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Are you overtraining?

 

 

Overtraining or “burnout” occurs when you push your body beyond the body’s ability to recover. Training too hard and too long without sufficient rest and proper nutrition will lead to overtraining syndrome and decreased performance. You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to get better results, but you do have to get enough rest to let your body repair itself.

To better understand overtraining, you first have to understand that when you are working out, you are not building muscle. You are actually breaking down your muscles and making tiny tears in them. Growth doesn’t happen in the gym. Growth takes place when your muscles are at rest in the recovery stage. This is when they are repairing themselves. When these tiny injuries to your muscles repair and heal, they heal stronger than they were. By not giving your body the rest it needs to recover, you’re actually preventing muscle from building. This isn’t only a problem with athletes and bodybuilders. Overtraining is also a common problem among people who do too much cardio.

By not giving your body the rest it needs between workouts, your testosterone level drops. In doing this, you will only keep breaking your muscle down without building it back up. Remember that muscle burns fat. Overtraining increases cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone that makes your body want to retain fat. It especially does this around your mid section.

When you overtrain, you work hard and long but will not build much if any muscle. You may have noticed that you hit a plateau and have stopped seeing results. So you train harder and longer, which leads to more overtraining and can lead to more symptoms of overtraining. Overtraining doesn’t only affect us physically, but also psychologically. Here are common warning signs of overtraining syndrome:

 If you’re feeling half or more of these symptoms, you may be overtraining.

Overtraining can be a serious problem for woman. It can stop or make menstrual cycles irregular. Missing your menstrual periods is often a sign of decreased estrogen levels. Low estrogen levels can lead to early osteoporosis.

If you suspect you are over training, the first thing you should do is reduce or stop your training. Let your body rest for a few days. Make sure you’re getting adequate sleep. You can’t put your body through the stress of long and hard cardio and training sessions if you’re not getting enough “good” sleep. Drink plenty of fluids. I can’t stress how important water is for your muscles. Getting a sports massage will make the blood flow in your muscles. Nutrition is a very important tool in rebuilding muscle. You must be incorporating high proteins, fruits, veggies and whole grains. Be careful for low carbohydrate diets. When you train you deplete your muscles of Glycogen. Glycogen is the primary fuel for exercise and recovery. It is from your carbs that you be able to refuel your body, especially after you workout.  

If your symptoms persist, you may need to take 3 to 4 weeks off. You can do light cardio during this time. You may need a day off between workouts or may need to change up your routine. Everybody’s body is different. Listen to what your body is telling you.