How to prevent overtraining?

Cheval13
Cheval13 Posts: 350 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Most people on this site are here to become more fit and healthy. You inform yourselves mostly well on how to go about getting proper exercise and nutrition and following pretty good training regimens. However, don't forget... sometimes you do more good for your body thinking about the things you shouldn't let happen to it, just as much as you think about the things you do with/to it.

So, in order to prevent overtraining, experts suggest these general guidelines (taken from a new article by Amy Burfoot):

1. Follow a periodized training program with sufficient recovery times.
2. Take a least "one passive rest day" per week.
3. Get adequate sleep (this is extremely important. No matter what people say about nutrition, no one ever said they performed better in the long-term on a sleep deficit than with adequate sleep).
4. Consume sufficient calories; don't lose weight unintentionally.
5. Don't let your glycogen supplies get depleted. That is, eat plenty of carbs. (some may argue that carbs are not necessary, but no one is saying to stuff yourself with carbs, just make sure you get a sufficient amount for your energy output... carbs are found in fruits and veggies as well, not just grains like bread, noodles, etc.)
6. Avoid excessively monotonous training routines.
7. Keep a training log, and don't be afraid to adjust planned training, or skip it entirely, when overly fatigued.

For more info, go to http://www.runnersworld.com/training-plans/new-scientific-consensus-paper-describes-overtraining-athletes

Hope this is interesting!

Replies

  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
    Nice work.
    With the best on intentions we can be our own nemesis to progress.
  • DreamOfSunshine
    DreamOfSunshine Posts: 911 Member
    Thanks for the post! It's nice to have this mentioned next to the "kick *kitten* workout" plans :)))
  • kellehbeans
    kellehbeans Posts: 838 Member
    Thanks for the post!
  • sunnyinaz78
    sunnyinaz78 Posts: 39
    Great Post! Sometimes I think we become overly enthused with results and the great feeling of a "clean" lifestyle that we forget to take a rest when our body requires. I have learned to listen to my body, what it requires for fuel and when I need to rest.
  • _reno_
    _reno_ Posts: 87 Member
    Good suggestions!!

    You should always ease into a new program and work yourself up to intensity. However, don't be afraid to really push yourself at least a couple of days a week. Expect to be quite sore, and fatigued as your body adjusts to working out.

    Some good indicators that you are becoming over-trained
    1) raise of 5bpm or more in your Resting Heart Rate measured first thing in the morning
    2) raise in your basal temperature (first thing in the morning)
    3) decrease in performance (you cant run the same distance at the same speed you could last week)
    4) A fatigued almost flu type feeling


    If any of these occur take 1-2 easy days until your return to normal
  • sheri02r
    sheri02r Posts: 486 Member
    Good stuff! :)
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    Of all the things on that list I find sleep the easiest one to get wrong and at the same time the most effective in proper recovery. 8+ hours a night does the trick.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    It would be really helpful if these things were quantities. As is, it basically says "don't overtrain." Well yeah.

    (I realize they can't necessarily be quantified.)
  • Justkritter
    Justkritter Posts: 143 Member
    Great post!
  • runningchick70
    runningchick70 Posts: 192 Member
    It's helpful that you posted this! It's so important to listen to your body.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    Amby Burfoot
  • _reno_
    _reno_ Posts: 87 Member
    It would be really helpful if these things were quantities. As is, it basically says "don't overtrain." Well yeah.

    (I realize they can't necessarily be quantified.)

    The reason things can't be quantified is that it is different for every individual.

    An ultra runner can do back to back 25 mile runs, with 80-100 miles per week with out overtraining

    Mere mortals like us may be over trained at 20 miles per week
  • HypersonicFitNess
    HypersonicFitNess Posts: 1,219 Member
    bump to look at later...as I'm training for a first 1/2 marathon and I'm feeling tired today....but I ran anyway.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    The only thing I would add is to monitor yourself for the signs & symptoms of overtraining and don't be afraid to intervene. If you are following a 5-6 day/week routine, it is extremely likely that you will periodically move into an overtrained state, esp if you are doing a lot of higher-intensity training. Know the signs, take the right steps when it happens, and it's not that big a deal.
  • j_courter
    j_courter Posts: 999 Member
    Amby Burfoot

    lol. yep, that's it! is he reading this thread?
  • Cheval13
    Cheval13 Posts: 350 Member
    Amby Burfoot

    You are correct! Sorry. :/ Hopefully he is okay with using his info... sorry about the misspelling of the name (it would be crazy if he read this thread!).

