Overtraining Syndrome and the Endurance Athlete

Overtraining Syndrome and the Endurance Athlete

By: Dr. Erik DeRoche (aka Coach DeRoche)

12/14/10

It was during my undergraduate education where I found an intense interest in the limits of human potential as it pertained to endurance performance. I had read many articles about ‘epic’ journeys to far-away lands or of harrowing experiences dealing with nature, the elements, mental and physical anguish. I also had been learning about how the body adapts to exercise stress and what mechanisms are being manipulated during training for an athlete. However, one thing that was missing, which perplexed me was any discussion of overtraining, termed Overtraining Syndrome or OTS.

If you have read any other material that I have written you now know that one of my primary goals as a coach, health-care provider and as an athlete myself is to prevent injury. Injuries to not only the musculo-skeletal system, to the nervous system as well as the breakdown of the basic homeostatic function of the body including the immune system. Injury to any of the aforementioned can lead to or be symptoms of Overtraining Syndrome. The problem is truly in the athlete not listening closely enough to the signals and “training through” and issue when what instead should have occurred is a brief rest, sometimes complete rest/time off, and a re-evaluation of the training plan being undertaken.

One intriguing and sometimes perplexing part of any discussion surrounding OTS is that in order for any athlete to improve in their sport, a period of intense, sometimes high volume filled training must be undertaken to induce what is called “super-compensation.” This is where the body adapts to the training stress and comes back stronger. This term was first utilized by famed Neuroendocrinologist Hans Selye where he coined the term “G.A.S.” or General Adaptive Syndrome… we either adapt to the stress, we break down or we die. Where endurance athletes in particular go wrong is that on many occasions they/we think that if a little bit of training is effective, A LOT has to be that much more effective!

The initial signs of OTS are actually termed something all together different… Over-Reaching. This is the first phase of OTS and if one is not aware of the signs and symptoms very frequently the athlete is lead down a road of frustration and injury. Over-reaching is otherwise known as “Sympathetic Overtraining” in that the sympathetic nervous system (that’s our “fight or flight”) is being stimulated rather significantly and the following signs and symptoms follow it:

-          Heightened arousal/anxiousness

-          Elevated resting heart rate

-          Elevated cortisol levels (secreted by adrenal  glands)

-          Elevated blood pressure

-          Inability to fall asleep

-          Reduced ability to recover from training sessions

-          Slight performance deterioration

-          Intense craving for carbohydrates (especially in the evenings)

-          Increased sex drive (above normal)

-          Decrease in body weight without changes in dietary intake

-          Abnormally sore/stiff/tender from training and/or racing

If an athlete continues to train as hard, for as long or both, and they are exhibiting the above signs and symptoms the athlete can develop OTS otherwise known as “parasympathetic overtraining”  where the parasympathetic nervous system is being over-utilized and the following symptoms follow:

-          Reduced or normal resting heart rate

-          Low blood pressure

-          Sleeping at any available moment

-          Not rested once awake

-          Depressed immune system and coinciding illnesses- upper respiratory illnesses are most common first symptom.

-          Lack of ability to maintain attention

-          Listless and difficulty becoming excited

-          Body fat deposition despite continued training and normal eating habits (cortisol receptors no longer active so cortisol cannot do its job)

-          “Need” for caffeine to get started each morning

-          Lack of desire to train or race

-          Performances not up to par nor on par with training

-          Depressed mood

-          Intense irritability

-          Low testosterone

-          Lack of sex drive

Now, the real question remains… how are OTS or Over-Reaching prevented in the first place? Instead of treating the symptoms, prevent them right!

1)       Establish a training plan that FITS YOUR CURRENT FITNESS LEVEL- training above or beyond what your body can handle is a sure fire way to develop one of these conditions.

2)       Remember that if training volume is high (14+hrs depending on the athletes history and abilities) you must decrease training intensity; no more than 1-2 ‘hard’ training sessions in a week where volume too is also higher (relative to the athlete’s abilities and training history)

3)       Remember that if training volume is low (5-8hrs/week) you can train at higher intensities more often; sometimes upward of 4-5 ‘hard’ sessions/week.

4)       Eat a well balanced diet rich in vegetables, lean protein(s), polyunsaturated fat(s), nuts, seeds, fruit and finally grains. (notice that cereal grains are not on top of the list per what the USDA would have you believe… more on this some other time !)

5)       Develop an injury prevention protocol at home: include a hip, shoulder/scapula, trunk/core stability, mobility and muscle activation exercises. (more on this at a later date)

Stay healthy, train smart and let me know if you have any comments questions of concerns.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Erik DeRoche

Coach DeRoche

Erik DeRoche DC, MS, CSCS

Barkley Chiropractic

(O) 360-752-0061

(M) 206-384-0928

ekderoche@comcast.net