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Over training can occur when
runners run too hard or too fast which causes stress to their
bodies. Over training
can affect runners of all abilities but new runners are more
susceptible to over training. It’s in the nature of
the most runners to push themselves to achieve their goals.
Running without a coach or a running group can lead to a higher
incidence of over training. The early warning signs of over
training include:
• A dip in enthusiasm,
• You seem to catch a cold more easily,
• Stitches appear more quickly,
• Excessive muscle soreness and stiffness.
Essentially there are two main types of over training, sympathetic
and parasympathetic over training. The sympathetic nervous
system speeds up bodily functions thereby increasing energy
needs, and the parasympathetic system slows down bodily functions
thereby conserving energy. Together they comprise the autonomic
nervous system and work simultaneously to control breathing,
heart rate and sweat glands. Most
runners will suffer from sympathetic over training and suffer
from some or all of the symptoms below:
• Fatigue
• Lack of focus
• Difficulty in sleeping
• Prone to irritability
• Depression
• Decreases in performance
• Appetite and Weight Loss
• Delayed recovery from running
• Increase in injuries
• Excessive muscle soreness
• Loss of enthusiasm
To recover from sympathetic overtraining runners need to rest
or reduce the level of training. If runners ignore the symptoms
of sympathetic over training than the parasympathetic system
kicks in to allow the body to recover. The runners resting
heart rate will decrease to allow the body to recover also
the runner may suffer from a rapid heart rate recovery after
exercise, and decreased resting blood pressure. This obviously
has long term implications if continued for any given time.
Hormones regulate almost all your bodily functions. They regulate
growth and development, help you cope with both physical and
mental stress, and they regulate all forms of training responses
including protein metabolism, fat mobilization and energy
production. In a nutshell, they do it all.
Over training also causes the runners hormonal balance to
be affected. Anabolic processes are regulated by the levels
of testosterone to cortisol which is one regulates recovery
after a training session. A change in this ratio can significantly
affect the level of over training.
A reduction in the level of testosterone together with an
increase of cortisol will increase the amount of protein catabolism
in the cells. Over trained runners often have high levels
of urea which basically means that this process is responsible
for the loss of body mass when you over train. The
best way to minimize the risk of over training is to alternate
easy, moderate, and hard periods of training.
As a general rule, 1 or 2 days of intense training should
be followed by an equal number of easy aerobic training days.
Repeated days of hard training cause a gradual reduction of
muscle glycogen. Lowered blood glucose (from prolonged exercise
or not enough carbohydrates in your diet) stimulates the release
of glucagon, which performs the opposite function of insulin.
The body has the ability to store 500 grams of glycogen, 400
are in muscle glycogen, 95 in liver glycogen and 5 grams in
blood borne glucose. Unless these athletes consume extra carbohydrates
during these periods, their muscle and liver glycogen reserves
can be depleted. Therefore pre and post work out meals which
have the appropriate levels of carbohydrates, protein and
fat are essential to prevent over training. Injuries
due to over training include:
• Tight calves
• Shin Splints
• Knee Pain
• Hamstring injuries
• Back Pain
• Arch/ heel pain
• Achilles tendonitis
• Ankle sprains
• And a tell tale sign is blisters!
For detailed information on
these injuries please use the side navigation bar to navigate
to the appropriate topic of interest.
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