Overtraining syndrome is caused by excessive training and inadequate recovery periods, writes Giles Warrington
SUCCESS IN elite sport is a subtle mix of natural ability and the development of key technical and tactical skills as well as physical and mental capacities attained through hours of quality coaching, training and deliberate practice.
This requires a high level of commitment, passion, resilience, single mindedness and a balanced and at times sacrificial lifestyle. Consistent performance is the product of hard work which is offset by appropriate recovery.
After all, it is during this recovery period that training adaptation occurs.
When the differences between success and failure are measured in hundredths of a second or the kick of a ball, there is often a very fine line between optimising training stress and pushing the body too far.
In the short term, excessive training stress may result in acute fatigue, progressively leading to "overreaching" and ultimately "overtraining syndrome".
Overtraining syndrome is caused by excessive training coupled with inadequate periods of recovery and regeneration and an inability of the athlete or coach to recognise the initial signs of fatigue. The situation may be exacerbated due to the inadequate maintenance of effective nutritional practices.
The precise causes of overtraining are still not fully understood and may be multi-faceted in nature and complicated by individual lifestyle factors. This has led to overtraining being re-defined in the sports medicine and scientific community as "unexplained underperformance syndrome" or UPS.
At present, there are more than 90 potential physiological and psychological symptoms of overtraining syndrome reported in the scientific literature.
Common symptoms would include the need for prolonged recovery after training and competition; reduced tolerance to increased training load; increased muscle soreness; reduced self- confidence; mood swings; and a lack of motivation - all leading to reduced performance.
On the basis that, apart from extended rest, there is no treatment for overtraining, it is essential that the syndrome is identified in the early stages and prevented.
With the ever increasing emphasis placed on success in the international sporting arena, there is a greater pressure on elite athletes to increase the volume and/or intensity of their training, to enhance performance, with a greater associated risk of fatigue and overtraining.
The development of optimal performance is therefore dependent of the careful planning, periodisation and implementation of a training programme, which caters for the physical demands of a particular sport and individual needs of each athlete.
The ability of the athlete and coach to recognise the signs and symptoms of excessive fatigue is, therefore, critical so that appropriate remedial action can be taken before this maladaptive state manifests itself as overtraining.
In this regard, the use of a structured training diary may be a particularly important self- monitoring tool. After all, prevention is better than cure.
• Dr Giles Warrington is a sport and exercise physiologist and lecturer in the School of Health and Human Performance at DCU