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The Fast Lane: contains:
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A complete overview of training principles, building blocks, scheduling and phasing, completed with scientific articles and real-life tips & examples. CONTENT:
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Overtraining I. The Overtraining Syndrome In order to improve performance athletes need to work hard. But hard training breaks the body down and makes you weaker. However the physiological and biochemical adaptations that are occurring following exercise are not taking place over the training period but in the period between two training bouts. In other words it’s the rest after the training that makes an athlete stronger. These adaptations are in response to maximal loading of the cardiovascular and muscular systems and are accomplished by improving efficiency of the heart, increasing capillaries in the muscles, and increasing glycogen stores and mitochondrial enzyme systems within the muscle cells. It is also in this period that the natural fatigue of training is felt. During (adequate) recovery periods these systems build greater levels to compensate for the stress that you have applied. This is called supercompensation. The result is that you are now at a higher level of performance. But if inadequate rest or too great an exercise stress is applied over the training period then an athlete may reach a state of failing adaptation which in the first instance may be experienced as serious fatigue and non-recovery from the training sessions within the expected times. If athletes or coaches superimpose new large and unscheduled increases in workload into training programs then the chances of moving into serious overtraining are greatly increased. If the athlete who is seriously fatigued for whatever reason continues to train at heavy workloads then there is an increasing chance that a more serious stage of fatigue will develop where several days or weeks of reduced training will be required before full recovery can be achieved. If early warning signs of chronic fatigue are ignored then performance times will deteriorate and injury and infections are almost certain to follow. If the progression through overtraining is ignored then the athlete can develop what is now being recognized as a serious chronic clinical condition known as the overtraining syndrome. Overtraining is not confined to elite athletes and can occur at all levels of sports endeavor. It is more likely to be experienced in its most severe form by highly motivated athletes who may choose to ignore early warning symptoms of being overtrained. Probably the only reliable indicators, at the present time, of the approach of severe overtraining are the failure to meet previously established training criteria accompanied by chronic fatigue or recurring or chronic infections. However there are documented cases of elite athletes apparently developing severe overtraining symptoms with no prior warning. Evidence is accumulating which suggests that once an athlete has experienced the overtraining syndrome for more than a few months he/she may never again be able to return to their former top levels of performance and in the worse cases may remain severely ill for up to and exceeding two years. Currently there are no proven cures for the severe overtraining syndrome. It is therefore imperative that the processes leading to overtraining are understood in order to develop training programs that minimize the likelihood of overtraining and prevent the loss of athletes to their chosen sports. Thus it is best to perform the next training during the supercompensation period. If sufficient rest is not applied before the next training, regeneration cannot occur and performance will not improve. If this imbalance between excess training and inadequate rest persists, performance will eventually decline. The overtraining syndrome is the name given to the collection of emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms due to overtraining that has persisted for weeks or months. It is also known as "burnout" or "staleness”. Burnout is different from the day-to-day variation in performance and post-exercise fatigue that is for athletes. Overtraining is marked by cumulative exhaustion that persists even after recovery periods and can best be defined as the state where the athlete has been repeatedly stressed by training to the point where rest is no longer adequate to allow for recovery. II. How to detect Overtraining? Training involves a skillful combination of overload and recovery. Too much overload and/or not enough rest and recovery produces overtraining. This then results in a state of physical, mental and chemical imbalance. The most common symptom are fatigue and failure to recover from exercise stress. This may limit workouts and may be present at rest. Physical symptoms include persistent muscular soreness, increased frequency of viral illnesses, and increased incidence of injuries. The athlete may also become moody, easily irritated, have altered sleep patterns, become depressed, or lose the competitive desire and enthusiasm for the sport. Profound biochemical changes occur and are sustained as an integral part of the homeostatic mechanisms of athletic training. Many of the biochemical changes are geared to the stores of energy and the enzymes associated with the provision of energy. However at the onset of overtraining there appear to be significant changes in the accumulation of metabolic end products such as urea and uric acid accompanied by