms.
TRUE^
This is kind of what I'm leaning toward, I just don't know for sure. What I know is I've been sick twice since Christmas, both of which lingered on and on. I'm exhausted all the time, my knees/hips/ankles/feet hurt, I never seem to get beyond being terribly sore all the time, and the last month have been extremely irritable all the time, crazy mood swings, etc. I could sleep 12 hours a night, if I was able to. I don't have any new stresses in my life, life is pretty good, so I don't think I'm depressed or something. Since I think I'm eating a reasonable amount of food, and doing a reasonable amount of exercise, there has to be something else, I just don't know what. But, even if the article doesn't apply to me (the reasons) I found it interesting and thought it might be useful to someone.0 -
Overtraining isn't something that most of the people on this website are in danger of. It takes a lot more than you would think to reach a state of overtraining.
Honestly, I think most people who might consider themselves "overtrained" are really simply UNDERFED. Now, if they were eating enough calories to support their activities, then this wouldn't happen. I see far, FAR too many people claiming 500+ calories burned daily while they are netting 1000 or less calories, and then they wonder why they have some of the above symptoms.
I do tend to agree with this. Although I would also add in that lack of sleep can be just as detrimental as under eating.0 -
Overtraining isn't something that most of the people on this website are in danger of. It takes a lot more than you would think to reach a state of overtraining.
Good perspective from Layne Norton here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K1GStV46Ck
That was interesting, thanks for posting.0 -
What most people neglect is the idea of recovery for ligaments and tendons. It's not all about muscular or CNS recovery.
If you don't intelligently program your workouts, you can end up with a kind of RSI. It's not always overtraining in the sense of "practical programming" (the Rip book which delves into this extensively), which is what most lifters think of when they read overtraining.
I was massively into Kung Fu for years and learned the hard way how recovery is important for joints, tendons, ligaments. It goes double where the activity/sport/exercise may involve regular impact ie MA/Boxing/Rugby/etc. I also think running is a massive culprit due to repetitive impact on the knees and hip alignment issues if you do it for long enough without sensible recovery.
Good point. I switched from running 3 or 4 times a week to jump rope 3 or 4 times a week for cardio since I can't jump rope nearly as long as I run. I also can't do it very long continuously so it ends up being more of an interval workout (30 secs jumping, 30 secs rest, repeat for up to 30 minutes total or up to 15 minutes of jumping). I thought this would be better/easier on my body since the workout is shorter than running and I kept injuring myself running. As of 6 weeks ago, I also do 3 days a week of Body By You, which is You Are Your Own Gym for women, and it kicks my butt every time. I continue to progress in both jumping (I'm up to 65 jumps in each 30 sec interval from 50) and in the strength categories in this program. I'm losing weight slowly and inches. I just can't stand feeling so awful all the time. Used to feel like a rock star after I'd work out, tired, but awesome. Now I just feel awful and I'm so irritable all the time. And I feel like I'm starving so I end up going over my calorie limits (1700) anyway.0 -
I agree with the underfed statement, completely.
However...Overtraining isn't something that most of the people on this website are in danger of. It takes a lot more than you would think to reach a state of overtraining.
I find that to be a false statment, mainly because new people are coming to this website all the time and I am seeing a lot of injury questions as of late, mainly because people fail to take rest days and are pushing themselves too hard too fast. It actually doesn't take much at all to injure yourself and set yourself back when you first start out.0 -
Thanks for the link, thought I'd seen all of his vlogs guess I missed one lolOvertraining isn't something that most of the people on this website are in danger of. It takes a lot more than you would think to reach a state of overtraining.
Good perspective from Layne Norton here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K1GStV46Ck0 -
I've often posted, overtraining is usually better thought of as "under recovering."
If someone's body is sore and achy all the time and if they are failing to meet their intended workouts, the problem is often that the workouts are too close together for their duration and level of intensity. The person needs to rest the muscles (and the supporting systems) and eat enough to get the fuel and repair materials to be ready for the next workout.
Of course, the subtle message there is about planning: if your workouts are being planned in some way, it gives you both goals to hit and an idea of when things are going awry.0 -
I learned the hard way that I need to take my rest days. It's tough because I really want to do yoga every day, dance every day, lift four times a week, and do cardio every day. Exercise, especially everything except the strength training, makes me feel mentally great. However, my joints do not always agree.0
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Overtraining isn't something that most of the people on this website are in danger of. It takes a lot more than you would think to reach a state of overtraining.
Honestly, I think most people who might consider themselves "overtrained" are really simply UNDERFED. Now, if they were eating enough calories to support their activities, then this wouldn't happen. I see far, FAR too many people claiming 500+ calories burned daily while they are netting 1000 or less calories, and then they wonder why they have some of the above symptoms.
Agree!0 -
Overtraining isn't something that most of the people on this website are in danger of. It takes a lot more than you would think to reach a state of overtraining.
FACT ^ This original post will be harmful to far more people than it will be helpful.....This post will be used as an excuse to be lazy. I have excuse vision...i see excuses before they arrive.....Cant argue with results......Suck it.....0 -
Wow this is a great post... I am going through most of these symptoms ...thank you very much..I thought I was failing...0
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Wow this is a great post... I am going through most of these symptoms ...thank you very much..I thought I was failing...
Note please know I will not fail to do exercises... But will study the types of exercises,to enhance my workout program...0 -
Overtraining isn't something that most of the people on this website are in danger of. It takes a lot more than you would think to reach a state of overtraining.
For the most part you might be correct...but if some of us are recovering from surgeries we could fall into the over training and doing more harm than good... The problem is most people on this site are seriously attempting to get in shape.., and have nothing else to fall back on..0
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