Are You Training Too Much? The Facts
About Overtraining

Most people these days are worried about getting enough exercise. But, there are plenty of people who may be getting a little too much. Too much exercise may lead to overtraining which can make you susceptible to injuries and illnesses.

Overtraining is pretty much exactly what it sounds like it is: it means you are training too much — too much for your body to properly recover from. And, if your body can't recover properly, your body can’t (and won’t) progress or improve.

Imagine if you had a cut on your skin and rubbed the cut or even broke it open every day. You can see that this would take longer to heal. Muscles need to be allowed to heal too.

Overtraining is becoming increasingly more common. It frequently occurs in individuals who are training for a competition or a specific event, and they end up training beyond their body’s ability to recover. Individuals often exercise longer and harder so they can improve and be “better than ever”. This is where most people make the biggest mistake because, without adequate rest and recovery, these training regimens may actually lead to a decrease in your performance.

The perfect routine requires a balance between overload and recovery. Too much overload and/or too little recovery may result in both physical and psychological symptoms of overtraining.

A FEW OF THE MORE COMMON SIGNS OF OVER TRAINING ARE:

1. Feeling tired or drained, with a lack of energy when doing everyday activities.
2. A general feeling of aches and pains in your muscles and joints.
3. A sudden inability to complete workouts.
4. An inability to sleep.
5. Headaches.
6. An increased number of colds and sore throats.
7. A decrease in your training capacity and/or intensity.
8. Moodiness and an increase in irritability.
9. Depression.
10. Loss of enthusiasm for the sport you once loved.
11. A decrease appetite.
12. An increase incidence of injury.
13. A compulsive need to exercise.

Planning rest cycles into your training plan will help you prevent overtraining. During the rest period:

1. Eat carbohydrates.
2. Get a full night's sleep.
3. Drink plenty of fluids.

Adequate rest cycles will help your body to fully recover glycogen storage in muscles and liver, and mitochondrial enzyme systems within the muscle cells. During the rest period these systems overcompensate for the workout, which (if you have sufficient rest) causes your muscles to increase strength.