Why Prevention Rather than
Treatment of Over-training is More Beneficial to Long Distance Runners
An athlete who
is believed to be suffering from over-training syndrome has only one treatment
option. Stop training or decrease it significantly for an extended period of
time (Wilmore, Costill, & Kenney, 2008).
For an athlete whose main goal is to reach their optimal performance
level, this change in training may cause some issues. For instance, an athlete may become confused if
they are under the impression that the harder they work the better they will
become. Also, an athlete could become
bored because they are unaware of what to do if they cannot train. This boredom could lead to depression because
they may see each day they do not train as another step away from their
performance goal. With this being said
perhaps the focus should be more on preventing overtraining syndrome as opposed
to treating it
According to a
2006 study on treating overtraining syndrome little can be done once
overtraining is diagnosed (Meeusen et al., 2006). Therefore, a compilation of possible
preventative steps one can take to prevent overtraining syndrome will be studied. To begin, periodization training will be
examined. Through periodization training
an athlete’s training is precisely rotated between hard, medium, and easy
phases (Wilmore et al., 2008). When done
correctly periodization should allow an athlete to push themselves out of their
comfort zone, but not to the point of overtraining.
Current and Past Literature on
Overtraining
Once
the idea of “more is better”, became a method of training, so did the issue of
overtraining. Coaches who followed this
philosophy began to see their athlete’s times improve causing them to push the
athlete even harder (Wilmore et al., 2008) However, an athlete can only handle
so much before he or she stops adapting and begins to breakdown. One might think that the harder one trains
the better they will become, but there is a limit to this method. When this idea is taken to far overtraining may
occur and the consequences can be dire for an athlete.
Periodization
Currently, the
majority of the research done on excessive training has been done on swimmers
(Wilmore et al., 2008). However, the
results can be applied to other sports.
Because long term excessive training can lead to overtraining syndrome it
is important to understand what is excessive.
For example, it has been the conclusion of many studies that there are
no significant differences in performance between athletes with normal training
volumes and those with twice that (Wilmore et al., 2008). This data suggests that training at higher
volumes may only increase one’s chances of overtraining. Furthermore, performing high intensity
training for too long can also lead to overtraining syndrome.
However, for
athletes to improve they must overload themselves or push themselves beyond
their normal level, while incorporating recovery time as well (Meeusen et al.,
2006). The process of overreaching is
similar to overloading because it involves the deliberate increase in training
followed by significant rest (Wilmore et al., 2008). If done right, overreaching can result in a
brief decrease in performances and then an increase in performance after time
for recovery is allotted. If overreaching
is prolonged for too long or insufficient recovery is given, overreaching
becomes overtraining (Meeusen et al., 2006).
A good way to
help prevent overtraining from taking place is to follow a periodized
program. A periodization program will
gradually cycle between training specificity, volume and intensity to achieve
an optimal level of performance (Wilmore et al., 2008). A periodization program is often made up of
one macrocylce, which is equal to one year.
The macrocylce is then broken down into mesocycles, which last about
twelve weeks and consist of a preparation, precompetition, competition, and
active rest period (Wilmore et al., 2008).
Through the variation of intensity and volume of different specific
exercises periodization may help prevent overtraining (Wilmore et al., 2008).
Nutrition
A weak immune
system could be a potential important factor in the development of overtraining
syndrome (Wilmore et al., 2008). Eating
foods that promote a healthy immune system could, therefore help prevent
overtraining syndrome. Foods like leafy greens, fruits, and certain
nuts have all been found to improve immune functioning (Fuhrman & Ferreri,
2010). In addition research suggests
that athletes who eat a whole foods plant based diet and avoid processed foods
and meat are less likely to suffer immune dysfunction.
Eating a plant
based whole foods diet may also help in recovery. For example, foods can either be
high-net-gain or low net-gain.
High-net-gain foods are good because they provide the body with energy
even after digestion has taken place (Brazier, 2007). This extra energy can be used for performance
or recovery depending on where it is needed.
High-net-gain foods include pseudograins, leafy vegetables, fruits, seeds,
nuts, and beans. Low-net-gain foods
include processed foods like cereal, white bread, and refined sugar as well as
meats.
One important
element found in plants that can help with recovery and performance is
chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is
like a plants blood and when consumed it helps remove toxins, aids in cell
regeneration, improves the flow of oxygen, and decreases recovery time
(Brazier, 2007). In other words a
person’s body does not have to use as much energy to fight off toxins, rebuild
cells, transport oxygen, and recover from exercise. Vegetables like dinosaur kale, spinach, bok
choy, red leaf lettuce, and butter lettuce to name a few are packed with
chlorophyll.
