Overtraining versus Underrecovery

[Capricorn]

I've recently hit something of the skids, and my personal guru advised I might be suffering under recovery as opposed to my initial, and common guess that it was overtraining. But i didnt really understand this underrecovery diagnosis, so googled it and found this article, which is a training guide for physical trainers.

Of interest, a search on thehub shows zero results for underrecovery as topic of it's own, yet much of the literature i've been reading through treats them as distinct subjects (albeit the distinction is hard to make at times).

If any of you who are so thoroughly clued up, feel the urge to utter things "old news, so obvious, blah blah", save it please. I'm sure there are many others like me not as clued up as you, and very receptive to constructive discussions as opposed ruffling of feathers and self-inflation of egos.

 

You have a client in the corner with a runny nose and dark circles under his eyes. He’s having trouble understanding the instructions for each exercise and is lagging behind the other people in the class, even cutting the reps short. He looks up and notices you watching him. You make eye contact. He looks away and stares at the floor exhaustedly.

 

In broad terms, you’re seeing the first symptoms of overtraining and under-recovery. Although the two pathologies are different, they work together seamlessly to flatten an athlete. In fact, it’s difficult to know where one leaves off and the other begins. But the well being of your clients is your responsibility, so you need to know a few things.

Overtraining is system fatigue in training (beginning with muscles) that diminishes human performance.

Under-recovery is an accumulation of fatigue compounded with insufficient recovery outside the gymmade worse by stress, poor nutrition, inadequate sleep, and poor strategies for restoring energy and joy.

MUSCLE FATIGUE

It’s a little tough to discern the fine line between “enough” and “too much” when training pushes a client to the edge deliberately. Muscle fatigue is often the goal. And it’s actually a protective mechanism. Dr. Steven Liggett, a heart failure researcher at the University of Maryland, says, “Maybe fatigue is saying that you are getting ready to go into the danger zone. So it is cutting you off. If you could will yourself to run as fast and as long as you could, some people would run until they keeled over and died.”

While there’s little question that the mind tries to override the body, maximum effort is determined physiologically: VO₂ uptake, maximum heart rate and stroke volume, muscle strength, and general conditioning. And time is also a factor: How long can something be sustained? When a client can no longer maintain or exert force and power, the performance capacity of the muscle (or groups of muscles) fails. This is “muscle fatigue.”

Anaerobic exercise (like weight training at full effort) demands immediate access to stored and manufactured energy, so it goes into glycolysis. First, glycogen (stored molecules of glucose) is broken down to produce phosphocreatine (PCr), a catalyst to produce adenosine-5-triphosphate (ATP), a fuel to power muscle contraction. This is the simplest and quickest way the body has to fuel short, intense effort.

Aerobic exercise (like walking) depends on oxygen or oxidation as the energy source. Likeglycolysis, that kicks in with anaerobic exercise, oxidation is dependent upon glycogen available in the muscles. Once glucose is expended, muscles fatigue sets in and the body searches for other forms of energy.

When muscles contract, lactic acid is produced when pyruvate (a ketone made from glucose) is broken down. Lactic acid causes the muscle’s pH to decrease. It becomes more acidic. Muscle fibers become less able to bind, and as a consequence, contraction becomes increasingly limited, rep-by-rep. This is called the Lactate Threshold or the Lactic Acid Threshold. Eventually (and sometimes quickly) it all adds up to pain and muscle fatigue.

Muscle fatigue is transient. The client will feel better in a few minutes (or even seconds) and can function, although soreness might develop later.

It’s important to allow sufficient rest between sets. Smaller muscles (biceps) recover fairly quickly. Larger muscles (quads) require a bit more time. The more intense the effort, the longer the recovery.

And the principle applies to the full workout. Recovery between appointments is crucial. The human body doesn’t get stronger in the gym. It gets stronger in RECOVERY, between workouts.

