Preventing overtraining syndrome. (American Running Association).Aggressive training practices without adequate recovery can lead to staleness, overtraining overtraining training horses or dogs too hard so that they lose spirit. overtraining Sports medicine A general term for any practice of, or training for, a particular sport which is in excess of that necessary to participate in the sport , which syndrome, injury, and burnout Burnout Depletion of a tax shelter's benefits. In the context of mortgage backed securities it refers to the percentage of the pool that has prepaid their mortgage. , and this is not the exclusive domain of competitive athletes. Anyone can fall into the bind of training too hard, too often, and resting too little. Over-training symptoms can mirror the symptoms of major depression, and your motivation, mood, and health can take a prolonged nosedive nose·dive n. 1. A very steep dive of an aircraft. 2. A sudden, swift drop or plunge: Stock prices took a nosedive. Noun 1. . Despite hard work your running performance suffers as a result. If you answer yes to any of the following questions, consider the possibility of over-training and staleness. * Do you feel more fatigued than usual and a day off with a good night of sleep doesn't refresh (1) To continuously charge a device that cannot hold its content. CRTs must be refreshed, because the phosphors hold their glow for only a few milliseconds. Dynamic RAM chips require refreshing to maintain their charged bit patterns. See vertical scan frequency and redraw. you? * Does a regular training run feel harder than usual? * Are you experiencing mood swings, decreased motivation, lowered libido libido (lĭbē`dō, –bī`–) [Lat.,=lust], psychoanalytic term used by Sigmund Freud to identify instinctive energy with the sex instinct. , unplanned weight loss, and wear and tear on your close relationships? * Is your morning resting heart rate more than 10% higher than usual? Here are some suggestions for dealing with this difficult problem. For those who are vulnerable to over-training, you will need to apply your high motivation to training wisely and with discipline so that you can stay healthy and accomplish your goals. * Incorporate more rest or easy days into your training schedule and plan to taper training before racing events. Plan rest and recovery with as much emphasis and importance as training. Include a rest day (a day off) every week. Alternate easy days with hard days. Plan an easy week every couple of months. Take a vacation from running each season. * Obtain a professional nutritional consult (if possible a sports nutritionist nu·tri·tion·ist n. One who is trained or is an expert in the field of nutrition. nutritionist Dietitian, see there ) to make sure that your caloric caloric /ca·lo·ric/ (kah-lor´ik) pertaining to heat or to calories. ca·lor·ic adj. 1. Of or relating to calories. 2. Of or relating to heat. intake is balanced with your energy expenditures. Check your body weight on a daily basis so that you'll be aware of fluctuations. * Ensure good sleeping habits. You should be sleeping at least seven to eight hours a night. * Learn about periodized training. Periodization Periodization is the attempt to categorize or divide time into discrete named blocks. The result is a descriptive abstraction that provides a useful handle on periods of time with relatively stable characteristics. is a training strategy that allows adequate recovery by varying training intensity and planning for peak performance during your competitive season. Overtraining is avoided by alternating periods of lower intensity or cross-training with more intense training periods. (See Running & FitNews, November 2000.) * Place running in its proper perspective as one part of a balanced, complete life. (American Running Association Clinic Advisor; Carlos Jimenez, MD., contributed to this article.) |
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