Also foods
that are alkaline or base forming will also aid in recovery because an
athlete’s body will not have to use as much energy to maintain
homeostasis. Foods like meats, refined
sugars and flours, processed foods, and dairy are all acid forming. Foods like these along with stress increase
the acidic level of one’s body and force it to work hard to maintain
homeostasis (Brazier, 2007). If one eats
plant based whole foods that are alkaline forming the energy that would have
been used for maintenance can instead be used for recovery.
Lastly,
according to the book, Thrive the vegan
nutrition guide to optimal performance in sports and life,
there are certain next-level foods that can aid in performance, recovery, and
hormone balance. One of these foods is Chlorella. This
is a green algae that is able to quadruple itself every 24 hours and contains
more chlorophyll and nucleic acid than any other known plant (Brazier,
2007). Chlorella provides large amounts
of vitamins and minerals including B-12, nineteen amino acids (all ten of the
essential ones), speeds up recovery time, and is an easy protein for the body
to digest (Brazier, 2007). A second next level food is maca. Maca is a Peruvian
root that has the ability to prevent stress and maintain hormonal balance
(Brazier, 2007). Maca is also rich in
sterols a compound that helps the body regenerate fatigued muscle tissue
quickly (Brazier, 2007). One final next
level food is white chia. This small seed is loaded with omega-3, protein,
antioxidants, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iron making it a natural
recovery food as well as a great way to replenish mineral lost while working
out (Brazier, 2007).
Muscle-to-Mind Relaxation
Before
discussing relaxation techniques one must know the underlying factor in them is
zero-activation. Zero-activation is a state
in which the body has reached complete relaxation. In this state an athlete is more aware of
muscle tension and therefore, is able to relieve it (Williams, 2010). Also, complete relaxation can help aid in
fatigue as well as regeneration of mental physical and emotional states
(Williams, 2010). This may be helpful because
overtraining syndrome has been described as a sudden decrease in performance
after a period of intense training or emotional distress (Saremi, 2009). In other words being in control one’s
physical, mental, emotional stress may help an athlete recognize overtraining
before it happens.
One well
known, yet often misused muscle-to-mind relaxation technique is complete
breathing. Most people breathe from
their chest when trying to relax, but instead they should be breathing from
their abdomen. Breathing from the
abdomen not only promotes relaxation it increase the amount of oxygen in the
blood, thus providing more energy to the muscles (Williams, 2010). Because an increase in oxygen rich blood is
needed to sustain an athlete who is training hard complete breathing could slow
the onset of muscle fatigue.
Another type
of mind-to-muscle strategies is progressive relaxation. Progressive relaxation involves the tensing
and relaxing of each muscle in the body individually. The tensing of the muscles teaches the
athlete to recognize what muscle tension feels like. The relaxing of the muscles teaches an
athlete what the absence of tension feels like (Williams, 2010). With practice an athlete can become efficient
at recognizing and releasing the tension in their muscles almost automatically while
exercising. This skill may also help in
preventing overtraining because if an athlete is constantly releasing tension
it cannot build up resulting in poor recovery followed by overtraining.
Conclusion
It is suggested that it may be more beneficial for athletes to
avoid overtraining altogether. A major
reason for this belief maybe the fact that stopping or decreasing training is
the only way to cure overtraining syndrome.
This might be very hard for an athlete who wants to reach their optimal
performance level and thinks hard training is the way to accomplish this. However, the belief that more is better can
often be taken too far and result in over training syndrome.
If
an athlete wants to continue to push themselves to the next level they must do
it correctly. To begin, the proposed
study suggests that an athlete needs to first understand the importance of hard
and easy days. For example, if they push
themselves too hard for too long, without recovery the result could be
overtraining syndrome. Next, they need to understand how proper nutrition can
enhance their performance. For instance,
eating plants and whole foods that give the body energy and reduce recovery
time should help an athlete avoid overtraining syndrome. Lastly, an athlete that can learn to better
recognize and relieve muscle tension may be able to predict the onset of
overtraining syndrome before it happens.
References
Brazier,
B. (2007). Thrive the vegan nutrition
guide to optimal performance in sports and life. Canada: Penguin Group.
Fuhrman, J.
& Ferreri D. M. (2010) Fueling the Vegetarian (Vegan) Athlete. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 9(4), 233-241.
Meeusen, R.,
Duclos, M., Gleeson, M., Rietjens, G., Steinacker, J., & Urhausen, A.
(2006). Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of overtraining syndrome. European Journal of Sports Science, 6(1),
1-14.
Saremi,
J. (2009). Overtraining syndrome. American Fitness, 27(1), 10-16.
Williams, J. M.
(2010). Applied sport psychology:
Personal growth to peak performance (6th ed.) New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill.
Wilmore,
J. H., Costill, D. L., & Kenney, W. L. (2008). Physiology of sport exercise (4th ed.) Champaign, IL:
Human Kinetics.
