What is Overtraining?
Overtraining is far too common amongst those who push themselves in workouts and training. Especially those who are looking to reach new heights of fitness or performance than ever before. So, what is overtraining? Overtraining is when someone performs constant training that does not provide adequate time for recovery. The key here is stress. Training causes stress. Life causes stress. And when so much stress is experienced that the body just cannot recover, overtraining occurs. A common occurrence of this is when someone is very eager in their training or is training so much in search of a lofty goal that they just keep pushing through no matter what. In this hard push, they overstress their body and it never fully recovers. It can get to the point that their desired results could actually start to go backwards and they see performance and psychological measures drop.
That is overtraining. So, what does it look like beyond this accumulation of stress? There are both physical and psychological signs to overtraining because it not just training but life stress too. There are a few ways that overtraining can be identified. Starting with the physical signs that show up. First is that the athlete is not moving as well as they normally do. More specifically, they are messing up movements that they normally can easily perform (Rajkumar, 2018). This could be either a lift like the squat or deadlift but it can also be that they are having trouble keeping rhythm in skip or jump patterns that are typically smooth and fluid. Another sign is that the athlete is demonstrating a diminish in measures of power, strength, speed, or even in how they recover from a bout of training (Rajkumar, 2018). In all of these cases, the athlete is struggling to get their body to perform as it should or normally would. Meaning that they can no longer achieve their usual standards, all because they are not giving their bodies enough time to recover from training. They are training too much, so their body cannot keep up.
While these are usually seen by a trainer or coach, there is much more to the signs of overtraining than just how an athlete performs physically. Serious psychological signs have been shown to be associated with overtraining as well. These begin with increased irritability, stubbornness, grumbling, defiance, avoidance of contact with coach or teammates to just name a few (Rajkumar, 2018). The athlete is exhausted, so much so that they are struggling to “keep it together”. One way that is can be seen is that the athlete is over sensitive to criticism, they are focused on the negative outcomes, they are not are ready for activity, they fear competition, they give up in the face of challenges, they show increased anxiety, even depression and insecurities (Rajkumar, 2018). These individuals are so tired it can almost be beyond exhaustion. It reaches into their mental state which takes a strong downturn and this all happens due to not enough recovery. Their body is basically falling down and they struggle to hold themselves to together. Athletes are competitive people and when they are tired, can typically push through it, but when overtrained, too much physical and mental stress is present that they need to change focus to repair and recovery.
Things are compounding for these athletes, stresses from training and life take over and their body cannot handle it. As a coach this is something that must be watched for. This is something that a good coach can have a positive impact on. They can see these signs and take immediate action. What that action is depends on the individual athlete and what their coach sees. In the end, the action taken must revolve around rest and recovery for that individual. Sometimes, it may be sending that athlete home to get sleep. Other times, it may be referring them to a psychologist. Whatever it is, the action will be to get that athlete into a state that is building not breaking down. In overtraining, the breaking down has taken over and it is time to right that ship, turn it around, and use the tools of physical and mental recovery to get the individual back to a healthy state. Being a coach of athletes of all ages and background, overtraining is far too prevalent. It is something that not just coaches but athletes and their teammates, parents, friends, and family can be aware of to help the athlete be their best. Look out for each other and your athletes to make sure they are building, growing, and becoming the best they can be.
-Tyler Grisdale, MS, CSCS, RSCC, CES, TPI
References
Rajkumar, J. (2018). Overtraining and Injury Prevention. Ganesar College of Arts and Science, 281.