8 Signs and & Symptoms of Over Training

Many fitness enthusiasts, especially younger and newer lifters, tend to think that more is better. That could be more sets, reps, and that also usually includes more weight. It can also mean more days training in a row without a break. 

The downside to that thinking is more of something means less of something else. In this case, that means less rest, recovery, and ultimately results. Overtraining is very common, and the sooner you realize when you reach that point, the sooner you can correct course and get back to improving. We will cover what overtraining is, the signs of it, and what you can do to either prevent making this mistake or correcting it if you already have.

What Is Overtraining Syndrome (OTS)?

“Overtraining” is such a common gym term that people think that it is only slang for weight rooms. The clinical name for it is “Overtraining Syndrome,” or OTS for short. The definition used for OTS is accumulated training stress that exceeds recovery capacity. That makes is different and more intense than normal fatigue from regular activity performed in a single day.

What overtraining is not is a hardcore way of saying that you are pushing yourself more in the gym for the sake of proving superiority over other gymgoers. There are some days that adding some extra volume or intensity can serve you well, but those occasions should be limited. Once the ability to recover is overwhelmed by the work you’re putting in, you’ve went beyond pushing yourself and into OTS territory.

How Common Is Overtraining?

There is no shame in admitting that you may have reached points of overtraining because it has affected athletes and lifters for as long as training has been around. Overtraining is so common that research in 2013 concluded that up to 60% of elite athletes experience OTS at some point or another. (1)

If even elite athletes with coaches and trainers can overtrain, then it can be even more common with recreational fitness enthusiasts that are trying to simply improve their personal success. It can be easy to fall into the OTS trap nowadays with everyday culture placing more emphasis on grinding, hustling, and taking no days off because the competition is working when you’re not. The fact is why they are working, you can be recovering, which is just as important to your chances of success and winning as when you’re putting in the work. 

Overtraining vs. Overreaching: Key Differences

There are key differences between overtraining and planned overreaching. Think of overreaching as placing extra emphasis on training as part of a preparation for a big event, contest, or pursuit of a long-term goal. These phases are traditionally short-lived (no more than a few weeks), and there are recovery plans in place to compensate for the extra work that is being put in. Once the big event is over, a one-to-two-week deload or break from training is also scheduled to maximize recovery from that work.

Sometimes, overreaching could be unplanned and instinctively added to a workout plan. This could be when an athlete wants to maximize an offseason or if someone is putting more time into the gym because of life factors outside of the gym. There is no rhyme nor reason for it except to relieve stress and give the brain a break. Most experts will say that training shouldn’t replace therapy, but as long as this doesn’t go too long, goals might not be compromised. Recovery from this could also be a matter of weeks.

If there is more work being done in the gym for more than a month and has no connection to goals or isn’t planned, then it has likely breached into OTS. The recovery from this could be as long as a few months, depending on the severity of the overtraining and injuries or issues that came from it.

Physical Signs of Overtraining

The sooner you know the signs of overtraining and what it looks or feels like, the sooner you can adjust your overall fitness plan. That also means the sooner you can decrease the chances of either hitting a plateau or worse, suffering an injury. Watch for these signs when you’re in or out of the gym because they could be signals you’ve went beyond pushing yourself and into the realm of OTS.

Persistent muscle soreness and heaviness beyond 72 hours - There is a difference between Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), which is temporary and short-lived, and persistent soreness and heaviness that could evolve into daily pain. If you’re consistently sore for more than three days after training, then it’s time for a deload or break from the gym.

Declining performance despite consistent training - If you have been consistently training but find yourself using less weight, needing more time between sets, or having to cut cardio sessions short, then you’re no longer in the middle of a grind, you’re overtraining.

Increased resting heart rate and reduced heart rate variability (HRV) - Resting heart rate is an overlooked and undervalued metric that can determine one’s fitness and recovery ability. If you don’t know yours, you should find out immediately. Most fitness enthusiasts could expect theirs to be between 50-70 beats per minute (BPM).