OVERTRAINING

When a client isn’t permitted sufficient recovery time between workouts, the body is unable to replenish stores of energy. Also the muscle tissue is broken down in workouts. It needs time to recover and to rebuild. This is how muscles get stronger. When a client cuts that process short, he enters the gym with insufficient energy and compromised, injured muscles … and then puts another maximum effort on top of that. He might get away with it a few times, but eventually, the workout will catch up to him and there will be consequences. The body will go into a full blown chronic stress response.

So if you have an overly enthusiastic client who wants to work out every day, knock the workouts down a few notches to make them easier, concentrate on varied programs on sequential days, develop more intelligent recovery strategies, or say, No.

Beware of clients who are working out on their own between sessions with you. You need to know what they’re doing and make sure you don’t inadvertently allow overtraining because of extra demand.

Also beware of “Perfect Client Syndrome,” where a client tells you that he’s okay because that’s what he thinks you want to hear. A Perfect Client wants to please you and will allow his body to be pushed too far beyond its capacity. While it’s your responsibility to be vigilant and spot problems, it’s also the client’s responsibility. It’s a partnership.

Unfortunately, most often, overtraining is diagnosed after the fact with biochemical and hormonal markers in a lab. But a good coach can see it coming:

• Prolonged or excessive muscle soreness or weakness
  
• Chronic fatigue that will not relent
  
• Depressed immune system that shows up in cold sores or frequent colds
  
• Inability to sleep or awaken rested
  
• Increased resting heart rate
  
• Increased blood pressure
  
• Aches, pains, unexplained injuries
  

UNDER-RECOVERY

While it’s fairly simple to gauge the moment right before overtraining, it’s more challenging to deal with under-recovery, because it’s largely out of your control. It takes place outside the gym, when the life of the client fails to support his efforts in working out or overwhelms the beneficial effects of the workouts. This is different from muscle fatigue or overtraining. This is life-exhaustion.

• General, chronic fatigue
  
• Depression
  
• Decreased willingness to interact in class
  
• Diminished performance levels
  
• Unwillingness to push
  
• Digestive disorders
  
• Loss of appetite
  
• Inability to think or understand instructions
  
• Forgetfulness
  
• Evidence of immune system disorders: i.e., colds
  

WHAT TO DO WITH A CLIENT WHO’S OVERTRAINED AND UNDER-RECOVERED

A client in trouble needs your immediate help. This isn’t the time to work OUT. It’s the time to work IN. He has to do some work on his life.

• Discuss with him some strategies for recovery and his making immediate shifts in lifestyle.
  
• Send him home.
  
• Order him to get some sleep.
  
• Send him to a practitioner of Qi Gong, yoga or meditation for relaxation.
  
• Modify exercises, full workouts, and periods of rest between workouts.
  

PREVENTION

Overtraining and under-recovering, although physiologically slightly different, are the same problem: stress that hasn’t been properly controlled. A sensitively attuned, watchful coach can see the telltale signs of a tiring client far before the client can. It’s up to you to throw the brakes on problems before they manifest.

 

Source

Edited March 20, 2012 by Capricorn

[Robrider]

Interesting read.

 

In my opinion, its 2 words for the same thing. They try and separate it by implying one is over doing it in training and the other is not recovering properly outside of training. But it all fits together seamlessly. If you don't have a day job and you can spend more time recovering properly, you can push harder in training more frequently.

[Robrider]

oh, and maybe look at the heading, I think you mean "over training or under recovery"

[ZakAttak]

 

If any of you who are so thoroughly clued up, feel the urge to utter things "old news, so obvious, blah blah", save it please. I'm sure there are many others like me not as clued up as you, and very receptive to constructive discussions as opposed ruffling of feathers and self-inflation of egos.

 

 

Well Said......

[Capricorn]

thanks for that Rob! I'm so tired i generally can't seem to brain anymore.

 

Agreed that the two have a large overlap, but i do understand why they want to discriminate between the two: one is the active application of muscular effort, while the other is meant to denote the require rest associated with the previous activity. The problem is, I'm not giving it quite the rest my body needs, yet i'm not overtraining. It's a subtle thing, but quite important as I'm beginning to appreciate.

