9 Signs Of Overtraining & How To Prevent Them

9 Signs Of Overtraining & How To Prevent Them

Overtraining can affect anyone, from professional athletes, to complete beginners entering the sports world. There are some serious symptoms of overtraining that may cause further problems in the future, leading you to be forced to stay stationary and not train for some time.

Luckily, there are ways to prevent symptoms of overtraining by spotting the signs early, and having a healthy routine to ensure your body recovers properly between workouts and not overtraining.

What Is Overtraining?

Overtraining is the result of what happens to an individual when they train too hard, and for too long. It often results in a steep decrease in performance as a result and can take many months to recover from in the more serious cases.

Spotting the most common, and less common symptoms of overtraining early on can help prevent long-term complications and help you stay on track with your fitness or sports goals.

 

 

Movement Coach, Emma Obayuvana @emmaoba_

Symptoms Of Overtraining

Here are some of the most important symptoms to be aware of in both men and women to know whether you are training too hard and if you need to take a break or change your routine.

1. Unusual Muscle Soreness

Your muscles are bound to be sore after training, especially during those intense training sessions. However, if your muscles are particularly painful, in a way that you haven’t really felt before, it may be a sign that you are reaching a point where you are overtraining.

2. Weight Fluctuations

Professional athletes have to control and monitor their weight and nutrition intake. If you are sticking to a strict regime, yet suddenly your weight is fluctuating drastically with no good reason why you may be overtraining.

3. Bradycardia

Athletes and sportsmen typically have a slower heart rate than the rest, however, if your heart rate suddenly beats extremely slowly (fewer than 60 times per minute), this is also known as bradycardia.

A result in bradycardia may be dizziness, shortness of breath, and extreme tiredness as your heart is unable to pump oxygen-rich blood to the body’s cells. As you carry out your training, you will be very aware if you are suddenly extremely tired, dizzy, or short of breath with no reason why.

4. Anemia

Similar to Bradycardia, anemia is a condition that typically occurs in females that causes tiredness, dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, irregular heartbeats, and pale/yellow skin.

Causes of anemia may be a result of several things, but may ultimately come down to overtraining, and not resting enough or eating properly.

5. Fluctuations In Menstruation

Another symptom of overtraining in females is a fluctuation in the menstruation period. If a woman notices they are suddenly experiencing irregular or missed periods, this may be a sign her body is being overworked and you need to take action about it.

6. Inability To Train At Your Previous Level

Perhaps you will suddenly be unable to train at your previous level, or you keep missing your personal bests and feeling defeated. Rather than training even harder, this may be a sign your body is telling you to stop and rest as it can’t continue at the pace you are pushing yourself.

7. Increased Depression, Anger & Confusion

A common symptom of overtraining is a confusion of your emotions and a decrease in your mental state and general optimism. If you suddenly feel confused, angry, or depressed with no real reason why this may be somehow linked to overtraining. Perhaps you aren’t sleeping as well, or you aren’t spending enough time relaxing or with your family and friends. Overtraining may cause your mental strength to decrease and maybe a sign to stop and reevaluate things.

8. Poor Quality Of Sleep

A sudden or gradual decreased quality of sleep may be a result of overtraining. Sleep is an essential part of anyone’s life, especially an athlete, or someone who exercises regularly. It is the time that a person’s body will recover and rest, enabling the muscles that worked hard to be rebuilt.

A result of overtraining may be a lack of sleep. This lack of sleep has many other side effects, both short and long-term. Ensuring you sleep well is extremely important, so if you suddenly don’t sleep well, you may be overdoing it in the gym, or on the running track.

9. Increased Occurences Of Illnesses

What’s linked with a lack of sleep more than a weakened immune system? If you are overtraining, and aren’t sleeping well, you are extremely likely to have a weakened immune system. If you suddenly are coming down with illnesses, whether it’s the flu or something else, you may not be taking care of your body enough. Stepping back from training may be the first place to turn to.

Keeping a strengthened immune system is essential to staying healthy, and strong, and not being susceptible to any illnesses that are flying around.

