Exploring The Concept of Overtraining

I've pondered the question of whether 'extreme fitness' is healthy or harmful now for many years. While there are probably other definitions of 'extreme' by health organizations, I define 'extreme fitness' as training more than 10 hours each week. Competitive endurance athlete engage in extreme fitness and walk that fence between health and illness due to overtraining.

To enjoy the health benefits of exercise takes fairly little work compared to what we do as competitive endurance athletes. Here is a direct quote from the Amercian Heart Association website:

"For health benefits to the heart, lungs and circulation, perform any moderate-to-vigorous-intensity aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week at 50-75 percent of your maximum heart rate. You can accumulate 30 minutes in 10 or 15 minute sessions."

So, if 30 minutes of light 'aerobic' activity is good for us, than 20 hours of endurance training with threshold paced intervals, strength work and more must be GREAT for us, right? Not necessarily!

Overtraining is a very important consideration for every serious endurance athlete as it effects both our health/well being and our athletic performance. Overtraining is still somewhat misunderstood by the scientific community but the fact is that: a. most endurance athletes do, at some point, experience overtraining. b. allowed to 'go on' too long, overtraining can have long term and far reaching consequences including depression c. the key is to learn the symptoms of overtraining and to prevent it through proper training and lifestyle.

Coaches and scientists have known for many years now that the concept of 'periodization' is important when designing an athlete's annual training program. This concept allows for periods of 'overload' and 'recovery', creating a state of adaptation to training stimuli and resulting in a stronger/faster athlete. Just as everyone has different DNA, everyone also responds differently to work/rest oriented training programs and the 'art' of coaching and training is finding out what works best for you.

Prevention is the most effective means to combat overtraining and this means one needs to watch their diet (good, balanced nutritional habits), get plenty of sleep and train smart...allowing for recovery during your training program.

Symptoms of overtraining come in different forms, ranging from unusual (high or low) morning resting Heart rates to mild depression and feelings of lethargy. Research seems to indicate that it's difficult to diagnose signs of overtraining through empirical means and that the most accurate way is still the subjective view of the athlete. This is why, if you have a coach, you need to communicate with them 'how' your are feeling when training... and when not training.

As a competitive athlete who strives to enhance your performance, you are walking on that 'razor' during your build-up for that big race. There is a fine line between training to maximize your performance and becoming sick. High volume training has been shown to compromise our immune system, opening us up to illness so steps must be taken to avoid getting sick such as: a. avoid crowded places. b. wash your hands frequently, c. get lots of sleep, d. optimize your nutrition. Too often, I've heard the horror stories of an athlete who trains smart and achieves their peak form only to catch a cold on the airplane during travel a few days from the race. Don't let this happen to you by taking precautions as mentioned.

In my experience as a pro triathlete years ago, I learned to identify my own signs of overtraining. If my resting heart rate was elevated by 5-10 bpm for 3 days in a row, I knew I needed a day or two off from training. If I had a hard time elevating my heart rate on a ride or run while having a high rate of perceived effort (PR), I knew it was time to rest. And if I had difficulty sleeping at night, it indicated the need for a few days of light work.

Overtraining can become a serious problem if allowed to persist. One cannot 'train through' an overtrained state as some might think. The only way to get past it is to allow for the body (and mind) to recover through either complete rest or very light, lower volume aerobic work.

Smart training plan development is crucial in avoiding overtraining. Incorporating 'recovery days' of light training and complete rest days into one's microcycle (7-10 days) is important as is the concept of scheduling a light 'recovery week' every 4-6 weeks (mezzocycle), depending on the athlete's experience and goals.

In summary, know that if you are an athlete working towards peak form, you are at risk of overtraining and this is necessary in order to be at your best. The key is to learn your personal 'alarm' signals in order to avoid going over the edge so that you can allow your body to adapt and achieve your race goals.

Train safe and Train Smart!

Coach Troy

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