negative nitrogen balance and loss of body weight. Energy stores such as glycogen become deplenished and mineral depletion also can occur. There may also be depletion of important oxygen carrying capacity of the blood due to lowered hemoglobin, iron stores and ferritin. However many of the biochemical changes reported have occurred following the imposition of an acute bout of exercise on the athlete and may not be a true reflection of any underlying overtraining. There have been several clinical studies on athletes with the overtraining syndrome. Findings in these studies have shown decreased performance in exercise testing, decreased mood state, and, in some, increased cortisol levels, the body's "stress" hormone. A decrease in testosterone, altered immune status, and an increase in muscular break down products have also been identified. Medically, the overtraining syndrome is classified as a
neuro-endocrine disorder. The normal fine balance in the interaction between the autonomic nervous system and the hormonal system is disturbed and a kind of
athletic jet lag results. The body now has a decreased ability to repair itself during rest. Heaping more workouts onto this unbalanced system only worsens the situation. Additional stress in the form of difficulties at work or personal life also contributes. Two forms of overtraining: It appears that there are two types of overtraining. Either the sympathetic or the parasympathetic type may occur. It has been suggested that if the sympathetic overtraining occurs it will lead to increased resting pulse rate and decreased pulse recovery after exercise, decreased body mass and loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, emotional instability and sweating. Elevated basal metabolism, ECG abnormalities and negative nitrogen balance may also result from sympathetic overtraining. Symptoms of parasympathetic overtraining appear to be directed towards more subtle changes initially which mimic the effects of training improvements. These factors may include early fatigue, low basic pulse rate, rapid return of heart rate to basal levels with low blood pressure, hypoglycemia and progressive anemia and digestive disturbances. Overall sympathetic and parasympathetic overtraining are both functionally represented by significant decreases in work capacity. It has also been argued that speed and power athletes may be more prone to sympathetic overtraining while endurance athletes may be more prone to parasympathetic overtraining. Furthermore young athletes may be more susceptible to sympathetic problems while older athletes may exhibit the symptoms of parasympathetic overtraining. The existence of both types of overtraining indicates that down- and up-regulation of neuroendocrine pathways can occur in overtraining. In close association with the above changes are changes in other hormones such as insulin, corticosteroids, ACTH and in female athletes major changes in hormones regulating the menstrual cycle such as estradiol, progesterone or testosterone along with luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating
hormone. Short-term versus long-term overtraining Athletes and coaches should make a distinction between short-term and long-term overtraining. Short-term overtraining or overreaching is characterized by decreasing performance during a period of 2 days to 2 weeks. Overreaching is used by coaches as a training means in order to reach supercompensation and higher performance after a short period of lesser performances. Short-term overtraining is not a serious problem, but it can develop into long-term overtraining if the symptoms are not recognized and hard training continues. Long-term overtraining is recognized by a drop in performance level, but contrary to overreaching the healing and recovery process will last significantly longer. Symptoms There are a number of signs and symptoms that you should be on the lookout for. These signs and symptoms should act as a warning bell, which will give you advanced notice of possible dangers to come. Suffering from any one or two of the following signs or symptoms doesn’t automatically mean you are suffering from overtraining. However, if you recognize a number, say 5 or 6 of the following signs and symptoms, then it may be time to take a close look at the volume and intensity of your work load. Physical Signs: Psychological Signs: Biochemical & medical signs: III. Overtraining and Chronic Fatigue While top athletes may experience overtraining from time to time, researchers seem to agree that a more serious clinical form of overtraining exists and leads to long-term debilitation. This form of overtraining may first appear as chronic tiredness with an inability to meet performance criteria. The athlete is likely to be strongly motivated and from the elite ranks, although this is not always the case. The chronic fatigue has to be sufficient to be debilitating to the athlete and must have persisted for longer than two weeks in the absence of any other identifiable illness. However there are cases where the onset has been rapid with subjects developing the syndrome within a few hours or following overnight rest. The athlete almost always exhibits severe stress and depression, however whether this is the initiator or follows from the onset of the syndrome is unclear at the present time. The syndrome often is associated with an increased susceptibility to infection, recurrent infections or chronic infection. Once established the overtraining syndrome does not resolve itself by reduction in, or suspension of, training and the athlete can be so