Aspects of overtraining

Abstract

The road to a safe, effective, and enjoyable fitness and athletic lifestyle should be considered an ultramarathon and not a 100-meter sprint. The often quoted phrase that Rome was not built in one day really holds credence here because of the number of annual exercisers that initiate an exercise protocol only to quit within a few weeks because they did not attain the desired results in their specified time frame. Because of inappropriate dietary habits and or training protocols that lead to overreaching (short-term) and overtraining (long-term), decrements of physiologic and psychologic outcomes occur in many exercisers (Kreider et al. In: Kreider et al., eds. Overtraining in Sport. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishers; 1 998:vii-ix). Whereas intense training is necessary to optimize performance, intense training over prolonged periods can hinder performance. The truth of the matter is, although it may take a person 30 or 40 years to display their current physical fitness state, it is human nature to want to immediately become, although unrealistic, the next Mr. or Ms. Olympia overnight. Yes, an effective athletic or fitness lifestyle becomes a journey and not a weekend vacation that involves the development of knowledge, patience, proper nutritional practices, variety, commitment and tenacity, not to mention hard work, in order for a person to reach and maintain their optimal athletic/exercise/fitness goals. Although research supports a plethora of reasons why people abandon exercise protocols (Weinberg and Gould. Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishers; 1999:371-395), the scientific literature has varied on the precise reasons why and how the processes of overreaching/overtraining occur and can be reduced or eliminated. With these elements in mind, the purpose of this chapter is to present the following information: 1) physiologic and psychologic effects of overtraining related to sport and exercise, 2) valid fitness and health assessment guidelines to limit aspects of overtraining, 3) strength and conditioning periodization design to reduce occurrences of overtraining, and 4) scientific-based nutritional strategies to promote and prevent overtraining with exercise and sport populations. © 2008 Humana Press.