How To Treat Overtraining Syndrome

Depending on who you speak to, you’ll hear many different definitions of overtraining syndrome.

Some believe it’s any time you’re in a state where you’re feeling run down, sore, beaten up, aching and suffering from a dip in performance and energy levels.

Others would class overtraining as something far more serious. It can be seen as a state where your body is almost giving up – you’ve thrown so many challenges at it during training sessions, are stressed, possibly under nourished, and over time, this leads to serious illness.

To help you out, this article is in two sections. The first deals with the more minor form of overtraining, more commonly known as over reaching.

This is still something you need to concern yourself with, but it can be dealt with fairly quickly.

The second section focuses on serious overtraining – where you feel physically ill. This is far more severe and requires a much more detailed approach, and will take longer to recover from. You can cure it, but just be prepared for it to take some time.

Treating Over Reaching Syndrome

Over reaching isn’t really too big a deal.

Many programs actually aim to achieve an over reached state. Strength coach Charles Poliquin’s Super Accumulation program for example, is designed to be used before you’re planning a lay off from training. This is nothing new, but it aims to get you to a planned state of over reaching. Usually you’d perform this before a vacation, when you know you’ve got a couple of weeks off. The idea behind the program is that you train your body to its limits, then get a solid 7 to 14 days of down time to let yourself recover.

This is also used in many powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting style programs.

So there’s your first cure – rest.

Rest

When you start to feel the onset of over reaching or overtraining, take a break.

This definitely means no heavy weight training. You can forget anything over 50 percent of your one rep max.

Usually bench press 250 pounds and squat 350? If you even set foot in the gym during your rest, don’t touch a bench bar above 125 pounds or even consider trying any heavy squats. In fact, you’re best off leaving the weights alone completely. As tough as it may be to take a break, you need the rest. Aim for at least a week of no weight training.

Mobility

If you want to do something while resting up, get some mobility work done.

It’s something far too many of us neglect, but it’s so important, not just for general health, but for improving your lifting performance too. How many times do you go into the gym and feel your front squats aren’t quite deep enough, feel a strain in your lower back because you can’t get your hips into the right deadlift position, or feel a pec tweak on any chest exercises?

If you’re anything like most of the general gym going public, the answer will be “too often!”

When you have a full training schedule, it can be tough to find time for mobility work, but when you’re taking an enforced break from lifting, it’s the ideal time to work on your mobility.

Treating Overtraining Syndrome

Now, overtraining is a slightly different issue.

The best way this can be described is almost like flu. You might get cold-like symptoms, then start to feel incredibly tired, sore, stressed out and almost depressed.

The best cure for overtraining syndrome is to avoid it in the first place. When you feel the onset of these symptoms, implement the treatment strategies for over reaching syndrome.

That’s easier said than done though, and it’s tempting to push through the pain, even though you know better.

So if overtraining does strike with full force, what can you do?

Bed

Yep, go to bed. To be honest, if you are truly suffering from overtraining, you won’t be able to do anything else anyway, so we’ll take this one as a given. In fact, if you’re still up and about, going through your daily routine, just refer back to the cures for over reaching – they’ll see you right.

See the Doc

When suffering from overtraining, you may be slightly malnourished, have nutritional deficiencies, and your hormone levels can be out of whack. Get an appointment with your Doctor and ask for him or her to do an assessment and have a blood test done.

Eat

This goes for over reaching too, but eating is one of the best things you can do for recovery. Food is your fuel, and to get better you need more energy.

This can be difficult to decide exactly how to go with your nutrition though.

On the one hand, you want the best quality nutrients possible, to give your body natural sources of energy, which would make meat, oily fish, full-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables your best choice.

However, you also need lots of calories, and there’s a certain aspect of eating to improve your mentality as well as your physical state. Let’s face it, a bowl of broccoli may be super high in antioxidants, but it’s going to be hard to get enough calories from fresh veggies, and when you’re feeling ill, even your favorite vegetables and lean meats aren't as satisfying as a big bowl of ice cream or extra large meat feast pizza with double cheese.

Therefore, a mixed approach to nutrition is best. Aim to get your fresh, nutrient-dense foods in, but eat some junk too. This gives the perfect balance of proteins, healthy fats and antioxidants, but ensures you get plenty of calories too.

Rest