Overtraining Syndrome
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Original Editor - Puja Gaikwad
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Introduction[edit | edit source]
The purpose of training competitive athletes is to provide training loads that will improve performance. During this process, athletes can undergo various stages that may range from ‘undertraining’, during the period between competitive seasons or active rest and taper, to ‘overreaching’ (OR) and ‘overtraining’ (OT) which comprises maladaptations and diminished competitive performance.[1][2]When excessive training occurs concomitant with other stressors and inadequate recovery time, performance decrements will cause chronic maladaptations which can lead to the ‘Overtraining Syndrome’ (OTS).
In the domain of sports physiology, the overtraining syndrome is observed as the outcome of a training plan that is not balanced in the levels of exercise stress load, non-training (life) stress load, and rest period. The athlete proceeds from an appropriate training state to overreaching (OR) and eventually to the overtraining (OT) state if adjustments are not executed. Studies have reported that up to 60% of distance runners show signs of overtraining during their careers, while data on swimmers vary between 3 to 30%.[3]
Difference between Overreaching (OR) and Overtraining (OT)[edit | edit source]
- Overreaching occurs from an accumulation of training and/or non-training stress leading to a short-term decrement in performance capacity with or without associated physiological and psychological signs of maladaptation (see table 1 below), during which restoration of performance can take up to several days to weeks.
- Overtraining results from an increase in training and/or non-training stress leading to a long-term decrement in performance capacity with or without related physiological and psychological signs of maladaptation, in which restoration of performance can take up to several weeks or several months. Hence, OTS is a consequence of OT.[4] The syndrome is a continuum from training fatigue to overload and ultimately leading to full overtraining syndrome.
| Parasympathetic, Hypoarousal | Sympathetic, Hyperarousal |
|---|---|
| Decreased physical performance | Decreased physical performance |
| Easily fatigued or lethargic | Easily fatigued |
| Depression | Hyperexcitability |
| Normal or disturbed sleep | Disturbed sleep |
| Normal constant weight or weight loss | Weight loss |
| Low resting HR | Increased resting HR and BP |
| Hypoglycemia during exercise | slow recovery of HR and BP after exercise |
| Loss of competitive desire | Loss of competitive desire |
| Amenorrhea in women | Amenorrhea in women |
| Hypogonadism in men | Hypogonadism in men |
| Increased incidence of infections | Increased incidence of infections |
| Decreased maximal lactate response to exercise | Decreased maximal lactate response to exercise |
Table 1: Pathophysiologic Characteristics in Hypoarousal and Hyperarousal forms of Overtraining Syndrome
OR is practised by elite-level athletes and their coaches to improve sporting performance. These periods of intensified training may lead to a transient decline in performance capacity; however, when an appropriate recovery period is fulfilled a supercompensation occurs and athletes performance is greatly enhanced compared to baseline. This short term, effective form of OR is termed as functional OR (FOR). But if FOR lasts for too long (that is for several weeks) it becomes nonfunctional OR (NFOR), which becomes OT, and the athlete moves toward OTS. These events and the progression can be compounded by inadequate nutrition, illness, and sleep disturbances.
So, the difference between these two training conditions is the amount of time required for the restoration of performance, and not the duration or the type of training stress or levels of physiological impairment.
Types of Overtraining Syndrome[edit | edit source]
Two types of OTS have been proposed:
- Hypoarousal form
- Hyperarousal form
Hypoarousal is also known as parasympathetic or Addison’s OTS. It is usually seen in endurance athletes (long-distance runners, rowers, cross-country skiers, cyclists, and swimmers). Hyperarousal is likewise called sympathetic or Basedow’s OTS. It is commonly seen in power athletes (sprinters, jumpers, and weight lifters) and occurs somewhat less frequently than the hypoarousal form.
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References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Meeusen R, Duclos M, Foster C, Fry A, Gleeson M, Nieman D, Raglin J, Rietjens G, Steinacker J, Urhausen A. Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the overtraining syndrome: Joint consensus statement of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). European Journal of Sport Science. 2013 Jan 1;13(1):1-24.
- ↑ Meeusen R, Duclos M, Gleeson M, Rietjens G, Steinacker J, Urhausen A. Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the overtraining syndrome: ECSS position statement ‘task force’. European Journal of Sport Science. 2006 Mar 1;6(01):1-4.
- ↑ Raglin JS, Morgan WP. Development of a scale for use in monitoring training-induced distress in athletes. International journal of sports medicine. 1994 Feb;15(02):84-8.
- ↑ Carfagno DG, Hendrix JC. Overtraining syndrome in the athlete: current clinical practice. Current sports medicine reports. 2014 Jan 1;13(1):45-51.
