How does overtraining mainfest and what can we do to start recovering from it?
See what are the main signs of overtraining and how to start feeling better. You can also download this quick guide to start feeling better fast!
You can also read the following blog post, but I highly recommend that you check out the video as it's more detailed.
What Is Overtraining?
To put it short, it's the body's inability to adapt to stress. Working out is stress on the body, and if everything is okay and the body is healthy, it adapts to it by getting stronger. However, f we're overtrained, we're no longer able to adapt to this work load, and we get some or all of the following symptoms… Note though that not everyone gets the same symptoms, some of us get a few of them and some of us all.
Exhaustion
We're simply so tired all the time. Initially, it may be hard to do our workouts, but after a while, even everyday chores became really difficult because we our energy levels are tanked due to too much exercise
Sleep Issues
Sleep issues caused by overtraining can go in two ways:
1) We either want to sleep all the time because we're so extremely tired
2) We cannot sleep because our stress hormones are elevated which is keeping us up — even if we're tired. It's particularly common to wake up at 4am and not be able to go back to sleep again.
Poor Recovery
Let's say that we never used to have problems with workout recovery. All of a sudden, our muscles are more sore than usual, they're sore longer, and no matter how much we sleep, we just don't have the same energy. We're having pains and aches all the time.
Not Making Any More Progress
Think about this scenario: we can currently do 5 pull ups and want to get to 10. But no matter how we try, it's not happening. Or, we run 10K in 52 minutes but just can't break the 50 minute mark. That may be because the body is not recovered and it simply can't improve. As said before, it's ability to adapt to stress has decreased.
Heart Rate
Overtraining can cause changes in heart rate. This, just like sleep, can go in two ways:
- Our heart rate may be too low or too high. Too low heart rate doesn't always indicate great shape. It can also mean that the heart is getting weak.
- A heart rate that's higher than normal, can also indicate overtraining.
Large shifts from our normal can mean that we've been overtraining.
Injuries
Do you get hurt a lot? Stress fractures are super common in long distance runners, but also gym goers get hurt more when they're overtrained. The body is just weakening and can't handle the stress as well as it did in the past.
Loss of Period aka Hypothalamic Amenorrhea
This is a true sign of overtraining. Sure, one can get Hypothalamic Amenorrhea simply from under eating, but more often than not, overtraining is part of the problem. Doing too much, too long or too intense workouts with no proper rest can shut down our reproductive system. Here's how to recover from it.
Hair Loss
When the body is drained, it chooses its resources carefully. As much as we hate it, keeping our hair on the head is not its priority. It just doesn't have energy for it. That's why we may find handfuls of hair in the bath tub or on the pillow!
Digestive Issues
Most common digestive issues that go together with overtraining are constipation and bloating. Oftentimes the body simply doesn't have energy to put towards digestion, but sometimes the problem is also that we just don't take in enough calories — there's not much to pass.
If the body perceives continuous stress (which it does when we're overtrained), it shuts down the digestive processes because it puts all the energy towards other functions that are more important, like increasing blood flow into the muscles and keeping us alert so that we can run away from the lion (but it doesn't know there's no lion and we're just working out non stop).
Being Moody & Irritable
The more we overtrain, the moodier and more irritable we become. We can ask our loved ones if we're moody and irritable, and then brace ourselves because the answer might be yes…
What Can We Do to Recover from Overtraining?
Sleep
This is critical. Instead of that 5am fitness class, sleep all you can. Also take naps. The body needs to recover!
Eat More
Our body's energy resources are spread thin. That's true especially if we intentionally under eat. So, food is medicine!
Less Intense Exercise
Skip HIT and long distance running for a little while and do basic strength training or just bodyweight training. Check out this training program.
Relax & Have Fun
Enjoy your life outside of the gym too! There's much more to life than working out. Explore what else life has to offer, laugh and have fun.
I love your site and so much of it resonates with me. My eating disorder started after a traumatic event because I just couldn’t eat. I lost weight and people started to notice. After that I found exercise (!) as another coping mechanism. I stated to hit the gym for 2-3 hours a day, whilst continuing to eat next to nothing. What was I thinking?! I felt great. I had energy, I had confidence, I had (what looked like) the body of an athlete. Yes I had lost weight, but I had only dropped one dress size. I was now in a size 8 with defined muscles all over my body. To be honest, looking back I think I was probably thinner than a size 8 but the muscles disguised this. I didn’t think I was unhealthy or even that I had an eating disorder. People were saying I looked amazing and I felt it so how could I be ill? Then suddenly my body gave in. I lost my period (but I ignored it for quite a while!) I was so exhausted I could barely stand up and I was so depressed I contemplated suicide. I felt horrific. But I carried on, fighting against what I felt. I remember I was so fatigued that I could barely walk around the supermarket or sit at my desk for a few hours at work. My lunch breaks consisted of going to my car and sleeping for an hour. Eventually I reluctantly accepted I needed a rest. I stopped going to the gym. It hurt my body so much I was in constant pain. I though I’d have a few months off and get back into it. I tried to go back a few times but I was still so tired and achy I could barely stand some days. That few months turned into 6. My period came back in this time and my depression improved. I started eating properly again, which wasn’t easy I must admit as I had developed all sorts of digestive issues. After 6 months I jumped straight back into the gym. It was easy again and I loved it. However, I scared my period off again. I immediately stopped working out. What Iv learnt is this; U CANNOT BEAT MOTHER NATURE. Ur body is ur body. It is unique. It will fight with u and make your life as difficult as possible until it is happy and it is exactly how it needs to be. U can fight it for a short time but why bother? You will always need to go back to what your body wants. Many of us spend years battling with this concept. It’s not easy but all you have to do to escape is listen to your body. It will tell you exactly what it needs and what it doesn’t need. This is the only way.
This is such a great story! I’m sorry you had to go through all this, it was A LOT but you found what you needed to find. Be very, very proud of yourself for knowing how to listen to your body!