How To Prevent Symptoms Of Overtraining

Now you are aware of the symptoms of overtraining, let’s look at how to prevent you from reaching this point so that you aren’t advised to take a step back from training.

Rest Plenty

Even professional athletes need to take time out of their day to sit on the couch and turn on the TV. Or to ensure they are getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night. Prioritise your downtime as much as your crunch time and you will notice your body will thank you, and perform better in the long run.

If you find that you are unable to switch off at night, taking a few Beauty Sleep Drops before you sleep can help your body to unwind and give you the deep night’s sleep that you are searching for.

Look Closely At Your Diet

You may even want to hire a nutritionist for the short while to get you on the right track. Making sure your diet is filled with the right nutrients and you aren’t lacking in anything will help you to maintain strong muscles, bones, and a healthy immune system.

Examine Your Mental Health

Are you happy? Sad? Is sports your outlet or does it cause you more pain mentally than ever? Or perhaps you are extremely anxious about an upcoming tournament that is causing you to not sleep well.

If your mental health may not be completely up to scratch, and you want some stress relief in your daily routine, consider taking a few Relax Drops in times of high pressure to help you balance your anxiety and focus on what’s really important.

Take Some Time Off Training To Recover

Sometimes, admitting you are in need of a break is the best way to give your body what it needs. By taking some time off to recover from overtraining, you can understand what caused this overtraining, and how to prevent it in the future.

Take CBD Oil Supplements To Help With Recovery In Between Workouts

One of the most important things, without a doubt, is to ensure your body has recovered in between workouts. That means your muscles have been rebuilt, and are completely rested and ready for the next training session.

If you are wondering how to ensure your imminent recovery post-workout, then CBD oil may be the answer you are looking for. We have created a 100% natural, non-addictive, and pharmaceutical-grade CBD oil product that is combined with specially chosen functional mushrooms to give your body a complete sense of unwinding and de-stress post-workout.

Simply take a few Unwind Drops under your tongue after a workout, and you will find that you will have increased stamina, performance, and recovery, after strengthening your muscles, bones, and joints.

For those who have particularly sore muscles after training, the more powerful Unwind Tablets may help you rest, recover, and endure through all your training sessions at maximum capacity and strength. Finally, you can combine these formulas with the Unwind Muscle Rub to directly target painful areas on your body that are in need of taking care.

How Can CBD Oil Help With Symptoms Of Overtraining Before & After Workouts

When ingesting or absorbing CBD oil, you are immediately targeting your endocannabinoid system that controls your sleeping patterns, mood, appetite etc. The cannabinoids in the CBD oil act in a similar way to the endocannabinoids in your endocannabinoid system. They help control this system to ensure you are sleeping better, less stressed, and generally better balanced in life.

Cannabotech: Trusted CBD Oil & Functional Mushroom Products For Athletes

We have taken over 10 years of research on CBD oil and functional mushrooms and placed them together in our unique M²CBD formula. This formula is present in each of our products, in varying concentrations with varying quantities and types of functional mushrooms.

For those who are experiencing symptoms of overtraining, or worried about reaching a point of no-return, you can trust that athletes and sports fanatics are regularly using our muscle-related products to support and strengthen their bodies before and after a workout.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Some Common Symptoms Of Overtraining?

Common symptoms of overtraining include fatigue, a weakened immune system, weight fluctuations, unusual muscle soreness, bradycardia, anemia, and fluctuations in menstruation.

How Can I Recover From Overtraining?

Make sure you are resting plenty, examining your mental health, and taking CBD oil supplements as recommended by an expert.

How Can CBD Oil Be Beneficial To Athletes?

Non-addictive, pharmaceutical-grade CBD oil can help your body unwind and relax after an intense workout to help your muscles rebuild themselves, and to improve your stamina, endurance, and potential.

Bea Lyus

Bea Lyus is an experienced Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist. She is a member of the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT), the regulatory body for Nutritional Therapists and is registered by the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC).