Overtraining Effects: The 9 Symptoms and Basic Recovery Tips

Sometimes a good thing can go bad, and too much exercise is no different. The problems associated with over-exercise, or overtraining, range from mild discomfort to severe, sometimes life-altering physical damage. While most people don’t experience overtraining very often, if you’re regularly working out hard and you start experiencing symptoms associated with overtraining, back off and allow your body to get some much-needed rest. Those are the overtraining effects.

Individuals who experience overtraining typically fall into one of three categories:

• They’re just starting an exercise program
• They’re competitive athletes who exercise at a high intensity several hours a day
• They’re regular exercisers who decide to bump up or change their workout significantly.

If you fall into one of these three categories, watch for the following symptoms of overtraining:

What are the Overtraining Effects and Symptoms?

When Bad Goes to Worse

It’s one thing to be chronically fatigued and experiencing aches and pains. In that circumstance, you can take a week or two off from exercise, or simply back off your exercise schedule and monitor your condition until your resting heart rate returns to normal and your other symptoms seem to have improved. It’s quite another thing to experience menstrual disturbances. Here’s why:

Young, active women sometimes get into a cycle referred to as the Female Athlete Triad. It’s a three-pronged condition including disordered eating, amenorrhea (or menstrual dysfunction), and bone loss that leads to stress fractures. If these three factors appear together, there’s a chance that the young woman could experience bone loss that could lead to early osteoporosis, sometimes seen in women still in their 20s.

Women have to build their bone supplies up in their teens and 20s to help prevent bone loss later in life, so suffering bone loss at such an early age can cause life-long problems. Other signs of the female athlete triad include: persistently excessive exercise, low calorie intake, very low body fat percentage and body dissatisfaction.

If you think you or someone you know could be experiencing the Female Athlete Triad, talk to your doctor and the athlete’s coaches and trainers. Women suffering from this disorder often don’t want to change their habits for fear that their performance will suffer or they’ll gain weight. It usually takes an intervention from multiple sources for changes to take place.

Compulsive Exercise

Sometimes the negative effects of too much exercise don’t arise so much from physical symptoms as they do from mental symptoms. As with the female athlete triad, sometimes a person begins believing that they’re obligated to exercise. This obligation becomes an obsession that can eventually begin taking over the person’s life. If you find yourself skipping out on activities or events you used to enjoy, or if you push yourself to exercise through an injury, you may want to consider the fact that you could be a compulsive exerciser. If you don’t learn to manage your compulsion, it could lead to overuse syndrome and severe bone and joint injuries down the line.

If you’re grappling with symptoms of overtraining, seek guidance from your coach, athletic trainer, or healthcare provider. These specialists can collaborate with you to devise a tailored recovery plan. Dr. Goolsby emphasizes the importance of coaches recognizing potential training issues and engaging in open discussions about necessary adjustments while prioritizing sleep, nutrition, and mental well-being.

Recovering from overtraining can be challenging and may necessitate weeks or even months of abstaining from exercise, particularly for individuals deeply involved in their sport.

To sidestep the pitfalls of overtraining and maintain a safe workout regimen, it’s crucial to implement preventive measures. Here are some suggestions to assist you in staying focused:

• Listen to your body: Stay attuned to your body’s signals and communicate openly with your coach or doctor about your feelings.
• Visualize your workouts: Utilize imagery and visualization techniques to mentally rehearse your training sessions, reducing physical strain and minimizing injury risk.
• Keep a training log: Document your exercise regimen and overall well-being in a training log. Monitoring your progress and noting any signs of overtraining can help you adjust your workload accordingly.
• Balance training with recovery: Prioritize rest and recovery, allowing for at least one complete day of rest each week. Alternate between hard and easy training days, incorporating cross-training and active rest to prevent burnout.
• Recognize overtraining signs: Be mindful of being overly fixated on training, exercising despite injury or pain, or feeling guilty about taking a day off. Seek support if you notice these behaviors to maintain a healthy relationship with exercise.
• Ensure adequate nutrition: Meet your body’s energy and nutrient needs for training and muscle repair by consuming enough calories and nutrients. Consult with a nutritionist to optimize your dietary intake.
• Stay adequately hydrated: Ensure you consume ample water to stave off dehydration, which can contribute to muscle fatigue. Strive for pale urine as an indicator of sufficient hydration.
• Manage stress: Find strategies to reduce stress levels, as excessive stress can lead to physical breakdown. 
• Focus on engaging in activities that foster relaxation and support mental well-being.
• Think about reaching out to a mental health expert for support if necessary, and address any issues related to training, work, relationships, or other stressors affecting your mental health.

By integrating these strategies into your regimen, you can safeguard against overtraining and maintain a healthy and sustainable approach to fitness.

Preventing overtraining requires attention to healthy sleep patterns, balanced nutrition, and mental well-being, which should be integrated into the training regimen alongside exercise and rest. Typically, recovery from overtraining involves:

Rest:

Rest is paramount for recovery from overtraining. You may need to temporarily halt or scale back your training regimen, even if it means missing an upcoming event.

Nutrition:

Evaluate your dietary habits. Are you adequately fueling your body with the calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals required for intensive training? Consider working with a nutritionist to devise an eating regimen that meets your body’s energy and nutrient needs for healing.

Mental Health:

Taking a break from training can pose emotional challenges. Mental health professionals can support you by offering a space to discuss your emotions. Dr. Roche suggests seeking support and validation to normalize the experience and alleviate feelings of overwhelm or discouragement. Additionally, mental skills training and psychological techniques like mindfulness and visualization can aid in preparing for and returning to sport after a hiatus.

Gradual Return:

Determine with your doctor and coach when you’re ready to resume training. Signs indicating readiness for full training include renewed interest and the ability to train rigorously with normal responses.

Adopt a gradual approach, starting with low-intensity workouts and progressing slowly. Reduce your training volume by approximately 50 to 60 percent initially, gradually increasing by about 10 percent each week.

While easing back into training may pose challenges, adhering to the recommendations of your sports medicine team with the same dedication you apply to your training routine is essential.

The fact is, exercise is a good thing. It can build your bones and muscles, keep your heart healthy and help ward off other chronic diseases, but moderation is still the key. Aim to get between 150 and 300 minutes of exercise each week, and always allow yourself to rest if you’re feeling overtrained.