Overtraining & Weight Loss

Who Overtrains

• Overtraining isn't just a hazard faced by long-distance endurance athletes--anyone who excercises is at risk. Overtraining occurs when the body consistently does get enough rest between workouts. Exercise creates micro tears in the muscles of the body and challenges the cardiovascular, neurological and hormonal systems. The real "work" of exercise does not occur while these damages are being inflicted during exercise, but in the rest and recovery time when your body repairs itself and becomes stronger. When you do not allow this repair to happen, you keep your body in a constant state of destruction and stress.

Symptoms

• Overtraining syndrome cannot be diagnosed with a test, but rather through the observation of symptoms. An increase in your resting heart rate, general feelings of fatigue, body aches and pains, vulnerability to injury, decreased immunity, loss of appetite, weight loss, insomnia, moodiness and irritability are all indicators. You may notice that every workout is suddenly harder than the last. Gastrointestinal issues sometimes result, making it harder to eat the foods that give you energy and fuel your muscles.

When Weight Loss is Undesirable

• Weight loss is usually due to a successful diet, but it can also be a symptom of overtraining. If you are trying to lose weight, aim for a steady 1/2 lb. to 2 lbs. of weight loss a week. Any faster than that, and chances are you are losing a considerable amount of lean muscle mass rather than body fat. If you are not on a weight loss plan and you are losing weight, your body is almost certainly using muscle as fuel during your more grueling workouts. Because you are in a constant energy deficit, unplanned weight loss also contributes to a diminished immune system and might create problems such as anemia and weakness. If you find your strength and stamina are also diminishing, the weight loss associated with overtraining might be the culprit.

Preventing Overtraining

• Training smart in the first place can offset overtraining. Give muscles at least a 48-hour rest after strength training and cross train cardiovascularly. To prevent unwanted weight loss, eat a pre- and post-workout snack that includes both carbohydrates (for energy) and protein (to enable muscle synthesis). Make yourself devote a day to only light activity at least once a week. If you train for endurance events, build up your running or cyling mileage over time.

Overcoming Overtraining Syndrome

• If it's too late to prevent overtraining, rest. For mild cases, a week or two off your exercise routine can help re-energize you and your body. If you have multiple symptoms, including noticeable weight loss--chances are you have been overtraining for a few months or more and will need several weeks of rest. Cross training at this point cannot help you--your cardiovascular and muscular systems are too depleted and will continue to be stressed by any exertion. Even though you might worry about losing any gains you have made, you will most certainly make no progress if you continue to train without giving your body the rest it needs.