It’s important that we all know what to look for when it comes to signs that we may be overtraining. These signs are a way for our body to warn us that we are training too much and not allowing enough time to properly recover. By knowing what to look for, we can avoid sustaining unnecessary injuries.
Before we get into it, the information provided here should not be used to treat or diagnose your own situation. As always, you should make sure to consult a GP if you have any concerns.
What is overtraining?
Overtraining is when you are exercising too much for the rest time you’re allowing yourself or maybe you have other lifestyle factors that are limiting your recovery. Simply put, overtraining is essentially exercising burnout, and yes, you can have too much of a good thing. Exercising too much without the necessary rest our body needs will lead to an increased risk of injury, extreme fatigue and in some cases loss of fitness.
Here are some signs to watch out for:
Decreased performance
If you are overtraining it can cause performance to decrease rather than improve. You may begin to notice that you are not able to run as fast as usual, perform as many reps or you may become fatigued early on in the workout. If you are overtraining, your body hasn’t had sufficient recovery time and as a result, you won’t be able to perform your best. If you’re starting to notice a loss of strength, agility or endurance during training then it may be an indication that you are overtraining.
Decreased performance isn’t always an effect of overtraining, some people may find they hit a plateau instead. When reaching a plateau, training will result in very little change or progress. This can be extremely frustrating, and even though you’re still training hard and eating clean, you may find that you’re no longer meeting your goals.
Early onset fatigue
We all know that it is perfectly normal to feel tired after a workout, but there is a big difference between tiredness and fatigue. If you haven’t experienced fatigue before, it is an overwhelming tiredness that isn’t solved immediately by sleep or periods of rest. It is a sustained feeling of exhaustion that lowers your mood, inhibits concentration and reduces your motivation. This is why it is so important to have rest days, particularly if participating in intense workouts regularly. Pushing your body beyond its limits regularly without sufficient rest will result in early onset fatigue.
Disrupted sleep
You would think that overtraining would make you sleep for longer but overtraining actually results in a reduction in the quality of sleep. This is primarily due to the fact that there is a stress hormone imbalance which makes it difficult to relax when trying to get to sleep. We know that the body needs sleep in order to repair and recover after workouts, which is why disrupted sleep as a result of overtraining must be avoided at all costs.
Try some of these ways to treat restless sleep:
- Establish a sleep routine by setting a set time to wake up and go to sleep every night.
- Remove any digital distractions at least one hour before bed, this includes phones, TVs computers or anything with a screen.
- Try a winding down activity before bed such as yoga, meditation, mindfulness or reading.
- Have a hot bath or shower before bed.
- Try blackout blinds to eliminate any light that could be keeping you awake or use an eye mask.
Mood swings
One of the most common signs of overtraining is feeling more irritable or frustrated. Overtraining significantly affects our body’s stress hormones and causes them to become unbalanced, which is why overtraining has a negative effect on our mood. Whilst we know that regular exercise has been proven to have a range of benefits when it comes to improving mental health, overtraining can actually have the opposite effect. It’s vital to know when you’re taking it too far and pushing your body beyond what it can handle.
It is important to listen and be in tune with your own body, if you’re not feeling right then it is important to speak to your GP and discuss ways to get to the root of the problem.
Reduced appetite
One of the signs of overtraining can be a reduction of appetite, and this can lead to low energy availability (LEA). It is thought that this can happen because of a shift in hormones such as ghrelin and cortisol. LEA is when the body doesn’t have enough energy left to support all physiological functions needed to maintain optimal health. In order to save energy, the body will begin to ‘switch off’ essential functions in order to restore the energy balance. When participating in regular exercise, the body needs fuel regularly in order to sustain itself. Having a healthy balanced diet is essential when it comes to maintaining good health. Read more about the importance of eating a balanced diet.
