Overtraining Syndrome Continued from Page 39 training program, or additional life stressors, is important in that the factors that lead to overtraining need to be iden- tifi ed and corrected, or the overtraining syndrome is likely to recur. The alter- nate-day-workout recovery period is rec- ommended for a few weeks, while moni- toring symptoms, and, then, an increase in training volume can be permitted. In severe cases, or those where identify- ing the syndrome has been delayed, the training program may have to be inter- rupted for several weeks, and it may take months, or the better part of the season, to recover. An alternative form of exer- cise is sometimes substituted, to help prevent exercise withdrawal, but again, special attention needs to be paid to vol- ume and intensity. Athletes should be reminded that resting from overtraining in one sport, while increasing training in another, may help a fatigued muscle, but will not have the same effect on the heart, pituitary and adrenals. As with all athletic injuries, prevention is preferable to management. A training program that is properly scheduled with well-balanced gradual increases in training volume and intensity, and that takes into account the effect of each session, is rec- ommended. Most coaches develop train- ing schedules with a “periodisation design” which varies the training load in cycles with built-in mandatory rest phases. USEFUL TRAINING TACTICS Many coaches advocate keeping a train- ing log as the best method to monitor progress. In addition to keeping track of distance and intensity of training, the ath- lete can record heart rate, weight, general health, how the workout felt and levels of muscular soreness and fatigue. A coach, or health professional, can use this infor- mation, as changes in any of these param- eters may signal overtraining. Most athletes agree that when it comes to competition, it is better to be undertrained than overtrained. Science tells us that rest can be as important as the actual physical training and that high intensity, lower volume can have a sig- nifi cant effect in improving performance. In fact, studies conducted at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, which looked at swimmers over the course of a season, showed that the athletes who made the greatest improvements were the ones who swam with the highest average intensity. In contrast, there was no relationship between training volume and performance improvement – that is, individuals who swam the greatest dis- tances were not the ones with the biggest performance gains – and, similarly, there was no link between training frequency and performance upgrades. Swimming faster during training – but not longer or more frequently – was associated with signifi cant upswings in performance. Athletes, coaches and health practi- tioners should be aware of the early warning signs of overtraining and modify training accordingly as proper condition- ing requires a balance between load and recovery. • References: 1. Raglin J, Barzdukas Overtraining in athletes: The challenge of prevention. ACSM. Health Fitness J. 3:27-31, 1999. 2. Halson, Shona,Jeukendrup, Asker. Does Overtraining Exist?: An Analysis of Overreaching and Overtraining Research. Sports Medicine. 34(14):967-981, 2004. 42 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | APRIL 2008 www.canadianchiropractor.ca
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor April 2008: Page 42
