When training and intense physical activity become too much, we experience overtraining. This means the body is chronically overloaded, and the vital balance between appropriate training stimuli and recovery phases is disrupted. You might not notice right away that you are slipping into overtraining. But if you know the symptoms or have experienced overtraining before, you will pay attention to the first warning signs.
What is overtraining and how does it happen?
Deep down, we just want to do something good for our body. At least in theory. We think that if we work out regularly and intensely, it's bound to be a good thing. Maybe you, like me, belong to the group that uses intense sports or workouts like HIT or HIIT as a kind of counterbalance to a mostly sedentary job. That in itself is a great thing—getting regular exercise. It doesn't really matter what kind of movement it is at first. Some swear by a morning or evening run to clear their heads, others love their bike rides or even ride a road bike, while others do strength sports or high-intensity sessions like Crossfit and the like. In principle, any form of exercise is welcome and beneficial at first.
The question, however, is what happens when we overdo it?
What if we demand too much of our body—perhaps without even realizing it? What if we add several tough HIIT workouts on top of marathon training, thinking it will give us that tiny extra edge for a new personal record? Or what if stress at home, with family, friends, or in the office keeps piling up and we try to compensate with even more exercise? Then your body might eventually pull out a red card, metaphorically send you to the bench, and order a mandatory break. Overtraining can result in a truly long-term break; you might have to pause for weeks or even months to properly recover. And that happens when you ignore all the warning signs or fail to identify them in the first place.
Therefore, it is really good if you know and develop a feel for when you are overtraining your body or are about to push too hard, demanding more from yourself and your body than it can handle.
What are the typical symptoms of overtraining?
Either the symptoms of overtraining creep up quietly, building over time until your body decides to shut down like an emergency kill switch. Or it hits you like a brutal left hook out of nowhere, making you feel like you just ran headfirst into an invisible wall. Your central nervous system (CNS) eventually gets so overwhelmed by constant (over)strain that it stops passing signals to your muscles correctly. Both scenarios usually bring unpleasant consequences for you and your training, as this type of burnout (which overtraining essentially is) often requires a tedious and lengthy recovery before your body rebounds from overtraining.
So it's better to pay attention to the first warning signs and take a recovery phase in time, which hopefully will only last a few days instead of weeks or even months. Even better, though, is not letting it get that far in the first place!
What should you watch out for, and which signs tell you that you are on the verge of slipping into overtraining? Some of the most typical symptoms of early overtraining are:
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An ever-growing lack of motivation: Do you feel like you have to "force" yourself to go workout? And this feeling doesn't go away after a day, but instead persists and becomes increasingly present? Then your body is trying to tell you something.
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Severe, long-lasting muscle soreness: In itself, muscle soreness is normal. Unaccustomed or stronger training stimuli result in mild subsequent soreness in the targeted muscle. But if you haven't made any major changes to your training plan and you notice unusually frequent or even constant, intensely severe muscle soreness that causes you trouble for days on end, your body is telling you that it is currently struggling to process the training stimuli properly. Take an urgent break.
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No progress: Strange – you tweaked your workout plan or decided to add another training day to achieve even greater or faster progress, but you don't notice anything. On the contrary, your scale tells you that despite maintaining a healthy diet, you are gaining weight instead of losing it. Watch out, this can be a warning sign as well. Because overtraining doesn't just throw your brain or central nervous system off balance, but also your hormone levels. Too little testosterone and too much cortisol are produced. And as is well known, cortisol is the "stress hormone" – it responds to your stressed body with increased production. Then it disrupts protein synthesis and even draws proteins from the muscles to convert them into sugar. This is basically your body saying: "Help, the body is under too much stress, I need reserves (fat and sugar!) for emergencies and obviously tough times ahead." In short: your body stops building muscle and starts breaking it down!
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Restlessness: Especially among strength athletes or extreme forms of training like Crossfit or HIIT, an increasing lack of focus is a warning sign that they have overdone their training. The sympathetic nervous system becomes overstimulated, making you feel more nervous, restless, and agitated.
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Severe fatigue: It feels like a ton-heavy blanket of lead is weighing you down. You are permanently tired, lacking motivation, and constantly exhausted. An overstimulated sympathetic nervous system is responsible for this as well. Treat yourself to an extended break!
These are just a few of many signs that you are well on your way to pushing yourself and your body into overtraining. The absolute best approach is not letting it get that far in the first place and granting yourself and your body plenty of recovery time. This isn't a luxury, but absolutely essential to achieving your athletic goals!