Once you have that information, if your resting HR is elevated by over five BPM or more than three consecutive days, you’re overtraining. If you find that your resting heart rate is over 10 BPM, a break from training is paramount. (2)

Frequent illness - If you’ve been battling various illnesses for more than a few days, then no it isn’t allergies or something going around: you’re overtraining. Your immune system has been compromised, which can lead to elevated cortisol levels. For men, the cortisol:testosterone ratio is the key hormonal marker, and a chronic imbalance will not only impact your training but could lead to more health issues in the future. (3)

Nagging injuries and elevated injury risk - Lifters may overlook most forms of muscle soreness because it’s common knowledge that muscle fibers are being torn down during training. However, overtraining can lead to muscle strains, breakdown of ligaments, tendons, and connective tissue. This also raises the stakes for greater injuries to occur. This is how shoulder soreness or hip soreness can eventually lead to replacements later in life. 

Psychological and Hormonal Signs of Overtraining

OTS can and will affect more than the body’s muscles and what you can do in the weight room. It can also impact the mind and hormones. If any of these issues seem familiar to you, then it’s time to evaluate your fitness strategy.

Mood disturbances - Mood shifts are an early indicator of OTS, and that doesn’t mean only being irritable or having a bad day and lashing out. Anxiety, depression, and loss of motivation to train in general are all signs that what you’re doing is taking a toll more than doing you good. Once disturbances like this appear common, you’ve likely went beyond pushing yourself too hard in the gym.

Sleep disruption - Sleep disruption can show up in multiple ways. One sign could be having trouble falling asleep at night or staying asleep despite being exhausted from the previous day. Stress or physical pain could be keeping you from being the deep sleep state you need for recovery.

If you did manage to sleep through the night but find yourself randomly dozing off during the day, that could mean your body hasn’t recovered enough from the training. Once you’re awake, you should be able to stay awake and perform your daily routine as you normally would. The takeaway here is that sleep disruption is both a symptom and a cause for overtraining. If your sleep isn’t consistent, then changes are vital because sleep is the most important form of recovery you have.

Hormonal imbalance - The cortisol to testosterone ratio was discussed earlier, but women can also deal with hormonal matters due to OTS. Signs of this could include disrupted menstrual cycles, night sweats, and lower estrogen or progesterone levels.

How to Recover from Overtraining

Time dwelling about overtraining is time better used to recover from it. OTS isn’t a death sentence, and the good news is that the right choices can get you back on the right track. Apply these strategies as soon as possible, and you will be on the road back to making progress and getting the return on the time invested in self-improvement. None of these tips will work overnight. Honestly, full recovery from OTS could be weeks or even months, but taking these steps now could help prevent a longer unchosen break in the future.

Reduce training volume and intensity - In some cases, a complete break is essential, but that won’t always apply. Simply lowering the effort from 100 percent to 50 can serve you well. That could be using less weight, doing less volume, training less days a week, and not taking the intensity over a level 7 out of 10. It isn’t always about full rest and keeping yourself away from the weight room, track, or gym.

Prioritise sleep, nutrition, and stress management - The time you’re not in the gym can be spent either eating well, managing stress, or sleeping so you can improve your recovery. Every calorie you consume should help you instead of hurt you during this time. That means making a plan and sticking to it.

As tough as life can be occasionally, learning how to deal with that stress in healthy ways will be a great benefit. We can’t control what happens in life, but we can control our response to it. Lean into that so cortisol won’t elevate even more.

Sleep may be the most important of all these option, and you should commit as many resources to this as possible. Clean and comfortable sheets and pillows on a suitable mattress are non-negotiables. Restrict blue light up to an hour before bedtime, and make sure you sleep in a cool room. These are simple but effective ways to maximize sleep quality and quantity.

Unscheduled naps and dozing off are signs of overtraining, but planning naps when recovering from OTS can actually be a good idea. Keep them to an hour or two at the most, however, and a good rule of thumb is that it should be over at least six hours before your scheduled bedtime. If you go to bed at 10 p.m., then you should be up from your nap by 4 p.m. at the latest.

