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Jarek MäestuSports Scientist (PhD),

Ex rower and rowing coach,Rowing Academy Scientist

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OVERTRAINING SYNDROME

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Dealing with overtraining syndrome

When training the athlete it is recommended to use training loads that are tolerable to the adaptability of the athlete. As a result , we expect the performance level of the athlete to improve with training.

To ensure this situation we must temporarily increase training loads. But the question will be how much we can stress the athlete to obtain maximal benefit, but not overtrain him/her.

If de-adaptation occurs due to overtraining it is usually too late to effectively reverse the condition of the athlete.

Therefore, the key issue in dealing with overtraining syndrome is prevention.

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Symptoms of overtraining syndrome

There are several symptoms that might refer to overtraining and decreasing adaptation . The problem is that the symptoms vary a lot between individuals at similar conditions. However, here are the most common ones:

• Impaired mood state, increased depression• Increased subjective ratings of effort• Higher resting heart rate• Fatigue• Sleep disturbances• Decrease in immune system• Possible weight loss• Decreased appetite• Inability to sustain high intensity workout, low intensity workout might be tolerated.• Decreased lactate performance curve

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The main causes that trigger exessive overtraining?

Rapid increases in training intensity. It has been suggested that increases in weekly intensity should not exceed 1 to 2 %.Rapid and sudden increases in training volume. Do not increase training volume more than 10% for longer periods. Avoid temporary increases of 30-50%, as often used in training camps during school breaks when athletes switch from 1 to 2 trainings per day.Poor nutrition. Be sure that the athlete has an adequate intake of carbohydrates and proteins, especially during high training load periods.Chronic dehydration that leads to decrease in blood volume. As said before, the main and the best option for treatment of severe overtraining is prevention. Therefore, a carefully designed training plan must have recovery periods included. For diagnosis of overtraining syndrome a flow chart has been recently suggested (Meuusen et al. 2013, next slide).

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Previous training more than 7 times per week?Unexplainable performance drop?

Persistent fatigue or exhaustion for more than 4 weeks?

Diseases associated with performance drop• Primary viral diseases?• Bacterial infection?• Other inflammatory diseases?• Other physical conditions?

Confounder• Viral diseases?• Burdering psycho social factors?• Nutritional disturbance?• Unfamiliar environment?• Significant decreases in training load?

Performance and training• Reduced max performance (>10%)?• Drop in aerobic performance ?• Reduced training volume (>20%)?• Deteriorated recovery?

YES

NOYES

NO

NoNoNoNo

YesYesYesYes

YES

NO

YesYesYesYesYes

One ‘yes’ is sufficient

OVERTRAININGSYNDROMEIS LIKELY

OVERTRAININGSYNDROMEIS NOT LIKELY

Meeusen et al. 2013

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In Conclusion

References

• It is difficult to recognize athletes with severe overtraining and overtraining syndrome, as there is no clear sign that tells you to stop.

• One of the key issues to suspect severe overtraining is the decrease in sport specific performance, but the decrement in performance cannot be used for prevention.

• While no single marker can be taken as an indicator of severe overtraining complex monitoring of psychological, physiological and immune parameters can be suggested

Meeusen R, Duclos M, Foster C, Fry A, Gleeson M, Nieman D, Raglin J, Rietens G, Steinacker J, Urhausen A. Prevention, diagnosis and the treatment of the overtraining syndrome: Joint consensus statement of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS) and the American College Of Sports Medicine (ACSM). European Journal of Sport Science 2013; 13: 1.

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• Overtraining, overreaching and overtraining syndrome (slideshow)• Training intensity and volume in owing (video)• Rest and recovery during training (wiki)

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