Overtraining

Dr. Noel McCaffrey

Lecturer, Centre for Sport Science and Health, DCU Medical Director, O’Neills Sports Medicine, UCD & DCU

overtraining

• the training / preparation challenge

• what is the overtraining syndrome

• do we understand the mechanism?

• recognition

• treatment and prevention

Resistance•choice of exercise•order of exercise•volume (sets x reps)•intensity (% rep max)•rest (between sets)

Endurance•central adaptation•peripheral (sport specific) adaptation•cross training (injured)

Speed•speed generation•repeat speed

Skills

technique repetition

Team play

training areas

the challenge

provide continuous training stimulus with adequate variety, recovery, progression to

• facilitate optimum performance at the right time(s)

• avoid OTS

• minimise injury

the overtraining syndrome

a condition characterised by performance in training / competition (incl

technical) effort required to deliver same performance• failure to show progression / improvement

despite maintained or increased training

overtraining process overtraining syndrome

other words

staleness overwork

burnout chronic fatigue

overfatigue overstrain

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Fitn

ess

Leve

l

Days

inadequate recovery

overload

training stimulus

adequate recovery

training increase

(appropriate)

performance

over-reaching

training stimulus

inadequate recovery

repeated (+ ) training

performance

rest

full recovery in 2-3weeks

overtraining

training stimulus

inadequate recovery

repeated (+ ) training

performance

no recovery with rest

prevalence of OT

signs and symptoms of OT seen in

60% distance runners over a career

50% pro soccer players in a 5 month competitive season

• 33% basketball players in a 6 week training camp

common symptoms of OTS

• general fatigue• malaise energy (malaise) enthusiasm motivation

• irritable / restless• anxious• appetite change• weight loss• depression focus / concentration

diagnostic difficulties

diagnosis of exclusion

different symptoms with

• different individuals doing same same training

• acute vs chronic performance

volume vs intensity

• sympathetic vs parasympathetic models

• endurance vs ‘anaerobic’ overtraining

parasympathetic overtraining

volume overload (resistance or endurance) testosterone : cortisol ratio• fatigue• depression• apathy resting HR

sympathetic overtraining

intensity overload• insomnia• irritability• restlessness HR blood pressure

overuse injuries

internal factors• body mass• biomechanics• nutrition• technique• fatigue

external factors• training volume• training intensity• repetition• footwear• surface• equipment

what causes it?

imbalance / mismatch

training recovery

exercise exercise capacity

stress stress tolerance

initiating events

volume / intensity of training• monotony of training• illness (disease / infection)• caloric restriction / carbohydrate intake• iron deficiency• exercise-heat stress• personal / emotional problems• occupational stress

biological markers

blood constitiuents• haemoglobin / hematocrit

• white cells

• iron

• blood lactate in submax / max exercise

• testosterone / cortisol

• catecholamines (resting / nocturnal)

cardiorespiratory resting / max heart rate VO2max

heart rate / VO2 / VE during exercise

basal metabolic rate

infection

immune system

upper respiratory tract infection in OR / OT athlethes

• cause or effect?

causes of persistent fatigue and underperformance in sport

common

• caffeine withdrawal

• allergies

• ex-induced asthma

• sleep

• iron (+/- anaemia)

• performance anxiety

• infection

mononucleosis

upp. resp tract infection

• OTS

• mood disorder

anxiety / depression

less common

• dehydration

• diabtees

• eating disorders

• hepatitis

• hypothyroidism

• postconcussion

• substance abuse

• lr resp tract infection

• side effects of

meds / supplements

• nutrition

carbo / protein

rare

• endocrine disease

• or adrenal gland

• heart disease

• HIV

• malabsorption

• lung disease

• malignancy

• renal disease

• neuromuscular disease

fatigue

What is it• failure to generate or

maintain desired exercise intensity

• peripheral mechanism (fuel depletion)

• central mechanisms ( brain serotonin)

• core symptom of many illnesses

Fatigue in illness• viral illness• anaemia• hypothyroidism• hypoglycaemia• chronic fatigue

syndrome• depression

OTS and Major Depression

• general fatigue / malaise appetite

• irritable / restless body weight motivation interest / pleasure concentration

• feeling hopeless / worthless

• feeling sad

• persistent physical symptoms that fail to respond

• suicidal thoughts

Treatment and Prevention recovery days

• periodise variety

• ensure vol : intensity inverse relationship

• avoid high intensity over prolonged period

• avoid high intensity over prolonged period

• in resistence sessions, avoid completing every set of every exercise in every session

• avoid overworking one area

• avoid excess eccentric work

? role for antidepressant medication