What is the overtraining?

Signs of overtraining may occur not just for professional athletes who are forced to follow the rigid schedule of training. Without proper rest and  regular visitors of sports halls, who tend to quickly achieve the desired results suffer from overtraining as well.

Unfortunately, such haste is good for no one.  Overtraining, or as it is called, “the overtraining syndrome”, leads to unpleasant consequences for the psychological and physical condition of the person.

Subjective symptoms of overtraining

This features may be invisible to others, but acutely perceived by the individual. Try not to confuse some of them with symptoms of a developing cold or flu:

• reduction of emotion, fatigue, exhaustion, lack of power,
• insomnia,
• irritability,
• symptoms of depression
• reluctance to go to training
• loss of appetite,
• the feeling of “aching” in the body
• pain in muscles and joints,
• sudden drop in performance training
• increased number of injuries during the workout,
• headache,
• decreased immunity – increased frequency of colds.
• Objective signs of overtraining

There are several ways to determine the presence of overtraining. One of them is the monitoring heart rate (heart rate) for a certain time.

The first method. Track your resting heart rate every morning. Any significant increase in this indicator compared to the norm may indicate that you are badly recovered after the load.

There are more sophisticated test. This so-called orthostatic test heart rate, which came up with Heikki Rusko, a specialist from the Institute of Olympic sports in Finland.

This test should be carried out within a few days, preferably in the morning.

1. Lie down and make yourself comfortable to relax for 10 minutes.
2. Measure your pulse and record it in beats per minute.
3. Stand up.
4. Using 15 seconds recheck pulse and record the rate.
5. Repeat the test in 90 and 120 seconds.

The consistent decline in heart rate between the second and the fourth measurement shows that you are rested enough.

If the frequency of your pulse increased at a significant rate (10 beats per minute or more) through 120 seconds after you took a vertical position, it may mean that you are not recovered after exercise.

In this case, you should reduce the exercise intensity and take an extra rest day.

How else I can check?

1. Get a training diary, which recorded not only the speed, distance or taken, and notes about the health and mood. Daily records will help you to detect a decrease in enthusiasm and efficiency.

2. Analyze attitude to the workout. If you no longer feel positive emotions, and they were replaced by irritability and fatigue – most likely, you give yourself too much stress and not enough time afterwards to relax.

3. Consult with an instructor or more experienced athletes. Sometimes only an objective view from the outside allows to notice that you’re exercising too much.

As a “treat” for overtraining?

1. Take a time-out. Reduce or stop exercises and allow yourself a few days of rest. After a break do not rush to make up for lost time, trying to objectively evaluate your strength.

2. Alternate the types of exercise. Change of activity will allow you to relax overloaded muscles, and return interest to the workout.

3. Go for a session of massage. It will help to relax not only physically, but also psychologically.

4. Drink plenty of fluids. Don’t forget that for normal functioning of the body requires not less than one and a half liters of water a day.

The most important

Overtraining not only leads to a deterioration of outcomes, but also reduces motivation to train at all.

Watch out for your condition: with signs of overtraining, take time out and have a good rest.

Watch more about overtraining signs for runners in the video below: