Why is overtraining dangerous

Use that time to stretch foam roll or do yoga , treat the body sports massage or salt bath , or simply rest. According to a recent study published in Science Daily , researchers discovered that overtraining increases the risk of gut damage. A healthy gut is critical for a healthy body and an overall healthy life. With compromised gut health comes risk of a weaker immune system, which ultimately leads to getting sick.

It is critical to keep the gut as healthy as possible, especially when we are working so hard to maintain a strict workout regimen. A second concern of overtraining—one that I often discuss with my more competitive or athletic clients—is that training too much hinders performance goals.

If you skip rest days and are running or strength training an extra two days per week and get injured see above , the goal of running a marathon in the next six months may no longer be realistic. Injury is just one common factor that leads to unmet performance goals.

Exhaustion, fatigue, and plateauing are others that we see far too often. Stick to your plan. Incorporate rest days and make sure that you are taking care of your body in every way. Any of these symptoms can be a sign that you are training too hard. Be sure to listen to your body and recognize when these come into play. I tell my clients to work out when it best fits their schedule and their lifestyle. Read on to take a closer look at some of the signs of overtraining as well as ways to prevent, treat, and recover from OTS.

Weightlifters who maintain an intense training schedule may also cut back on calories. This can negatively affect health and performance. If your body consistently draws on its energy reserves, you may develop nutritional deficiencies such as anemia. More serious conditions can arise that affect your cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems. Pushing yourself past your limits during a high-intensity interval training HIIT workout can lead to muscle strain and pain.

Overstressing your body can cause soreness and injuries. You may experience microtears in your muscles as well. Running too often can lead to overuse injuries such as shin splints, stress fractures, and plantar fasciitis.

Other overuse injuries include joint strains, broken bones, and soft tissue injuries. High impact exercise such as running puts stress and wear and tear on your body. If you have an injury, take a break from all types of training to allow it to heal. You may feel excessively drained, especially during or right after workouts. Your body then has to use its carbohydrate, protein, and fat reserves for energy. Working out usually leads to a healthy appetite.

However, working out too much can cause hormonal imbalances that can influence how hungry or full you feel. OTS can cause exhaustion, decreased appetite , and weight loss. Overtraining can affect your stress hormone levels, which can cause depression, mental fog, and mood changes. You may also experience restlessness and a lack of concentration or enthusiasm. You may have chronic injuries or nagging injuries that linger for a long time.

Rest between workouts is vital to recovery. Overtraining can cause your performance to plateau or decrease rather than improve. You may find you have less strength, agility, and endurance, which makes it more difficult to reach your training goals.

Overtraining can also slow your reaction time and running speed. If you have OTS, you may feel like your workouts aremore difficult, like they take more effort to complete. Additionally, your heart rate may take longer to return to its resting rate once you finish exercising.

When your stress hormones are out of balance, you may find it hard to relax and let go of tension at bedtime. This cuts into the crucial time your body needs to rest, repair, and restore itself during sleep. Lack of quality sleep can also lead to chronic fatigue and mood changes.

Along with feeling run-down, you may find you get sick more often. You may also be prone to infections, mild illnesses, and upper respiratory tract infections URTIs. Exercising too much without resting enough in between can lead to low testosterone levels and high levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.

These hormonal changes are often associated with loss of muscle tissue, weight gain , and excess belly fat. Have you noticed those heart rate monitors some guys wear at the gym? If your resting heart rate is unusually high or low, you should probably talk to a doctor. Often have an unquenchable thirst? The solution is simple: Drink plenty of water and get lots of sleep. Has your gym partner been noticeably absent lately? Focus is critical. Getting injured more often?