Overtraining can occur when you exercise without allowing enough recovery time between sessions. Too much exercise can be detrimental to your health and hinder your results, especially if the workouts are close together.
Overtraining syndrome (OTS) lowers your fitness level, adversely affects performance, and causes injury. It is also typical of individual athletes. Weightlifting, cardio, and HIIT training can all lead to burnout.
Avoid overtraining by exercising within your limits and allowing enough recovery time between workouts. Ensure you replenish your activities to have enough energy to maintain your training and take care of yourself after each workout.
Signs and symptoms of overtraining
You do not eat enough
Weightlifters who maintain an intense workout plan can also cut down on calories. If your body consistently uses its energy reserves, you may develop nutritional deficiencies such as anemia. This can adversely affect health and performance.
More severe conditions can affect the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems. It is also possible to develop complications in the nervous and reproductive systems, including loss of menstruation or irregular cycles.
Soreness, strain, and pain
During a high-intensity interval training session (HIIT), Pushing yourself past your limits can lead to muscle stress and pain. Overloading the body can cause soreness and injuries. You may also experience micro-tears in the muscles.
Overconsumption damage
Running can often lead to overuse injuries such as leg inflammation, stress fractures, and plantar fasciitis. Other overuse injuries include joint strain, broken bones, and soft tissue injuries.
High-impact training such as running puts stress and wear and tear on your body. Take a break from any exercise if you have an injury to allow am injury to heal.
Fatigue
It is normal to feel tired after exercise, but fatigue occurs when the body repeatedly does not fully recover. During or right after workouts, you may feel excessively drained.
Fatigue can also set in when you do not get enough fuel before exercising. Your body must then use the carbohydrate, protein, and fat reserves for energy.
Reduced appetite and weight loss
Exercise usually leads to a healthy appetite. However, exercising too much can cause hormonal imbalances that affect how hungry or full you feel. OTS can cause fatigue, decreased appetite, and weight loss.
Irritability and agitation
Exercise can affect your stress hormone levels, which can cause depression, mental fog, and mood swings. You may feel a lack of concentration or enthusiasm and also experience restlessness.
Persistent injuries or muscle pain
Prolonged muscle soreness and injuries that do not heal are also signs of overtraining. You may have chronic injuries or gnawing injuries that linger. Rest between workouts is essential for recovery. It is harder for your body to heal when too much stress is put on it.
Decrease in performance
Overtraining can cause your performance to decrease rather than improve. You may find less strength, agility, and endurance, making it more challenging to achieve your training goals. Overtraining can also reduce reaction time and running speed.
Training feels more challenging
If you have OTS, you may feel that your workouts are more complex, as if they require more effort to complete. This increase in your perceived exertion can make you feel like you are working harder even though your body is working at its average speed.
A higher heart rate while exercising and a higher resting heart rate during the day may result from overtraining. In addition, it may take longer for your heart rate to return to your resting frequency when you finish exercising.
Disturbed sleep
Stress hormones are out of balance, and you will find it difficult to relax and let go of tension at bedtime, which cuts into the crucial time your body needs to rest, repair, and restore itself during sleep.
Impaired immunity or disease
You get sick more often and may be prone to infections, mild illnesses, and upper respiratory tract infections.
Loss of motivation
It may be challenging to stay motivated to exercise due to mental or physical exhaustion. You feel that you are not reaching your training goals or lack pleasure.
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