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Overtraining is a term which is thrown around very often, but how should you recognise overtraining, and more importantly, what should you do about it? Whether you are a pro athlete or a general gym goer, overtraining is something which can sneak up on you and throw you off making consistent progress. By recognising the signs of overtraining early, you can take steps to maintain balance in your body, avoid burnout, and keep training.
In this article, we’ll break down what overtraining actually is, the signs you should look out for, and some actions you can take to recover quickly and prevent it from happening in the future.
Overtraining is quite vague by definition, however we can describe it as when your body is pushed too hard in endurance or intensity to recover from activity effectively. Whilst regular and consistent exercise is key for building muscle, strength, endurance and maintaining health, by poorly managing training volume or intensity, you can be subject to physical and physiological setback. It is important to note here, that overtraining is not just a case of doing too much exercise, but factors such as underfuelling, poor sleep and high stress can all lead to an accelerated overtrained state.
Whilst many might see overtraining as just feeling tired and fatigued, there are a number of ways it can manifest. We can break these down into three main categories, namely performance issues, physiological symptoms and psychological symptoms.
As we’ve mentioned, simply training too much is not the only cause of overtraining; there are a number of root causes which could be causing you issues. Let’s break down some of the most common causes.
This one goes without saying, but training with too much volume (especially too soon without giving your body time to recover and adapt) is the most common culprit for overtraining. Equally, training with too high of an intensity can also cause this. Be sure to explore our article on training volume whilst you’re here.
Not allowing your body to recover and adapt to stress can also be a main cause of overtraining. So much so that we can often reframe overtraining as underresting.
By eating in too much of a caloric deficit or being in a caloric deficit for too long, you can trigger being in a state of overtraining. Prioritise your pre workout nutrition and post workout nutrition to ensure that you are correctly fuelled around these times. Focus on your macronutrient intake with a whole food based, balanced diet, and consider supplementing with a multivitamin to fill gaps.
Sleep is your main period where your body repairs itself, and so insufficient sleep can massively disrupt your recovery. Aim for 8 hours of sleep per night and maintain good sleep hygiene by not looking at screens for an hour before bed, and don’t consume caffeine within 10 hours of bedtime.
Having stress in your life can compound alongside the physical stress of training, which can accelerate the onset of being in a state of overtrained.
Not having a structured training programme which integrates progressive overload and periods of deload can lead to you being overtrained. Take a look at all of our workout programmes, which are designed by professionals to take these things into account and promote consistent progress without overtraining.
Recovery should be your priority when you’re overtrained. Look to reduce your training volume or a few days or weeks; throw in some rest days or active rest days if you’re feeling particularly fatigued.
Prioritise your sleep, aiming for at least 8 hours of quality sleep per night. As we’ve discussed, you should also ensure that your body is correctly fuelled by increasing your calorie intake, ensuring that you’re not only getting enough protein, fats and carbohydrates, but also consuming enough vitamins. Alongside this, focus on your hydration. Aim to drink water throughout the day and consider supplementing with electrolyte sachets before workouts.
You must find the right balance to prevent overtraining. Following a structured workout programme which has periodised cycles of higher and lower intensity, incorporating rest days and active recovery days will help this.
As we’ve already mentioned, ensuring that you fuel your performance with nutrient dense foods, especially around training times will massively help prevent overtraining whilst maximising your performance. Treat sleep as a non negotiable optimisation factor; it is when you are recovering the most, no matter what else you do (sauna, ice baths, massage etc.).
Finally, check in with yourself. Use performance and recovery data from wearables like Whoop or Apple watches to get an idea of how you are recovering and make adjustments to your training accordingly. Listen to your body. Often, how you feel is the greatest measurement tool available.
To put it plainly, overtraining has the potential to throw you off track for days or even weeks. Be aware of the signs and symptoms of it and take the active measures we’ve described in this article to not only prevent being overtrained, but also maximise your recovery and long term progress.
Whilst you’re here, check out our range of recovery supplements, such as whey protein, micellar casein, omega 3 fish oil, L-Glutamine, and plant protein to support your recovery post workout.
