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Overtrained - What Does it Mean?
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ironboom
Oct 5, 08 19:00
Post #1 of 16 (802 views)
Overtrained - What Does it Mean?
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I have been training all year for Ironman Florida. I caught some bug a week and half to two weeks ago and haven't had any energy since. Most of the symptoms of the illness are gone--fever, cough, chills, runny nose, etc. I still have somewhat of a cough and a postnasal drip. But a week later, I still have absolutely no energy. I can barely walk 10 feet without having to stop. There is no way I can really train. My heart rate is 25 bpm higher at the same effort/power than it normally is. I am wondering if I am still sick, or if I am possibly overtrained, or both. My volume/intensity hasn't increased/fluctuated much throughout the year. I have however lost some weight over the past few weeks (prior to getting sick and even more while sick), which may have pushed me over the edge. I don't really know what overtrained means so I was hoping to get some feedback on whether there is really such a diagnosis, and if so, what are the causes (as I have said, my volume hasn't changed), symptoms and how long does it take to recover. Thanks.
http://iron-boom.blogspot.com
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desert dude
Oct 5, 08 19:27
Post #2 of 16 (771 views)
Re: Overtrained - What Does it Mean? [ironboom]
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overtraining
Give yourself another week of low volume, duration and intensity exercise. Probably wouldn't hurt to get some extra sleep for a bit as well.
Brian Stover
http://accelerate3.com
waitebe
Oct 5, 08 19:54
Post #3 of 16 (732 views)
Re: Overtrained - What Does it Mean? [ironboom]
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According to Hillary Biscay:
"If you over trained, it means that you didn't train hard enough to handle that level of training...So you weren't over trained; you were actually under trained to begin with...The guy who trains the hardest, the most, wins."
http://www.teamtbb.com/...;task=view&id=27
tigerchik
Oct 6, 08 9:09
Post #4 of 16 (620 views)
Re: Overtrained - What Does it Mean? [ironboom]
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I'm pulling this all from an undergrad thesis a friend of mine wrote:
The most basic description of overtraining syndrome is the "long term imbalance of physical training and recovery."
Common symptoms - decreased performance, inability to train at a high level of intensity, chronic fatigue, muscle soreness that won't go away, changes in mood (particularly irritability), infection/illness.
Sympathetic vs Parasympathetic overtraining:
-Sympathetic form is when body should be in rest but is instead hyperexcitable, restless.
-Parasympathetic: more common - increased vagal activity during exercise (to an abnormal level) - this is the fatigue during workouts and recovery, change in sleeping patterns, poor performance, depressed immune function, chronic systemic inflammatory problems
Hope that helps
has a lot to do with cortisol levels, being too high
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kilo83
Oct 6, 08 9:23
Post #5 of 16 (595 views)
Re: Overtrained - What Does it Mean? [ironboom]
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No such thing as overtraining, more like under-recovery.
J.C
JTRock
Oct 6, 08 9:36
Post #6 of 16 (568 views)
Re: Overtrained - What Does it Mean? [ironboom]
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Hey,
The short explanation of overtraining is that you have done more training over a given period then you are able to adapt to. This leads to fatigue. Over time you can accumulate fatigue to a point where you eventually become sick or injured. It is much more complicated than that but that is the basic idea.
The dude who posted a head of me pretty much has it right. It is not that you over train it is that you under rest. Your body didn't get the rest/recovery needed to adapt to the training load.
Anyway, based on your symptoms I would suggest you get a blood test done ASAP. Your symptoms (if your discription is accurate) sounds like Epsteen-bar or chronic fatigue syndrome. This is similar to mononeucleosis if you are familiar with mono. Basically, you are so broken down it has become systemic. I suggest this based off your "can't hardly walk 10 feet" statement.
Also, you might be feeling anemia or Iron depletion. This would be easier to fix then Epstee-Bar.
However, a blood test should give you what you need to know for both.
In either case rest and hydration are the best you can do. I would take at least 2-5 days completely off and see how you feel. If it is Epsteen-Bar you could be looking at months of rest in order to rebound completely.
Either way, take it seriously and look into it with a physician and deffinately get a blood test.
Good luck
Jimmy
Jimmy Archer
Pro Triathlete/Coach/Freelance Writer
http://jimmyarcherracing.blogspot.com
www.jimmyarcher.com
triguy42
Oct 6, 08 9:39
Post #7 of 16 (559 views)
Re: Overtrained - What Does it Mean? [kilo83]
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No such thing as overtraining, more like under-recovery.
Bingo. I did that to myself last week on the last "build" week for the GFT. I'm sorta still recovering from emergency appendectomy surgery in the end of June, and have been trying to ramp the volume back up on the bike. Ended up with a severe calf cramp at mile 60 and bailed on a ~140mi planned day. Insufficient recovery from a maxed-out 7 mile run on Wednesday and poor recovery...
