There is more to athletes than just physical injuries and complications that can make them go from a 100 to 0 in no time. Sometimes, issues can be psychological and internal, and overtraining syndrome is one of them. This can lead an athlete to overwork their body and face injuries. Some injuries can be serious and they may have to consult an orthopedic surgeon for treatment.

What Is Overtraining Syndrome?

Athletes thrive on moving their bodies and staying fit at all times. While it is a great thing in general, a lot of athletes don’t know when not to cross the line or when it is time to stop and give their bodies a break.

Athletes normally feel very sore after they have worked and run and exerted their bodies, but there is a whole different degree of tiredness you will feel if you have something called the overtraining syndrome or OTS.

Overtraining syndrome is defined as a condition in which you will constantly put your body through the wringer by working out, pushing your body to do more and not rest at all. This is really bar and this can lead to chronic fatigue and just overall tiredness.

Overtraining is exactly what it sounds like. You train your body too much – almost to the point of passing out, but your brain doesn’t register the fact that your body is tired and it needs a break. This is what leads to problems of various kinds, like feeling like your body will give up, feeling fatigued all the time, and just not giving your body that much-needed break.

Athletes are meant to work their bodies, but it is also important that they take a break and give their bodies, bones, muscles, and organs a breather. You need to remember that your body is a machine, but it is not meant to be working 24/7.

Rest is important, taking a break will help to heal your body and muscle and it is good for your mental well-being. So, if you feel like you are pushing your body too much and doing work non-stop, then you need to catch yourself before it gets worse.

Why Does Overtraining Syndrome Occur?

This is a very tricky question to answer, but sometimes, it can be the very mantras you chant in your head. “Go the extreme mile”, “no pain, no gain”, “push your limits”, “there is no limit” – these chants and mantras are what you hear and repeat in your head all the time, especially when you are going through a very competitive stage in your life, and you want to prove that you are the best.

While there is nothing wrong with these chants in general and it is good to push to be your best, there is a very fine line between knowing your limits and pushing your body and brain beyond that point, and doing strenuous workouts and physical exertions every single time you train.

When you start believing that you have to do something with 100% more intensity, then your brain starts to believe it too, and then you have to perform, even if your body is giving up on you and can’t take on any more exertion than it is built for. This can lead to ankle, foot, or knee injuries, for which you may have to consult a podiatrist Woodbridge.

So, in the end, it has to do with the brain and the way you handle the pressure psychologically. It doesn’t mean that you have to give up. You just need to be in tune with your body and figure out when it is time for you to call it a day. It will really help you out in the long run.

Symptoms Of Overtraining Syndrome

Now that you know what overtraining syndrome is, the next thing you want to keep in mind are the symptoms, so that you can know that you’re exerting your body too much. Here is what you will generally feel regardless of the fact if you’re a soccer player, football player, or play any other sport:

Your body will feel extremely tired and achy. It will be really bad, but you will still try to push yourself to train or work out more.
You will feel like you’re losing a lot of weight all at once. You might seem pretty happy with the results and the number on the scale, but this can quickly turn into a health hazard, and you don’t want that. You don’t want to close your eyes when you’re losing a lot of weight. This can cause a lot of health issues.
You will feel very anxious and stressed, especially if you don’t get your daily strenuous activities in. You will feel like you’re wasting the day away, while you should be training. This is not healthy at all.
Your sleep routine will also be out of whack. You will either be too tired in the morning when you wake up, or you won’t be able to sleep at all. When you train a lot, your body will produce a lot of energy-inducing hormones and this can lead to bursts of insomnia, which is not good at all.
Lastly, your immune system will also become very weak. You will feel sick over a minor cold and flu that you normally took like a pro, but ever since OTS took over your body, it will get harder and harder for you to protect your body from simple and manageable ailments.

How To Control Overtraining Syndrome?

You might think that overtraining syndrome is a very difficult ailment to handle, but if you can notice signs of overtraining and can cut back, you will be good to go. You just need to do a couple of lifestyle changes and you will see the difference for yourself. What you want to do first is to go to a doctor and get some tests done to diagnose yourself properly.

There will be a couple of routine tests along with a bunch of questions that will tell you how the pattern of overtraining your body started. Then, you will need to implement the following changes in your body.

Rest

You need to give your body a rest. This includes pausing your workouts and training sessions for the time being, until you feel like you have energy again. This is going to make you feel so much better in no time.

Start Again With Baby Steps

You will want to start working out bit by bit. This means that you will start by walking and stretching and just keeping your body in the loop of movement, but not getting down to the very intense stuff. This will keep your body going, but you won’t feel tired or fatigued by the end of it all.

Avoid High-Intensity Workouts For Some Time

You want to omit all kinds of high-intensity workouts for the time being. You don’t want to put your body under any pressure, otherwise you will fall right back into the pattern of OTS, and that is not what you want.

Consult Your Sports Doctor

Check in with your doctor regularly, as this will keep you updated on how you’re doing and what you have to do to get back on a healthy track.

Conclusion

Overtraining syndrome is a very common and debilitating problem that athletes suffer from and it can lead to injuries. This is why it is imperative to treat it with the help of a sports medicine specialist Woodbridge.