What happens when there is a race coming up and you really want to beat your personal best time?
If you are like many other runners, you push your training into overdrive and start challenging your body more than ever. You develop an intense training schedule and start hitting the trails, the track, or the deck of your treadmill with determination.
This seems like a great way to really challenge your body and get in great shape for the upcoming race, but it is also a good way to develop overtraining syndrome.
Overtraining Syndrome Explained
This is exactly what the name sounds like it is: a condition caused by overtraining the body.
When you push too hard and your body is unable to withstand the pressure and intensity of your workouts, you will go into a state of fatigue and exhaustion.
Your body simply will not be able to keep up with the expectations you are placing upon it. Rather than excelling and getting better at your sport, you find your performances getting worse and worse.
This can be extremely frustrating, but there is nothing you can do about it but accept that you are overtraining your body and take measures to correct the problem.
If you continue to press the body too hard with the philosophy of “working through the pain,” you risk a variety of overuse running injuries that are detailed here on this site.
There are many signs of overtraining syndrome, but the most prevalent are as follows:
- Fatigue
- Frequent Headaches
- Mood Swings
- Frequent Illness
- Muscle Soreness & Pain
- Lower Appetite
Essentially, your body starts to get worn down and you are eventually unable to keep up with your pace of training.
You are forced to reevaluate the problem and slow down, or an injury will sideline you so there is no choice but to take it easy for awhile.
Common Causes of Overtraining Syndrome
Anytime you push your body too hard and demand too much intense activity of your muscles, you risk going into overtraining syndrome.
If your body is unable to keep up with the pace of life you are living, it will gradually start to wither away and die out until you are forced to stop and restore your energies.
This can happen to people who work a lot or have intense obligations to family members, but it can also happen to runners and other athletes who push the training way too hard.
Overtraining Syndrome Treatment Options
It is best to identify that the body is being pushed too hard before it gets to the point of severe shut down.
If you notice that your performance is suffering despite trying harder, you are getting every little bug and virus that goes through the area, and you have less and less energy to get through our workouts, you have to consider that you are pushing it too hard.
The first thing you have to do is slow down or take a break to restore energy to your body and allow recovery to begin.
You should increase your intake of water and sports drinks to make sure you are not dehydrated and focus on a very healthy diet so you have all the nourishment needed to restore your health.
Pampering yourself a little with a massage and other relaxing treats may help as well. For instance, you may start taking warm bubble baths and relaxing rather than going on those super long runs in the evening.
This does not have to be permanent. You need to rest long enough to bring energy back to your body and build your immune system back up.
If your overtraining syndrome included muscle soreness and cramps, you should do stretching and light activity to allow the muscles to recovery.
While recovering from the syndrome, you should reevaluate your training schedule, work schedule, and all other daily demands that may be overtaxing your body.
Come up with a reasonable plan that you know your body can keep up with. Some changes have to be made or you will end up right back in the same condition in a short period of time.
How to Prevent Overtraining Syndrome
The best thing you can do to prevent this syndrome is pay attention to your body. If you notice the signs of overtraining early on, you can slow down and adjust your training schedule before it gets the best of you. This way, you do not have to take a complete break to build your body back up.
For a runner, being realistic with the training plan and resisting the urge to push too hard too soon will save training time in the future.
Rather than getting run down and sacrificing progress for a period of time, the runner can gradually improve at a more reasonable rate.
Do you want to get more tips on how to prevent and cope with running injuries? You should give Running Doc’s Guide to Healthy Running
Recommended further reading:
- How to prevent achilles tendonitis
- How to prevent ankle sprains
- How to prevent blisters
- How to prevent DOMS
- How to prevent hamstring injuries
- How to prevent muscle cramps
- How to prevent plantar fasciitis
- How to prevent shin splints
- How to prevent stress fractures
Return from Overtraining Syndrome to Running Injuries
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