Anyway, recovering from a significant illness is a totally different beast. Some viruses can cause heart damage if you train at high intensity while you are still sick, so it's nothing to laugh at. Regarding the high HR, this could be nutrition-related as well. One weekend in the middle of a build block i went out for a planned 16 mile run and turned around at mile 2.5 when my HR was hitting 190 during a "casual" run. I walked home at a HR of 100-120 (FTW!?!?!) took 2 multivitamins and had a big steak/potatoes/veggies lunch and got some decent sleep that night. I went out the next morning and ran an easy 16 with plenty of energy and HR in line. Fatigue and sleep can play a big role...
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trail
Oct 6, 08 9:44
Post #8 of 16 (551 views)
Re: Overtrained - What Does it Mean? [waitebe]
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According to Macca in response to the question, "What is a typical hard training week for you?":
"Volumes and hours mean nothing. It is balance of a schedule and ensuring recovery is monitored that is the key to a successful training week. The best training week is the one where you absorb the most workload from the sessions. This is not necessarily the hardest or the furthest. It is the best executed for the goals you have set."
That's a much, much smarter quote than Hillary's.
VegasTrilete
Oct 6, 08 9:44
Post #9 of 16 (549 views)
Re: Overtrained - What Does it Mean? [ironboom]
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It sounds like if you can only walk for 10 feet without getting exhausted and not all of the symptoms have cleared up, then you are still sick.
But all is not lost. You have a full year of endurance base and that is the last thing you lose. As others have said, you must recover.
If it was my call, here is what I would do.
1. No "formal structured" training.
2. Increase fluids, fruits, vegetables, lean protein. Vitamins. Spicy soups.
3. Stretching program
4. Walk. Wear a warm jogging suit. The idea is to break a sweat at as low a heart rate as possible. Plus it will keep the legs from tightening up because of the drastic reduction in what your body has been used to.
Once the day arrives and you wake up feeling motivated and ready to train, train at recovery heart rate for a week. That means no higher than 65% of max. Do this for one week. You should then be chomping the bits for your key workouts for your race.
Best of luck
jackmott
Oct 6, 08 9:59
Post #10 of 16 (521 views)
Re: Overtrained - What Does it Mean? [trail]
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I guess but he is essentially telling us nothing at all there.
In Reply To
According to Macca in response to the question, "What is a typical hard training week for you?":
"Volumes and hours mean nothing. It is balance of a schedule and ensuring recovery is monitored that is the key to a successful training week. The best training week is the one where you absorb the most workload from the sessions. This is not necessarily the hardest or the furthest. It is the best executed for the goals you have set."
That's a much, much smarter quote than Hillary's.
Khai
Oct 6, 08 12:43
Post #11 of 16 (411 views)
Re: Overtrained - What Does it Mean? [waitebe]
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According to Hillary Biscay:
"If you over trained, it means that you didn't train hard enough to handle that level of training...So you weren't over trained; you were actually under trained to begin with...The guy who trains the hardest, the most, wins."
http://www.teamtbb.com/...ew&id=27
I believe that quote originally came from Floyd Landis.
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swimfan
Oct 6, 08 12:47
Post #12 of 16 (397 views)
Re: Overtrained - What Does it Mean? [Khai]
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I was just gonna say that. yup you are right. And we all know how that movie ends :)
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MuffinTop
Oct 6, 08 12:54
Post #13 of 16 (380 views)
Re: Overtrained - What Does it Mean? [ironboom]
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It doesn't sound like you are overtrained so much as still sick. I agree with Desert Dude, take it easy for another week and see how you feel then.
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jyeager
Oct 6, 08 13:46
Post #14 of 16 (319 views)
Re: Overtrained - What Does it Mean? [ironboom]
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That's very similar to my summer. I don't remember an illness kicking things off, but my symptoms were just like yours... elevated heart rate, elevated respiration, shortness of breath, muscle loss, lack of energy, trouble sleeping, pathetic performances in workouts not to mention races...also had a lot of light-headedness/blackouts upon rising from a seat.
After probably 2 trips to my GP, he found I had nearly no testosterone (strike one). After fixing that I felt dramatically different but still out of breath getting out of a chair...heart rate 20% elevated 24/7...could jog a 10 minute mile then needed to stop.
They finally found I had a pulmonary embolism (dozens to be precise). 30% instant fatality rate.
I had all but convinced myself I had overtraining syndrome, but rest and increased calories didn't make a lick of difference. I would schedule a Dr. appointment immediately and have a full blood workup including metabolic panel, and electrolytes.
If those tests show nothing, then get a referral to a cardiologist or pulmonologist ASAP.
SLC_vt98
Oct 6, 08 14:00
Post #15 of 16 (307 views)
Re: Overtrained - What Does it Mean? [JTRock]
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... and deffinately get a blood test.
Good luck
Jimmy
Of course it will take 2 weeks to get the blood test results back.
...
Run like you stole something
jkenny5150
Oct 6, 08 18:15
Post #16 of 16 (225 views)
Re: Overtrained - What Does it Mean? [jackmott]
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That actually sounds like a Sarah Palin answer.
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