When we practice bodybuilding to excess, it can happen that our body can no longer keep up with the pace of training. If this accumulation of physical effort becomes too great, we speak of overtraining. Of course, this phenomenon is not exclusive to bodybuilding. Overtraining in running or cycling is to be taken just as seriously. In the case of overtraining, the human body tends to no longer function optimally and sends out signals to alert us. For athletes, it is essential to know how to recognise these symptoms of overtiredness so as not to endanger his health.
What is overtraining?
Definition of Overtraining
Overtraining refers to the state the body is in when an athlete goes beyond his or her limits during a physical activity such as weight training.
When the muscles can no longer recover or the microtrauma caused by the sport cannot be repaired, this leads to an intense physical and psychological fatigue. The activity of the metabolism This slows down the athlete's progress.
This has a counterproductive effect. Instead of taking advantage of benefits of training If the athlete continues at this frantic pace, he or she may gradually fall into a state of exhaustion. If he continues at this frantic pace, he can then gradually sink into a downward spiral and its risk of injuries will increase dramatically. Overtraining does not happen overnight. This syndrome sometimes takes several weeks to set in. This is why it is essential to listen to your body and not hesitate to slow down your physical activities.
But the first symptoms of overtraining are usually ignored. The risk of not paying attention is that these signs will worsen to the point of endangering the athlete health. Indeed, the physical capacities of our body have their own limits. And when the workload borne by an athlete becomes too great, it is advisable to act quickly while there is still time.
How to recognize the signs of overtraining?
There are several symptoms of sports overexertion that can help you become aware of your fatigue.
One of the first signs that should alert you is a heart rate unusual. If it is too high or too low at rest, something is wrong. Waking up is the best time to find out if your pulse is stable, because the metabolism while still asleep cannot be fooled by external factors. If you detect a change in your heart rate, consult a doctor immediately.
Your immune system is a bulwark against external infections. If your body suffers a excess of trainingIf the body is overtaxed, the system will become weakened and prone to viral attacks that can lead to colds, flu, strep throat and gastroenteritis. This can be a symptom of overtraining and means that the body is far too exhausted to protect itself against disease.
When an athlete performs a sports session When you are overtired, your concentration is impaired and movements can be poorly executed. For example, if you perform squats in this state, you may experience joint pains and muscles in the knees and quadriceps, or even suffer a more serious trauma. In case of too much stress, old injuries that have healed can reappear in the tired muscles.
Even several days after a workout, muscle pain will persist, whereas it had previously disappeared quickly, to the point of hindering the freedom of movement and gestures of the athlete on a daily basis.
The sleep quality is another indicator of overtraining. The body needs sufficient recovery time to avoid aches and pains the next day. But if you feel unrestored after a night's sleep, it may be a sign of over-exertion.
It is also possible to lose your appetite. But the food quality is a fundamental parameter for a sportsman. A decreased libido can also be synonymous with an excessive imbalance between your training and resting times.
In addition to the physical signs, the consequences of overtraining can also be psychological. The alteration of the personality is part of it. The athlete becomes much more irritable and stressed than usual, especially because of the frequent insomnia that exhausts his nervous system and may cause depression. The subject may also experience a decreased motivation related to this fatigue over the long term. It works like a vicious circle.
In summary, overtraining inevitably leads to a decline in self-esteem, the motivation and the strength to perform strength exercises being no longer available.
How to avoid overtraining?
An athlete's philosophy goes beyond the performance that is sought. Strength training (and sport in general) must be an integral part of a lifestyle. It is the only way for an athlete to maintain a excellent shape. On a daily basis, it is essential to take into consideration parameters such as nutrition, sleep or the quality of training to achieve a feeling of well-being.
The body needs time to rest between each session to allow for a better muscle regeneration and avoid injury. During the same bodybuilding session, it is also important to impose recovery times between exercises even if fatigue is not yet felt.
A good way of balancing physical expenditure is to know how to alternate between intensive efforts, rest periods and softer sessions. To achieve this, it is essential to listen to your body when training.
Understand the purpose of sport
To improve performance, it is interesting to understand the biomechanicsto meditate on the purpose of sports and to exercise mindfully.
Some athletes use weight training as a means of overcompensation to compensate for a lack or to externalize themselves. This method can be effective at first. But it will quickly become counterproductive. Indeed, the practitioner will be in permanent search of strong sensations and will exercise at high intensity to taste the adrenalin and the well-being that sport provides. Without realizing it, he will become addicted and may even fall into the bigorexia.
It is quite possible to have fun during a bodybuilding workout without overdoing it thanks to the hormones of the dopamine and endorphin secreted during exercise. If the athlete exceeds the acceptable limit, he or she risks endangering their physical and mental health. Bodybuilders often find it difficult to put their ego aside and carry loads that are sometimes too heavy for them. It is advisable in reality to privilege the technique with the weight of the dumbbells or the bars for build muscle sustainably.
From time to time, introspection can help you analyze your past results so that you can set new, more appropriate goals.
A healthy mind in a healthy body
Sleep and rest are two essential elements for a healthy muscular growth optimal.
Getting a good night's sleep will help you rebuild your muscles and gain mass. The sleep and rest phases are essential for your body to recover from the day's efforts and for your muscles to repair themselves in order to grow.
On average, an adult's body needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep to regenerate itself, especially if it is tired. You must therefore give your metabolism these restorative moments to preserve your health. If you feel more exhausted than usual and have the opportunity to do so, don't hesitate to take naps or enjoy a late morning at the weekend.
