Problem of Overtraining

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Overtraining is a serious problem in athletes marked by decreased performance, increased fatigue, persistent muscle soreness, mood disturbances, a lack of energy, and a multitude of minor medical and psychological problems (Uusitalo, 2001; Walker, 2003). In overtraining, the physiological homeostasis of the body, which is needed in the short-term to improve performance capacity, is prolonged and insufficient time is allowed for recovery between successive imbalances to the point that the body can no longer compensate. Short-term physiological imbalance is referred to as overreaching, but if this is continued without allowing the body time to adjust to the new levels of performance, then it becomes overtraining, and performance will decline. Recovery from overreaching may take two to three weeks: recovery from overtraining may take as long as many months or even years.

It is estimated that between 10 percent and 20 percent of athletes who train intensely experience overtraining resulting in a chronic decrease in performance and an impaired ability to train (Barzdukas, 1999, 27-31). There is no specific method for diagnosing overtraining and diagnosis of overtraining is usually done by taking a patient history, ruling out other diseases, and examining laboratory findings (Uusitalo, 2001). Changes in training regimen are important, and performance decline with an increased feeling of fatigue is the major sign of overtraining. Diseases such as AddisonÆs disease, anemia a

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fied as peripheral or central: the peripheral type involves overloading at the local level such as the muscles, while the central type is more complex and involves muscle soreness and fatigue due to changes in the central nervous system. Causes of overtraining can be classified as internal or external (Uusitalo, 2001). The stress tolerance of an athlete depends on their adaptation capacity, coping strategies, and physiological properties. Internal factors include general health; nutritional state; mood state; personality type (e.g. type A); hereditary physiological factors; age; sex; and for women, the menstrual cycle. External factors include such things as intensity of training; amount of training; social, economic and psychological stressors; training history; environmental conditions; sleep; food intake; infections; ingestion of medication, alcohol, tobacco, or other substances; and travel (jet lag, altitude). There are many signs and symptoms which can indicate overtraining, and they may vary considerably between athletes because of the variety of conditions which can affect them, as described above. Sympathetically-induced signs include an increased resting heart rate; increased resting blood pressure; decreased spor
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Approximate Word count = 1236
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

Problem of Overtraining

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