[andydude]

Can you have the one without the other? For example, can you over train, but rest enough not to be under recovered? Then I guess you are not under recovered. But you are still over trained?! This doesn't make sense to me... yet.

 

I think my biggest problem is under training and over recovering

[covie]

thanks for that Rob! I'm so tired i generally can't seem to brain anymore.

 

Agreed that the two have a large overlap, but i do understand why they want to discriminate between the two: one is the active application of muscular effort, while the other is meant to denote the require rest associated with the previous activity. The problem is, I'm not giving it quite the rest my body needs, yet i'm not overtraining. It's a subtle thing, but quite important as I'm beginning to appreciate.

 

Im in the same space atm, Im not overdoing it, but im constantly tired and have to force myself to get going, once I am going im doing ok, but that "fire" is not there physically, mentally all i do is dream about climbing on my bike come the end of the day, in reality I now look for outs at the end of the day as to why i can't go.

 

In short it sucks,

[Sharkie 2]

thanks for that Rob! I'm so tired i generally can't seem to brain anymore.

 

Agreed that the two have a large overlap, but i do understand why they want to discriminate between the two: one is the active application of muscular effort, while the other is meant to denote the require rest associated with the previous activity. The problem is, I'm not giving it quite the rest my body needs, yet i'm not overtraining. It's a subtle thing, but quite important as I'm beginning to appreciate.

If I can hazard a guess I can say it is possible....say you overtrain to the point were you are not improving anymore in your training plan but you still pushing the same numbers, this means you recover well but may be overtrained.....I am just guessing but my gut says they go hand in hand

[Robrider]

What I see the difference as is like this (this is my understanding from things I've read, I am no expert, but I do read a bit)

 

1) If you try and go hard every session, your body will get tired and you will start training as a medium intensity, but it will feel difficult to your fatigued body. This is the main reason coaches advise hard days and light days to recover. Hence the saying "When you train, train hard. When you rest, rest harder".

 

2) Overtraining is a medical condition where you suffer serious side effects such as depression, insomnea, etc. and apparently is a lot more difficult to "achieve" than most people think. Its not just training hard for a few days in a row. see here for the description. http://www.joefrielsblog.com/2011/07/overtraining.html

[Capricorn]

Im in the same space atm, Im not overdoing it, but im constantly tired and have to force myself to get going, once I am going im doing ok, but that "fire" is not there physically, mentally all i do is dream about climbing on my bike come the end of the day, in reality I now look for outs at the end of the day as to why i can't go.

 

In short it sucks,

 

that it most certainly does. But have u identified that which is preventing proper recovery? I have work stress and lack of consistently decent sleep as two main culprits.

[covie]

that it most certainly does. But have u identified that which is preventing proper recovery? I have work stress and lack of consistently decent sleep as two main culprits.

 

i think in my case it might just be the vast quantities of wine i've been consuming

 

In all seriousness no I havent, but its a bit of a snowball effect, becuase of this ive been getting flu, and being impatient ive been staying of the bike a couple a days, then attempt a ride again, and im back to square one with the flu. So I'm never at my peak and have been constantly sick. The last three weeks I was totally knackered with the flu again so this time I stayed of the bike for two solid weeks and started riding again this weekend, Now it looks like the flu is under control, but my fitness feels like its shot.

 

I loose my fitness really quickly becuase of my nasty smoking habbit. So its starting from scratch again.......

[Kona Kula]

 

I think the above image is the easiest way to understand the training cycle. Over training and under recovery pretty much go hand in hand. I would say though that either can be the cause of your problem. For example you can over reach in your training to a point that no amount of recovery can help. You can also be an average athlete with work commitments putting in and hour a day and not over exerting yourself in anyway, but not getting the neccesary amount of rest due to late nights stress at work etc. This can put you into an under recovered state (although similar to overtrained). Essentially its just the cause that's different.

[Capricorn]

I think that's key: the distinction between the causes leading to underperformance, because even though the end result is the same, the causes as Kona stated above, could be vastly different and thus requiring different means of redress.

