Overtraining

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Overtraining

• Dr. Noel McCaffrey
• Lecturer, Centre for Sport Science and Health,
  DCU Medical Director, ONeills Sports Medicine,
  UCD DCU

2
overtraining

• the training / preparation challenge
• what is the overtraining syndrome
• do we understand the mechanism?
• recognition
• treatment and prevention

3
overtraining

• the training / preparation challenge
• what is the overtraining syndrome
• do we understand the mechanism?
• recognition
• treatment and prevention

4
overtraining

• the training / preparation challenge
• what is the overtraining syndrome
• do we understand the mechanism?
• recognition
• treatment and prevention

5
overtraining

• the training / preparation challenge
• what is the overtraining syndrome
• do we understand the mechanism?
• recognition
• treatment and prevention

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training areas

• Resistance
• choice of exercise
• order of exercise
• volume (sets x reps)
• intensity ( rep max)
• rest (between sets)

• Speed
• speed generation
• repeat speed

• Endurance
• central adaptation
• peripheral (sport specific) adaptation
• cross training (injured)

Skills technique repetition
Team play
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the challenge

• provide continuous training stimulus with
  adequate variety, recovery, progression to
• facilitate optimum performance at the right
  time(s)
• avoid OTS
• minimise injury

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the overtraining syndrome
h

• a condition characterised by
• ? performance in training / competition (incl
  technical)
• ? effort required to deliver same performance
• failure to show progression / improvement
• despite maintained or increased training

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• overtraining process ? overtraining syndrome
• other words
• staleness overwork
• burnout chronic fatigue
• overfatigue overstrain

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inadequate recovery
Fitness Level
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Days
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over-reaching training stimulus
? inadequate recovery ? repeated (
?) training ? ?
performance ? rest
? full recovery in 2-3weeks
overload training stimulus ? adequate
recovery ? training increase (appropria
te) ? ? performance
overtraining training stimulus
? inadequate recovery ? repeated (
?) training ? ?
performance ? no recovery with rest
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prevalence of OT

• signs and symptoms of OT seen in
• ? 60 distance runners over a career
• ? 50 pro soccer players in a 5 month competitive
  season
• 33 basketball players in a 6 week training camp

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common symptoms of OTS

• general fatigue
• malaise
• ? energy (malaise)
• ? enthusiasm
• ? motivation

• irritable / restless
• anxious
• appetite change
• weight loss
• depression
• ? focus / concentration

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diagnostic difficulties

• diagnosis of exclusion
• different symptoms with
• different individuals doing same same training
• acute vs chronic ? performance
• ? volume vs ? intensity
• sympathetic vs parasympathetic models
• endurance vs anaerobic overtraining

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parasympathetic overtraining

• volume overload (resistance or endurance)
• ? testosterone cortisol ratio
• fatigue
• depression
• apathy
• ? resting HR

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sympathetic overtraining

• intensity overload
• insomnia
• irritability
• restlessness
• ? HR
• ? blood pressure

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overuse injuries

• dinternal factors
• boy mass
• biomechanics
• nutrition
• technique
• fatigue

• external factors
• training volume
• training intensity
• repetition
• footwear
• surface
• equipment

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what causes it?

• training ?imbalance / mismatch
• ? recovery
• exercise ? ? exercise capacity
• stress ? ? stress tolerance

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initiating events

• voulme ? / intensity of training
• monotony of training
• illness (disease / infection)
• caloric restriction / ? carbohydrate intake
• iron deficiency
• exercise-heat stress
• personal / emotional problems
• occupational stress

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biological markers

• ? blood constitiuents
• haemoglobin / hematocrit
• white cells
• iron
• blood lactate in submax / max exercise
• testosterone / cortisol
• catecholamines (resting / nocturnal)

• cardiorespiratory
• ? resting / max heart rate
• ?VO2max
• ? heart rate / VO2 / VE during exercise
• ? basal metabolic rate
• ? infection

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immune system

• ? upper respiratory tract infection in OR / OT
  athlethes
• cause or effect?

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causes common of persistent fatigue and
underperformance in sport

• less common
• dehydration
• diabtees
• eating disorders
• hepatitis
• hypothyroidism
• postconcussion
• substance abuse
• lr resp tract infection
• side effects of
• meds / supplements
• nutrition
• ? carbo / protein

• caffeine withdrawal
• allergies
• ex-induced asthma
• ? sleep
• ? iron (/- anaemia)
• performance anxiety
• infection
• mononucleosis
• upp. resp tract infection
• OTS
• mood disorder
• anxiety / depression

• rare
• endocrine disease
• ? or ? adrenal gland
• heart disease
• HIV
• malabsorption
• lung disease
• malignancy
• renal disease
• neuromuscular disease

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fatigue

• What is it
• failure to generate or maintain desired exercise
  intensity
• peripheral mechanism (fuel depletion)
• central mechanisms (? brain serotonin)
• core symptom of many illnesses

• atiguFe in illness
• viral illness
• anaemia
• hypothyroidism
• hypoglycaemia
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• depression

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OTS and Major Depression

• ? appetite
• irritable / restless
• ? body weight
• ? motivation
• ?interest / pleasure
• ? general fatigue / malaise
• concentration

• feeling hopeless / worthless
• feeling sad
• persistent physical symptoms that fail to respond
• suicidal thoughts

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Treatment and Prevention

• ? recovery days
• periodise
• ? variety
• ensure vol intensity inverse relationship
• avoid high intensity over prolonged period
• avoid high intensity over prolonged period

• in resistence sessions, avoid completing every
  set of every exercise in every session
• avoid overworking one area
• avoid excess eccentric work

? role for antidepressant medication