    As for all the added suggestions to this, totally agree. I just felt that it was a good reminder... of course not all-inclusive, but helpful all the same.
  • KelliW_runner
    KelliW_runner Posts: 150 Member
    Great info. Especially important this time of year with a raging flu season - overtraining can weaken your immune response. I've learned that above 15 miles per week running I really do need to obey the 10% rule of mileage increases (found out the hard way with ITBS). Cross training is a great tool and I always rest on Fridays.
  • arneslammer
    arneslammer Posts: 3 Member
    It's even simpler than that.
    1. Get enough sleep
    2. Eat enough food
    3. Increase intensity gradually
  • kendobc
    kendobc Posts: 11 Member
    Most people on this site are here to become more fit and healthy. You inform yourselves mostly well on how to go about getting proper exercise and nutrition and following pretty good training regimens. However, don't forget... sometimes you do more good for your body thinking about the things you shouldn't let happen to it, just as much as you think about the things you do with/to it.

    So, in order to prevent overtraining, experts suggest these general guidelines (taken from a new article by Amy Burfoot):

    1. Follow a periodized training program with sufficient recovery times.
    2. Take a least "one passive rest day" per week.
    3. Get adequate sleep (this is extremely important. No matter what people say about nutrition, no one ever said they performed better in the long-term on a sleep deficit than with adequate sleep).
    4. Consume sufficient calories; don't lose weight unintentionally.
    5. Don't let your glycogen supplies get depleted. That is, eat plenty of carbs. (some may argue that carbs are not necessary, but no one is saying to stuff yourself with carbs, just make sure you get a sufficient amount for your energy output... carbs are found in fruits and veggies as well, not just grains like bread, noodles, etc.)
    6. Avoid excessively monotonous training routines.
    7. Keep a training log, and don't be afraid to adjust planned training, or skip it entirely, when overly fatigued.

    For more info, go to http://www.runnersworld.com/training-plans/new-scientific-consensus-paper-describes-overtraining-athletes

    Hope this is interesting!

    Good stuff. Especially #5, carbs doesnt mean tons of pasta and rice. Clean it up! A little is fine but if you are eating 300-400g of rice a sitting that is A LOT!!

    For #6, I find the monotonous route is good for my strength training because of the extra plates I add and the challenge but for the cardio that is a problem for me. I get bored doing cardio very easily. Unless it is tennis, I never get bored doing that. (=

    One thing for people to keep in mind is that overtraining is a CNS (central nervous system) thing and not a muscle thing. Supposedly you can train a muscle every day, this would actually increase the muscles recover time. You just need to be careful that you don't overtrain your CNS which is when you get those symptons mentioned above.

    To personally test this I just switched to a mon-tue-wed strength training (a stronglifts 5x5 rotation but with no days off in between), thu-fri off, sat-sun 5+ hours of tennis schedule. Will see how it goes.

    Cheers,

    Kendobc
    Count Your Macros Not Your Calories
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    Great info. Especially important this time of year with a raging flu season - overtraining can weaken your immune response. I've learned that above 15 miles per week running I really do need to obey the 10% rule of mileage increases (found out the hard way with ITBS). Cross training is a great tool and I always rest on Fridays.

    10% increase per week still adds up to too much too fast if you continue it for an extended period of time AND the body never gets accustomed to the new mileage. For example, at 10% increase starting at 15 miles per week:

    15
    16.5
    18
    20
    22
    24
    26.5
    30

    That DOUBLES your mileage in 8 weeks. There is no time for the body to recover. I prefer to go up 10 to 15% in mileage, hold for 2 weeks, have a cut-back week, then increase again, like thus:

    15
    17
    17
    15
    20
    20
    17
    23

    Same 8 week period, but a more sustainable increase with time for recovery and adaptation to the new stress.
  • drgndancer
    drgndancer Posts: 426 Member
    Great info. Especially important this time of year with a raging flu season - overtraining can weaken your immune response. I've learned that above 15 miles per week running I really do need to obey the 10% rule of mileage increases (found out the hard way with ITBS). Cross training is a great tool and I always rest on Fridays.

    10% increase per week still adds up to too much too fast if you continue it for an extended period of time AND the body never gets accustomed to the new mileage. For example, at 10% increase starting at 15 miles per week:

    15
    16.5
    18
    20
    22
    24
    26.5
    30

    That DOUBLES your mileage in 8 weeks. There is no time for the body to recover. I prefer to go up 10 to 15% in mileage, hold for 2 weeks, have a cut-back week, then increase again, like thus:

    15
    17
    17
    15
    20
    20
    17
    23

    Same 8 week period, but a more sustainable increase with time for recovery and adaptation to the new stress.

    This is good info, and the way that most "professional" running programs are designed. The 10% rule is certainly a useful tool for minimizing over training, but like Carson points out it's a compound interest problem. The more miles you do, the larger 10% becomes.

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