Difference Between Overconfidence and Overtraining Syndrome
As a marathon runner, I know what it’s like to push my body to the limit. I know the urge to run that extra mile when you feel strong, or squeeze yourself out for one last long run before a big race. I also know what it’s like to barely avoid serious burnout and injury due to malnutrition and recovery.
If you’re into sports, you’ve probably seen “overtraining” warnings. Some runners ignore signs of overexertion until their bodies shut down in protest . While you’ll have a hard time finding me at the gym, Lifehacker Senior Health Editor Beth Skwarecki notes that many gym goers say things like, “You can’t strength train two days in a row or you’ll overtrain.” How is overtraining different from ordinary fatigue?
The term “overtraining” is used to mean “fatigue” and “pain” when in fact overtraining syndrome (OTS) is a serious, months-long condition that has only been well documented in endurance athletes. Here’s what you need to know about stress, which can lead to true overtraining syndrome, and what you should do if it happens to you.
What Causes Overtraining Syndrome (OTS)
OTS is a response to excessive exercise without adequate rest . This is where the confusion and misinformation comes in: what exactly is considered “over-training” and what is “adequate” recovery? Before going into details, it’s safe to say that you don’t risk serious OT by simply lifting weights two days in a row; even six days a week may be an appropriate frequency of resistance training for trained athletes.
Overtraining vs. Overtraining
You need to push yourself to see profit, right? There is a fairly wide threshold for a tactical, beneficial effect on one’s body before it becomes seriously detrimental.
Unlike overtraining, overtraining is a more general term for doing more work than you can handle. It is common practice in many sports to practice “functional overstrain”, where you purposefully work out more than you could recover to what’s important, reducing the load after a few days or weeks. When an athlete overexerts himself for weeks and months, he risks breaking his body into overtraining. For more details, Table 1 in this guide outlines the differences between functional overexertion (good), non-functional overexertion (bad), and overtraining syndrome (really bad).
A few more terminological notes: overtraining syndrome is distinct from Relative Energy Deficit in Sport (RED-S) and the female athlete triad . RED-S focuses more on nutritional intake than current OTS hypotheses, although the causes and symptoms of these conditions naturally go hand in hand.
How to know if you’re overtraining
If you’re constantly training hard and notice a drop in performance, you’re at risk of overtraining.
Signs of OTS (according to HSS and the National Library of Medicine )
- Unusual muscle soreness after exercise
- Inability to train or compete at a previously manageable level
- “Heavy” muscles even at low exercise intensity
- Delays in recovery after exercise
- Plateau or degraded performance
- Mood changes: depression, anger or confusion.
- Poor quality sleep
- Lack of energy and motivation
- Weakened immune system
- irregular menstrual cycles; missed periods
- Weight loss; loss of appetite
- Constipation; diarrhea
- Prolonged general fatigue
If you think you may be suffering from OTS, you should see a sports medicine specialist to help you recover.
Recovery from overtraining syndrome
Your body needs time to recover and function as before. It is best to identify and prevent overtraining as early as possible. In addition to working with a professional, there are some other trainings to keep in mind:
- Rest. You may need to step back from your routine, even if it means withdrawing from a race or competition.
- Nutrition. Cutting back on your workouts doesn’t mean you have to stop fueling yourself. Assess your eating habits and consider working with a nutritionist to make sure you’re getting what you need.
- Change your thinking. What led you to overdo your workouts? It is imperative that you learn to listen to your body before returning to the metaphorical (or literal) ring.
If you ignore the signs of overtraining, your body will rebel sooner or later. Don’t stay away forever. To achieve your goals as an athlete, you need to master the balance between pushing yourself and recovering.