When the gyms gradually reopen, many tend to get back into training too quickly and too intensively. Intensive training often lasts for several weeks without the body getting enough rest. Whether strength or endurance training: Many athletes often do not even notice that they have slipped into overtraining. We explain how you can recognize the signs of overtraining and how you can escape the performance slump again!
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What is overtraining?
Overtraining is the physical condition in which, despite regular training, there is no longer any noticeable increase in performance. After training, the body can no longer regenerate sufficiently and be prepared for the next stimulus. Hobby athletes between the ages of 16 and 30 are often affected, as many train according to the motto “a lot helps a lot”. Overtraining is particularly common in strength sports with rapidly increasing weights, in CrossFit with high-intensity workouts or in endurance sports with demanding sprints or continuous exertion.
signs of overtraining
There are many symptoms of overtraining. These are the most common signs:
- extreme exhaustion, “heavy feeling” e.g. B. in the legs
- chronic fatigue, sleep disorders
- Restlessness, irritability, lack of concentration
- Motivationsprobleme
- prolonged muscle soreness or muscle pain
- headache
- increased susceptibility to infection
- increased resting heart rate
- weight gain and muscle loss
- decreased or increased appetite
Overtraining: How do I get fit again?
Have you noticed any symptoms in yourself that speak for overtraining? Then special measures help to bring the body back to rest and recovery. The stress level, including the cortisol level, should be reduced.
- Phase: Even if it is difficult, give up training for at least a day or even a whole week. Eat a protein-rich diet and at least the number of calories you consume every day – if necessary, a little more. As a result, the muscles are optimally supplied with important nutrients, so that the adaptation and repair process can run at full speed.
- Phase : Insert a deload. This is usually the time after several weeks of strenuous training, e.g. B. a week or ten days in which you train at a low intensity every other day, for example. In strength training, this means that you reduce the number of weights but increase the repetitions slightly. In endurance sports you should, e.g. When jogging, for example, avoid sprints and long endurance runs and prefer to do a relaxed lap around the block instead. You should remain in this phase until the signs of overtraining have disappeared.
- Phase : After the signs of overtraining have disappeared, you should avoid hard training for another six to 12 weeks. Increase the intensity and scope of training slowly so that you don’t exhaust yourself immediately.
Effectively prevent overtraining
In order not to slip into overtraining in the first place, you should attach importance to the following measures:
Reduce stress
Whether it’s stress at work, privately or in training: try to reduce any stress in your everyday life.
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Enough sleep
As an athlete, it is important to get enough and restful sleep. At least seven hours should be in it every night. It also depends on the quality of sleep. To improve this, avoid blue light from your smartphone or television in the evening, darken the bedroom and keep background noise away.
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Active recovery
In order to promote regeneration, it is important to keep the blood circulation active in the overworked parts of the body. Yoga, mobility or a relaxed walk activate the blood circulation and ensure that nutrients reach the muscles more effectively. This allows him to regenerate better.
Healthy nutrition
The alpha and omega is now a healthy diet. Protein-rich foods, nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, and complex carbohydrates should be on the menu to ensure optimal recovery for the body.
Plan the training Put together a training plan with appropriate recovery times. Document your progress and also the units if the training didn’t go so well. This is the best way to find out for yourself when your body is more resilient and when it needs rest.
