Finding your training sweet spot
Even though overtraining mostly affects elite athletes, amateurs should be careful
Everyone knows that exercise in general makes you happier, stronger and more energetic. We hear it ad nauseam, especially this time of year.
But what if fitness did the very opposite? In other words, if exercise brought on depression, injuries and lack of motivation. If that happens, what’s going on?
It’s called overtraining syndrome, said Sabrena Jo, a senior exercise scientist for the American Council on Exercise.
“The first sign of overtraining is when the performance of the exercise starts decreasing,” she says. “Additional symptoms can be things like sleep disturbances, lack of motivation and moodiness.”
But don’t bag your recently kicked- off 2018 fitness routine just yet. Overtraining syndrome mostly happens to elite athletes, said Joe Park, an orthopedic surgeon with the University of Virginia Health System. But it can also strike dedicated amateur athletes, such as long-distance runners.
Park, who frequently treats Achilles tears and stress fractures of the feet, said we can all benefit from learning the warning signs of overtraining — such as pain.
“What I tell patients is to observe the trajectory of pain,” Park says. “Is it better today than it was last week?”
Sometimes with overtraining injuries related to running, the pain subsides during the run as the soft tissue, such as muscles and tendons, loosens up during movement. So instead of examining the pain only during the activity, watch for it after the activity is done, he says. If pain doesn’t subside in10 to14 days, something might be amiss and should be assessed by a doctor, he says.
Kendall Black, a Washington physical therapist, said another warning sign is when the pain subsides, but the area in question feels tight.
“Take note if there is stiffness and a decrease in range of motion,” she says. “That can be a problem.”
The next level of warning signs — but please don’t feel compelled to wait that long — is when injuries start accumulating, Park said.
“The same person might have a hamstring tear, an Achilles tear and a stress fracture,” he says. “It might be time to ask if it’s really the right sport for you.”
Sleep disturbances, moodiness and lack of motivation may all be due to hormonal changes that can occur with overtraining. But the area is not well understood, Jo says.
“Cortisol — the stress hormone — plays a role, but it is not clear how.”
For female athletes, missed menstrual periods can also be a sign of overtraining and should not be taken lightly, Park said.
“That’s associated with bone-density loss and should be addressed. It’s not a small matter,” he said, noting that many female collegiate athletes he sees consider missed periods a relief rather than a problem. One way to avoid symptoms of overtraining is to ramp up exercises gradually, the experts agree.
“The rule of progression is to increase no more than 5 to 10 per cent every few weeks whether it’s distance travelled, weight load or intensity,” Jo said.
To circle back around, fitness should be about health first and foremost, Park said. If there are negative consequences, you should ask yourself: “What are the health benefits of this?”
“Wear and tear is not necessary. There is a sweet spot.”