If a little bit of exercise is good, then a lot of exercise is better, right? Possibly. Just be careful, because you can overdo it. Push too hard for too long, and you may wind up with overtraining syndrome (OTS), a condition that works against your good health.
“Instead of leaving the gym energized and ready for your day, OTS will leave you feeling tired and depressed,” says Dr. Cory Messerschmidt, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, fellowship-trained in sports medicine, who sees patients at Beaufort Memorial Orthopaedic Specialists. “You may lose weight or have excessive muscle soreness. Without managing the condition, your symptoms can stick around a long time.”
What makes you more likely to experience signs and symptoms of overtraining? Here are three habits that put you at risk and what you can do to keep yourself from this condition.
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Habit 1: Skipping Rest Days
When you exercise, you put your body under stress. Thanks to that stress, your body grows stronger, and you improve your cardiovascular health. However, your body can only handle so much stress.
Exercise hard every day, and your body never gets a chance to fully recover. As a result, your body may buckle under the strain and force you to slow down.
Your energy levels may drop, and you may hit a plateau or even decline in your performance. Try to push through it, and you may only make matters worse.
Rest Helps You Avoid Overtraining Syndrome
If you notice your performance slipping, you may be pushing yourself too hard, too often.
“Take a break,” Dr. Messerschmidt says. “You should feel like yourself again soon. When you regain your energy and strength, it’s safe to get back into your exercise routine.”
To prevent overtraining syndrome, build rest days into your exercise schedule. Then force yourself to take it easy on these days. How much rest do you need?
National Institutes of Health recommend the following:
- Resting at least one day a week
- Spacing out your workouts by at least six hours
It may be difficult to stay away from the gym or the track for that long, but the rest helps protect you from overtraining.
Habit 2: Not Feeding Your Body Properly
You’re more likely to experience overtraining syndrome if you exercise a lot and don’t give your body what it needs to stay strong. Remember, food fuels your body, and overtraining syndrome feeds off poor nutrition.
Endurance athletes and others who push their bodies to the limit need the following:
- Additional calories to maintain energy levels for your level of exercise
- Plenty of water and other fluids to help your body systems to function properly
If you’re not eating enough of the right foods, you may be inching toward overtraining.
Fend Off Overtraining Syndrome With Your Fork
While a poor diet can lead to overtraining, a healthy diet can help you recover from workouts faster and prevent overtraining syndrome.
Already dealing with OTS? A balanced diet helps you recover. In the meantime, the right foods help manage symptoms, such as chronic fatigue.
To help your body withstand the rigors of your training, ensure your diet includes:
- Carbohydrates to reduce fatigue
- Protein to reduce inflammation and strengthen your immune system
- Fat (omega-3 fatty acids, especially) to boost your immune system
- Vitamins and minerals to reduce cell and tissue damage
“If you struggle to build a balanced diet that helps you maintain your good health, don’t do it alone,” Dr. Messerschmidt says. “Reach out to a professional for nutrition education and support.”
With a registered dietician by your side, you can develop an eating plan that helps you perform your best and protects against overtraining syndrome.
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Habit 3: Ignoring Overtraining Syndrome Warning Signs
Overtraining doesn’t always occur overnight, and it can take months or even years to overcome symptoms. Before OTS, you may experience overreaching. This occurs when you don’t give your muscles enough time to recover and wind up with abnormal muscle soreness. Your legs may feel heavy, and you may want to give up on your workout routine.
Ignore this soreness, and your athletic performance could drop. Keep pushing your body, and you may progress into overtraining syndrome.
When this occurs, you may experience a range of complications, such as:
- Anxiety
- Decreases in performance
- Depression
- Lack of motivation
- Low resting heart rate
- Missed periods and other menstrual cycle abnormalities
- Mood swings
- Sleeping difficulty
- Tiredness
- Weakened immune system (more colds, etc.)
While overreaching and overtraining both affect your ability to work out, overreaching usually only takes a couple of weeks to move past. Overtraining, on the other hand, can cause long-term problems. It may take months or even years to overcome.
Notice the Signs and Have a Seat
Anytime you notice symptoms of overtraining syndrome, stop going to the gym for a while and reduce the amount of exercise you get every day for at least a week.
“If possible, stop exercising altogether,” Dr. Messerschmidt says. “Don’t go to the gym, play pickup basketball or take long walks. Just rest for a week or two.”
After a couple of weeks, evaluate your progress. If you feel like yourself again, ease back into your exercise routine. Start with lighter training loads and less intense workouts. As you regain strength and energy, gradually increase your training.
Does Overtraining Syndrome Require Medical Attention?
You can often overcome muscle soreness and occasional fatigue from the comfort of your home. However, you should seek medical attention if your overtraining symptoms last more than two weeks or if you have other troublesome symptoms.
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Contact your healthcare provider if you:
- Experience guilt for skipping a day of exercise
- Feel you can’t stop exercising
- Get told by friends or family members that you exercise too much
- Skip social events, work or school to fit in more exercise
Based on your symptoms, your healthcare provider may recommend mental healthcare or other specialty providers. Working with these experts can help you overcome your current overtraining problems and reduce the risk of more trouble in the future.
Want to protect yourself from overtraining syndrome and other orthopedic risks? Request an appointment with a Beaufort Memorial orthopedic sports medicine specialist today.