Adopt a balanced diet
It is also important to always respect your nutritional requirements. In the same way, knowing how to use the anabolic window is a great way to help your muscles synthesize the nutrients they need in real time, promoting congestion.
In addition to a good diet consisting of proteins, fats, fibre, carbohydrates and starches, be sure to include oilseeds in your diet.
To reach your goals, you can make snacks with protein bars and use food supplements such as BCAA (amino acids). In some cases, the use of gainers (preferably homemade) can help the body to better assimilate proteins to accelerate the muscle development.
Rich in vitamins, fruits such as oranges or kiwis are real daily allies. For an immediate boost of vitality, fresh fruit juices are rich in carbohydrates. If you feel that your sports activities are intensive, it is of course possible to take supplements. There are, for example, food supplements for the joints containing collagen and hyaluronic acid to accelerate regeneration.
To avoid muscle cramps and painful aches and pains, you should also drink plenty of water (and not just during your sports sessions). On average, the body needs 1.5 to 2 litres of water per day to function properly. For athletes, this quantity should be multiplied by two to take into account the phenomenon of catabolism which favours dehydration.
Monitor your heart rate and arterial system
The pulse is a very telling indicator. Measuring your pulse every day is a good way to know the state of your cardiovascular system. If you detect a cardiac arrhythmia (heart rhythm disorder) or an alteration in the frequency, do not hesitate to consult a doctor quickly in order to carry out an assessment.
Do not neglect the warm-up and cool-down
Make a warming up This will allow you to train in better conditions and to recover more quickly after the exercise. This will allow you to train in better conditions and to recover more quickly after the effort. Gaining muscle will therefore become easier.
Similarly, it may be a good idea to massage your muscles and joints to avoid muscle asthenia, joint swelling, inflammation or muscle stress. To do this, you can use a massage gun such as the Theragun, a foam roller or aelectrostimulation. All these methods will be beneficial to prepare the next physical efforts of the athlete.
The consequences of overtraining
The risks of overtraining are multiple. If some can handicap the athlete for a few months, others have irreversible consequences. Discover the risks involved, from the slightest to the most serious.
Tendonitis
Tendons are the fibres that connect the muscle to the bone. Sometimes they can become inflamed, causing more or less pain: this is called a tendinitis (or tendinopathy). When this happens, to treat tendonitisIf you have a tendon injury, you should not use the painful area for a few days or even weeks. This allows the tendons to rest and prevents them from tearing, which would require surgery.
Of course, suffering from tendonitis does not mean that you are overtraining. Some bodybuilders are simply more prone than others to this type of pathology.
Tear of muscle tissue
Athletes can also be victims of a torn muscle (or muscle strain). Strains refer to the rupture of several muscle bundles. They occur when a movement is carried out too suddenly, or when the contraction of a muscle during a physical effort is too fast.
This type of accident is very disabling in that the athlete will not be able to use the affected limb for many weeks. In order to recover all of his capacities, he will have to follow a reathletisation protocol with a physiotherapist specialised in sport.
The fracture
The fractures can be multiple. When you perform exercises that are too violent for the skeleton, the bones are put to the test. As a result, one or more bones may break. In such a situation, full recovery will undoubtedly take several months.
Torn ligaments
The ligaments are a very sensitive set of fibres. They can be subject to partial or total tears. These injuries are often very painful and may require surgery and several months of re-education (for example, count on about eight months for a return to sports after a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee).
Crushing of cartilage
The cartilage is a membrane located between the joints. Its function is to cover the ends of each bone to protect it during movement. But over time, cartilage can suffer irreversible trauma as it does not naturally rebuild itself. Medical intervention can nevertheless allow reconstruction by tissue bioengineering.
The herniated disc
The herniated disc is one of the most painful injuries. It forces the subject to remain in a lying position most of the time and to adapt his training. Certain exercises such as the squat or the deadlift should be avoided if you have a hernia.
Amenorrhea and infertility
In women, the onset of hormonal disturbances can be the result of great fatigue after sport. It can also occur for those whose bodies are more skeletal than average.
The woman's body can no longer keep up, and a delay or absence of menstruation eventually leads to infertility.
Vascular accident
The vascular accidents unfortunately cause deaths, even in young athletes who have not known how to listen to their body. Fortunately, this remains rare and mainly affects bodybuilders or high-level athletes who train in an extreme manner.
Cardiac arrest
Just like a stroke, acardiac arrest remains rare. It occurs when the heart can no longer withstand the intense efforts made during training and eventually gives out.
What to do in case of overtraining?
Overtraining is a phenomenon to be taken seriously. However, it is important to distinguish between a little temporary fatigue and overtraining. If there is one thing to remember, it is that you must listen to your body and adapt your effort. If you are feeling a little tired, rather than not training, you can simply do a less intensive workout by reducing its duration or using lighter loads.
But if you are really overtrained, the first thing to do is to take a break. Stopping sport for several weeks will allow a complete muscular recovery.
To regain vitality and meet physiological needs, it is also advisable to eat well by consuming healthy and protein products. Taking food supplements and vitamins can also be recommended.
Also, make sure you get enough restful sleep and balanced lifestyle. You can of course consult a doctor so that he or she can prescribe the appropriate medication for your situation.
Conclusion
Whether you are a bodybuilder or a sportsman in general, you now know what to do if you feel you are overtraining. Exhaustion due to excessive practice is a problem not to be taken lightly. From the first signs, it is advisable to take the necessary precautions and protect the body as much as possible in order to be able to enjoy the benefits of sport in the long term.
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One Comment
Great commentary, I learned a lot, thank you.