Recently, I have had a number of people report to my office with some surprisingly similar complaints: Fatigue, muscle tension and prolonged soreness, decreased appetite, sleep problems, and general feelings of malaise. After a through review of their history and symptoms, a physical exam, and an occasional laboratory study, I determined what I was seeing was not the winter blues or an unprecedented viral syndrome; it was a number of cases of overtraining. Environmental conditions such as altitude, cold, or hot weather are additional stressors for the body, increasing vulnerability to the overtraining state. Sleep deprivation seems to affect the protective metabolic and endocrine functions needed to prevent overtraining.
Identification of Overtraining
As mentioned above, self-identification of overtraining may be based on your personal symptoms. Fatigue, muscle tension and prolonged soreness, decreased appetite, sleep problems, and general ‘ill’ feelings in association with recent changes in your training regimen and/or decreased performance may be an indication. If these symptoms are present however, it is a good idea to visit your primary care doctor to rule out other potential causes such as metabolic or hormonal derangements (Addison's Disease, hypo- and hyperthyroidism), anemia and/or other nutritional deficiencies, asthma and allergies, cardiac diseases, diabetes or glucose intolerance, infections, muscle diseases, and psychiatric disorders such as depression.
Some objective findings may also aid in the identification of overtraining. Performance changes such as increased heart rate at a sub-maximal load (ie your heart rate is higher than normal while doing moderate exercise), decreased time to exhaustion during a constant velocity, and decreased power or strength during maximal effort can all be indications. Changes in morning heart rate upon awakening (more than normal variation) as well as increased or decreased weight (more than anticipated) can also be objective clues to the condition.
Prevention and Treatment of Overtraining
Prevention is the best treatment for the overtraining state. Once any of the above subjective or objective symptoms start to appear, tapering the training regimen combined with rest, accurate nutrition, and sleep will help the body heal. Recognition and treatment of depression is of utmost importance. Periodization of training (correct amounts of training are combined with adequate recovery) helps prevent overtraining. Ensuring adequate nutrition is essential. If the diet is sufficient, supplements have not shown to prevent or speed recovery.
Females are more likely to be lacking adequate iron (due to menstruation) and deficiencies in zinc, magnesium and calcium are common in active people especially when the diet is restricted. I like to make certain antioxidants are present both for prevention and treatment. Vitamin C and E, as well as Co-Enzyme Q 10 are my personal favorites (greater-than-recommended doses are not suggested even for overtrained individuals and can be harmful). Sleep is essential in the prevention and treatment as is recovery time and (people love this one…) increased sexual activity may aid in recovery as it relaxes and adjusts neurotransmitters in a helpful way.
Other interventions I utilize for the prevention and treatment of overtraining include a change of scenery (try a new gym for a few months) or type of exercise (change from a bike to running). I also make use of massage, saunas, ice and heat therapy and in some instances, physical therapy. When nothing else seems to work, taking a two-week break from any type of exercise is very beneficial in not only the prevention but also the treatment of this aggravating condition.
Overall, my advice for the prevention and treatment of overtraining is to ‘train with your brain’. Exercise hard, but more importantly, exercise smart! For more information from Dr. Willey check out his website at eatright4u.com .
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