Supplement Support - Keep these supplements in stock to prevent overtraining or to help recover from it.

Creatine - Creatine monohydrate isn’t just for after training. It can serve you well during times of recovery as well because of how it can help preserve muscle. Creatine with HMB amplifies that recovery even more so you can be assured that you won’t be starting over when training resumes.

Quality Sleep Aid - A sleep aid can be positive, but you don’t want to be dependent on it every day. It should be a non-habit forming supplement. One such as Sleep & Recover could be taken on nights that you find yourself staying awake or if you’re on the road and are staying in an unfamiliar hotel room. 

Post-Workout Recovery Nutrition - Even though you may be training with less volume and intensity, the post-workout recovery and nutrition should remain the same you have the calories, macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals needed to continue that recovery. 

How to Prevent Overtraining

If you’re new to training and came upon this information or have found yourself needing to recover from OTS, then knowing how to prevent in the future should be a key focus. When planned appropriately, preventing overtraining isn’t that difficult and can save you from having to worry about recovering from injuries or OTS. Here are some simple hacks to do just that.

Periodization - Periodization is the strategic manipulation of training volume, intensity, and rest to peak for a specific goal while avoiding the cumulative exhaustion that triggers overtraining syndrome. Having a long offseason, followed by a calculated training cycle that alternates high-intensity phases with more moderate periods can help promote results and overall health.

Progressive Overload - I know the gym culture preaches about keeping the training at 100 at all times, but that isn’t necessary and can actually do more harm than good. Not every workout has to be max effort. 

Even powerlifters and strongman have days where they plan for submaximal training because of how it helps them work on weaknesses and minimizes the toll that the heavier loads place on the body. Starting lighter and ramping up to a high-intensity period prepares the body for what is to come, which then helps yield better long-term results.

Deload Weeks - Once those more intense phases are over, planning short deload periods that feel like going through the motions can scratch the itch of working out while not interfering with the important recovery that is taking place. 

Tracking Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and Sleep - Thanks to wearable technology, heart rate variability and sleep can be monitored daily. While they may not be essential for fitness enthusiasts, using these tools can definitely take your progress to a new level because you can see the signs of overtraining early and plan accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between pushing yourself harder and overtraining?

Pushing yourself is committing to a short period of time that you are taking your training to maximum limits for a specific goal or outcome, followed by a planned recovery process. Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) is when you’ve simply placed too much work on the body with little to no time to recover from it, which impeded progress and makes you more vulnerable to injuries.

What signs of overtraining should I look for?

Common signs of overtraining include a decrease in production, more stress that leads to mood swings, lower quality sleep, and longer durations of pain versus soreness. If any of all of these apply to you, then you should consider stepping back from intense training and focus on recovery.

How can I improve my recovery to overcome OTS faster?

As tempting as it can be to rush the process and get back in the weight room, making the most of each day is your best bet to recover from OTS. Faster isn’t always better, and that rule definitely applies here. Shortcuts won’t get you back to training quicker, and it could actually lead to another unplanned break if you were to get injured. The guidance above can help you maximize your recovery while still allowing you to get some form of training in.

References 

1. Meeusen, R., Duclos, M., Foster, C., Fry, A., Gleeson, M., Nieman, D., Raglin, J., Rietjens, G., Steinacker, J., & Urhausen, A. (2013). Prevention, diagnosis and 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, 13(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2012.730061

2. Dressendorfer, R. H., Wade, C. E., & Scaff, J. H. (1985). Increased Morning Heart Rate in Runners: A Valid Sign of Overtraining? The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 13(5), 77–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913847.1985.11708858

3. Gleeson, M., Nieman, D. C., & Pedersen, B. K. (2004). Exercise, nutrition and immune function. Food, Nutrition and Sports Performance II, 186-203. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203448618-9