by Henry Gould – Oct 21, 2019

Overtraining is a very interesting concept, mostly because we don’t know a whole lot about it. And when I saw “we”, I mean scientists…

According to this guide, “Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) appears to be a maladapted response to excessive exercise without adequate rest, resulting in perturbations of multiple body systems (neurologic, endocrinologic, immunologic) coupled with mood changes.”.

OTS can be found in any form of athletics, but is especially prominent in bodybuilders, weightlifters and endurance athletes, who are pushing themselves so hard in training that the body breaks down, unable to recover in time for the next round of exercise.

However, it may be just as much about the brain shutting down as it is the body. This article from Oct 8th, 2019 in Outside magazine is an excerpt from author Alex Hutchinson’s new book “Endure: Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic of Human Performance“. In it, Alex goes into detail on how it may be as much about mental fatigue as it is physical fatigue.

“In her exploration of the epidemic of overtraining syndrome among ultrarunners a few years ago, Outside contributor Meaghen Brown told the story of Mike Wolfe, a North Face pro from Montana whose career had ground to a halt in the face of a debilitating but unexplained set of symptoms. Over the years, scientists have kicked around numerous possible theories about overtraining: unbalanced hormones, an immune system gone haywire, energy deficits, stress overload, and so on. But Wolfe was ready to consider a simpler possibility: “[A]t some point,” he mused, “the mind quits before the body and just says, ‘Enough.’”

Clearly there can be payoffs to insanely hard training (both mental and physical) as we saw Eliud Kipchoge’s recent record breaking, sub-2 hour marathon in Vienna. This was a record many thought would never be broken, so evidently pushing ones self to the limit can have benefits, if done in a smart way.

Regardless, OTS is a very serious condition and one that needs to be monitored closely if you think you’re experiencing symptoms. As much as we love to see you in the Yard every day of the week, it’s important to remember that rest can be just as powerful as a workout…