B4 - Overtraining

• Overtraining is a process whereby an athlete is taking part in too much training and is not having sufficient time for their body to recover and adapt, which leads to a decrease in performance and a decrease in fitness levels
• Causes of Overtraining:

  • Exercise addiction
  • Imbalanced training programme
• Exercise Addiction:

  • Some people can become addicted to taking part in exercise, which means they find it very difficult or not possible to have rest days - they feel the need to exercise every day or even more than once a day
  • People that are addicted to exercise will also often exercise when they are not well
  • One of the main reasons due to exercise addiction is due to the release of endorphins and serotonin
  • These hormones are released as the body's natural painkillers when a person takes part in exercise, and some people become addicted to how it makes them feel
• Imbalanced Training Programme:

  • All training programmes should have rest and recovery time included in them which usually means at least one day off a week or one day when training is at very low levels so that the body has time to recover
  • For strength training athletes, they will usually train their upper body on one day then their lower body on the next day so that their upper body body has time to repair itself before the next training session
  • If a training programme does not contain rest periods or alternate body parts to train, then this can lead to overtraining
• Physiological Effects:

  • Overtraining will lead to imbalances in the endocrine system which includes excess adrenaline and cortisol production
  • This results in a higher resting heart rate, elevated basal metabolic rate, anxiousness, feeling tired and reduced enthusiasm to train
  • As the body has not had time to repair after each exercise bout, it will mean that the muscle tissue does not adapt and get stronger, not does the skeletal tissues
• Impact on Performance and Body Systems:

  • The impact on overtraining produces a decrement in performance level as the body does not fully recover from each training session
  • Overtraining leads to increased levels of cortisol in the body which leads to a decreased immune function which means the person is more likely to be unwell and suffer from frequent colds
  • Increased cortisol in the body is also linked to decreased protein synthesis in the body which is required for muscle hypertrophy
  • A person will be more susceptible to having an overuse injury
• Inadequate Amounts of Sleep and Rest:

  • One of the main reasons a person suffers from overtraining is due to them not having enough sleep and rest
  • However, overtraining itself can disturb a person's sleep patterns so that they are actually not able to get to sleep very easily or do not have a high quality of sleep