debilitated as to be bedridden. There appears to be a major breakdown in normal physiological and emotional processes which can be further aggravated by dietary problems, physical injuries and failure of normal healing processes accompanied by infections. Simple exercise, especially if anaerobic in nature, can reactivate the full extent of the syndrome at short notice and the subjects metabolic response to light acute exercise will be abnormal usually accompanied by decreased maximal lactate production during exercise. However most if not all of the normal biochemical and immunological screening tests fall within the normal ranges for unstressed individuals except that in some instances there has been evidence of unusual interleukin activity and reduced plasma glutamine concentrations. Several of the properties of the overtraining syndrome are similar to those of the post viral syndrome and the chronic fatigue syndrome. These are two chronic debilitating conditions which are known to occur often in non-sports people who are under considerable stress as a result of their lifestyles. IV. How to avoid Overtraining? Overtraining is the result of giving your body more work or stress than it can handle. Overtraining occurs when athletes experience stress and physical trauma from exercise faster than their body can repair the damage. This doesn’t happen overnight, or as a result of one or two workouts. One of the biggest challenges in achieving your fitness goals is consistency. But how do you keep the consistency of regular exercise without overdoing it and becoming sick, tired or injured? Professional and even amateur athletes are constantly battling with the problem of overtraining. Being able to juggle just the right amount of training, with enough sleep and rest, and the perfect nutritional diet is not an easy act to master. Throw in a career and a family and it becomes nearly impossible. As with almost everything else health-related, prevention is the key. Well-balanced gradual increases in training are recommended. A training schedule design called periodisation varies the training load in cycles with built in mandatory rest phases. During the high workload phase, the athlete alternates between high intensity interval work and low intensity endurance work. This approach is used by a number of elite athletes in many sports. In general athletes should only make small and gradual increases to their training program over a period of time. It’s a good idea to avoid monotonous training by varying exercise as much as possible. During an illness there should be enough rest, and most of all athletes should be flexible and adapt the training program to changing environmental conditions. They should eat a well-balanced and nutritious diet, and ensure adequate relaxation and sleep, and monitor other kinds of stress as well. Stress can come from a multitude of sources. It’s not just physical stress that causes overtraining. Stress is stress, whether it’s a physical, mental or emotional stress, it has the same effect on health and well-being. Sure, excessive exercise may lead to overtraining, but don't forget to consider other stresses, such as family or work commitments. A training log is the best method to monitor progress. In addition to keeping track of distance and intensity, the athlete can record the resting morning heart rate, weight, general health, how the workout felt, and levels of muscular soreness and fatigue. The latter two can be scored on a 10 point scale. Significant, progressive changes in any of these parameters may signal overtraining. Avoiding monotonous training and maintaining adequate nutrition are other recommendations for prevention. Vigorous exercise during the incubation period of a viral illness may increase the duration and severity of that illness. Athletes who feel as if they are developing a cold should rest or reduce the training schedule for a few days. Continued high-level training during the course of an infection can be extremely detrimental. All training programs should be reduced or suspended during the period of an infectious episode and probably should be extended into convalescence. This approach may be of particular importance in the case of viral infections. You are overtrained when your performance level goes down because of an imbalance between (physiological, physical or biochemical) stress and recovery. While prevention should always be your aim, there will be times when overtraining will occur and you’ll need to know what to do to get back on track. There is no known cure for the chronic overtraining syndrome and various strategies for management of the subject have been proposed. Extended rest periods in excess of several weeks are required. However, light exercise is to be encouraged. It is often difficult to persuade elite athletes that light exercise may mean simply walking short distances with a slow build up over as many as three to four months to a regular light training program. However if the athlete attempts to return to full training too soon then a full relapse is almost certain to occur. There is no guarantee that an athlete may not suffer one or more relapses many months after an apparent recovery. |
Training: contains: - I. Individual Differences - I. Strength - I. The Overtraining Syndrome 800m: - The Effects of training COMBINING DIFFERENT TRAINING MEANS: - Preparation of
Middle Distance Runners
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Copyright 2001 - http://thefastlane.borghoms.com Last updated on 09 December 2002 |
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