OVERTRAINING AND RECOVERY

1. OVERTRAINING AND RECOVERY

2. Overtraining • Overtraining or overtraining syndrome is a physical condition characterised in its most severe form by: • decreased athletic performance, • increased fatigue, • persistent muscle soreness, • mood disturbances • and a feeling of being ‘burnt out’ or ‘stale’

3. Causes of overtraining syndrome • Overtraining syndrome usually occurs when the amount and quality of recovery time is insufficient to fully recover from the stresses of training. • Other factors include: - Excessive training volume - Inappropriate application of overload - Training whilst suffering from illness

4. Causes of Overtraining Syndrome • Excessive increases in training loads following periods of enforced lay-off due to injury or illness • Excessive competition scheduling • Poor nutritional state • External stressors such as work and study demands, family responsibilities, difficulties in personal relationships etc.

5. Signs and symptoms of overtraining • PHYSIOLOGICAL • Persistent feelings of fatigue • Chronic muscle soreness • Increased or decreased resting heart rate • Increased heart rate at submax. Levels • Earlier onset of fatigue during exercise bouts • Decreased performance during strength and power testing • Decreased coordination

6. Signs and symptoms of overtraining • PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS • Decreased concentration span • Decreased motivation levels • Increased irritability / anger • Depression • Increased anxiety levels • Increased fear of competition • Increased sensitivity to emotional stress • Increased tendency to give up

7. Signs and symptoms of overtraining • MISCELLANEOUS SYMPTOMS • More frequent illnesses • Loss of appetite • Increase in overuse injuries • Insomnia • Lack of enjoyment of training and competition

8. Causes of overtraining

9. Recovery • Recovery can be defined as the “overcoming or reversal or the fatigue experienced as the result of participation in a training session or some form of exercise bout”.

10. Recovery Strategies • The cool down phase immediately post exercise (active recovery / rest) • Passive rest • Replenishment of fuel stores, particularly carbohydrates and ingestion of protein. • Replenishment of fluids and electrolytes (rehydration) • Physical and psychological regenerative therapies, such as hydrotherapy and massage.

11. Immediately after competition or training Drink / eat Walk / move (about 5 minutes) Stretch whilst warm Hot / cold shower That evening / end of day: Hot / cold shower Stretch and self massage Use relaxation skills e.g progressive muscle relaxation before bed. Recovery activities

12. Next day Check weight and hydrate Eat well – carb’s and proteins Swim or stretch in pool hot / cold shower Walk or light activity for 30 minutes Each week At least two full massages At least two pool / stretch sessions Time out to relax (recovery) Recovery activities

13. Protein ingestion • In addition to carbohydrates it is also important that athletes consume foods that contain protein (amino acids) as part of the recovery process. • In fact, protein and carbohydrate make excellent partners for post exercise nutrition. • When consumed together, the result is a synergistic stimulation of insulin release. Put more simply, the addition of protein amplifies the insulin response to depleted muscle cells.

15. Rehydration: the place for Sports Drinks • Scientists and nutritionists now generally agree that the modern breed of sports drinks can now offer significant advantages over ordinary water in terms of replenishment of lost body fluids • Provided the concentration of dissolved carbohydrates and electrolytes is appropriate, sports drinks can actually speed up the process of rehydration after exercise.

16. Sports drinks

17. Advantages of Sports Drinks • The carbohydrates and electrolytes (particularly sodium) in sports drinks provide flavoring and taste that can increase palatability and help stimulate consumption. • The sodium also aids in the retention of consumed fluids within the intracellular spaces without inhibiting the thirst mechanism.

18. Advantages of Sports Drinks continued • The carbohydrates in sports drinks aid in the energy replenishment of glycogen stores – another key aspect of the recovery process. • Sports drinks with a carbohydrate concentration of between 6-8% are emptied from the stomach at a rate similar to or slightly faster than plain water.

19. Regenerative Therapies • Hydrotherapy - cryotherapy (use if ice) - hot and cold contrast therapy - spas and mineral springs (balneotherapy) • Massage • Stretching • Hyperbaric oxygen therapy