Too much of a good thing

Last weekend was the half Ironman, and of the more than 3,000 athletes, 2,449 finished within the allowed time. A week later now, the many hours of training over the last few months can be accessed. For some athletes, it could be time to ensure they are not overtraining. What can be a bit of an unknown to many athletes, but is no secret among seasoned elites and pros, is working out hard to improve performance comes with the risk of overtraining.

As a follow-up to my post-race recovery column from last week, I think it is important to beware of the pitfalls of overtraining and this is especially true when it comes to endurance athletes. The issue of overtraining and the science around it has become very well understood and for professional endurance athletes; they have built rest and recovery into their training as thoroughly as nutrition and exercise intensity.

So what’s at risk beyond the usual repetitive injuries and other short term setbacks is damage to your heart. There have been a dozen or so studies over the past few years that indicate endurance folks have a much higher rate of developing arrhythmia. More recently, a study was done following elite athletes who compete in more than 100 competitive events, including long-race events such as Ironman. It found about 15 percent of them have irreversible scarring to various areas of their hearts. The good news is we have a better understanding of these issues, so athletes can manage their training and recovery much better. The bad news for those athletes who have spent many years overtraining may have developed what is called “athlete’s heart” or “athletic bradycardia,” which can lead to severe heath issues down the road.

Training breaks you down, builds endurance and conditions your body — but more importantly it is rest that rebuilds you and makes you stronger. Physiologic improvement in your physical conditioning only occurs during the rest period following your training. Your body is responding to maximal loading of the cardiovascular and muscular systems, which in turn strengthens your heart, increases capillaries in the muscles, and increases glycogen stores and mitochondrial enzyme systems within the muscle cells. During rest and recovery, these systems continually build to higher levels to compensate for the stress you

have applied. The optimal end result is a stronger, more conditioned set of body systems that give you increases in peak performance.

The bottom line: if sufficient rest is not included in a training program, then healing and repair cannot occur. Your performance flattens out and, in some cases, declines rapidly. If this imbalance between excess training and inadequate rest continues over time, then the repeated stress of training gets to a point where rest is no longer adequate to allow for recovery. Overtraining creates a set of conditions that affect emotional, behavioral, and physical aspects of your health. It is very important to note that the longer you overtrain, the more down time and rest will be needed to reverse the condition. In some cases, it can take weeks to months for a full recovery. Since exercise can be addictive, the prospect of a long period of inactivity due to rest and recovery can bring anxiety to those of us that love our daily fitness routines.

The following are a few common signs of overtraining:

• Fatigue

• Increased resting heart rate

• Decreased heart rate

• Increased resting blood pressure

• Decreased maximal power output

• Slower recovery after exercise

• Decreased appetite

• Increased irritability and depression

There have been a number of studies that show there are two forms of overtraining. The sympathetic form is more common in sprint type sports and the parasympathetic form is more common in endurance sports.

Now that we have a basic understanding of a few indicators that you may have overtrained to some degree, what should you do to correct the issue?

First, start with a checkup with your doctor. Fatigue and heart rate changes can point to a much more serious problem. Then train with a heart rate monitor and keep a daily log of your heart rates: once when you first get up in the morning and then when your winding down at the end of the day.

The next important aspect is to change your workout regimen. Cut back the cardio, adjust your circuit training, maybe just stick to basic weight training for a time until you have recovered and you see your energy levels come back along with a more normal resting heart rate etc. Be careful. Some people think resting from overtraining means no running, so they increase their swimming which does help your quads, but to your cardiovascular system, stress is stress.

Remember that a balanced and gradual increase in training once you have recovered is strongly recommended. Keep a training log that will monitor your progress and be sure to include distance, intensity, weight gain or loss and, of course, your heart rate information. Be aware of your post workout recovery, how sore, injuries, how quickly you are recovering etc …

As you approach your fitness and exercise, remember that rest is just as important to your training as the workout. Studies have shown that a reduced training regimen for up to 21 days will not decrease your overall performance. Be sure to log your activity and if your body is telling you to take it easy, then rest. All things in moderation and fitness is no different.

• • •

Judd Jones is a director for the Hagadone Corp.