I definitely need to start sleeping better and more consistently.

[Mads]

MMMmmm so since December I averaged about 9-10 hours a week training. Which is easy to do ... 2 long rides and a few sessions in the week .

 

I work from a structured training plan but was very disappointed in my results for the last two races I did, as I expected to do much better with all the effort I put in. After all my last race I was so dissapointed and unmotivated, I hardly got on my bike. So my training hours dropped to half of what i used to be and the last week almost nothing. When I started to ride my bike after these 3 weeks, I expected to have lost fitness and power, but what amazed me is how much I actually improved. My lap times on a 40km route improved with about 2km/h (with a MTB and the previous time is was done with a road bike) and I could also feel more power up the hills. Did I over train? I don't think so ....

 

What is not being said and I realise this now........ I choose to ride in the mornings 5h00. Which means I have to wake up at 3h45-4h00. Which means I operate on about 4-5 hours sleep per night.

 

So maybe my body just caught up on lost ZZZZ and now I am fit as a fiddle ready to go. I will bear this in mind and go to bed earlier in future.

[Capricorn]

MMMmmm so since December I averaged about 9-10 hours a week training. Which is easy to do ... 2 long rides and a few sessions in the week .

 

I work from a structured training plan but was very disappointed in my results for the last two races I did, as I expected to do much better with all the effort I put in. After all my last race I was so dissapointed and unmotivated, I hardly got on my bike. So my training hours dropped to half of what i used to be and the last week almost nothing. When I started to ride my bike after these 3 weeks, I expected to have lost fitness and power, but what amazed me is how much I actually improved. My lap times on a 40km route improved with about 2km/h (with a MTB and the previous time is was done with a road bike) and I could also feel more power up the hills. Did I over train? I don't think so ....

 

What is not being said and I realise this now........ I choose to ride in the mornings 5h00. Which means I have to wake up at 3h45-4h00. Which means I operate on about 4-5 hours sleep per night.

 

So maybe my body just caught up on lost ZZZZ and now I am fit as a fiddle ready to go. I will bear this in mind and go to bed earlier in future.

 

Bingo mads. Seems you've suffered from a classic case of underrecovery, meaning your training was sufficient and not excessive, but your recovery time was unfortunately not balancing the performance equation. Congrats on the performance gains though! I hope it's given you motivation to continue your development.

[SwissVan]

Although I’m not entirely sure if Caps was asking a question or just posting the results of his research for everyone’s benefit, but anyway I hope you don’t mind me adding my own thoughts (I couldn’t didn’t read the small print….)

 

I prefer to be undertrained and over rested and will regularly include 2 rest days (no training) in a training week and try wake up naturally without the aid of an alarm clock to achieve this.

 

Under recovery is probably the issue that affects most of us (part time athletes) instead of overtraining because we are trying to squeeze in as much training time as possible into each 24 hr day which also has to include commitments to work and family, sleep time is often the easiest and only place to take a short cut….

Sufficient recovery is a fairly confusing issue in that it is difficult to accurately determine if you have recovered enough from previous training / races.

Obviously (IMO) the primary factors leading to recovery are post exercise rest (sleep) and nutrition (healthy eating and timing thereof), BUT how do you actually know when you have recovered properly?

There are a some methods like checking resting heart rate or heart rate recovery, muscle pain (lack of), perceived effort level (how you feel during exercise) but imo these are all a bit hit and miss in that sometimes they indicate normal (i.e. resting HR is normal) but you still don’t perform as well as you expect to.

 

In my experience …… the most accurate recovery indicator is performance (in the sport type that you train for!!), i.e. you do a hard effort like a short race, TT etc… and when you do a really good time close to or a PB then you know you are fully recovered. Unfortunately this is not always an ideal method as it is a bit long term and requires that you do a race type effort to test yourself. However if you incorporate it into your regular training regime i.e. as a monthly fitness test such as a 20 min hill climb (bike) or 5k TT (run) after an easy week then it will not have a negative impact and will help indicate if your training AND recovery is working.