REMEDIES FOR OVERTRAINING - OVERTRAINING

What to do

NB: Overtraining "properly speaking" is a rather rare condition and most sportsmen use this definition mainly as an "alibi" or excuse. Sometimes it occurs in a mild or incomplete form.

The best intervention to ward off the effects of overtraining is prevention (see Prevention below).

Secondly, it is essential to recognize the symptoms:

Resting tachycardia.
Excessive and unjustified fatigue.
Difficulty in increasing the pulse during high exertion.
Difficulty getting your pulse down during recovery.
Psychological and behavioral alterations: apathy, insomnia, irritability, depression.
Amenorrhea in women.
Unjustified reduction in appetite, with increased cravings for sweet foods and weight loss.
Lowering of the immune defenses and susceptibility to infections (flu viruses, bacterial sore throat, etc.).
Hormonal alterations: excess of cortisol, ACTH and prolactin.
Chronic pain in muscles, tendons, joints and increased incidence of injury.

Recognizing these symptoms (not necessarily all of them) it is essential to rest completely for 7-15 days and, at the same time, to think about the potentially responsible causes. These could be:

Excessive training stimulus: in an absolute sense or in relation to the possibility of rest / nutrition. Recognizable when the intensity or volume is such that it does not allow to complete the planned workout, even after a few weeks from the start. It is necessary to reorganize the program (reduce the frequency of the workouts, the volume or the intensity) .
Standardization of training: it is negative on two fronts:

Monotony: it is often sufficient to create variations or alternate with different exercises, breaking the routine, to keep the motivation higher.
Inadequacy on the single athlete: it occurs when the person has a lower level than that used to build the program. By carrying out aptitude tests to evaluate the preparation it is possible to adjust the table.

Lack of sleep (can also be a symptom). It is sufficient for the athlete to sleep properly to ensure metabolic, tissue and brain recovery. Sometimes it is enough to go to sleep earlier. In other cases the difficulty consists in falling asleep; in this case it is useful to space out the workouts with respect to the night time, reduce the intake of stimulant products or take anxiolytic drugs. By sleeping little you can meet:

Alteration of the hormonal axis. If it depends on endocrine pathologies it is essential to treat the disorder.
Insufficient energy recharge of the brain (and consequent psychological effects on motivation).

Excess of stress (it can also be a consequence): the "intervention must" be done on the triggering causes. Some athletes choose to face mild drug therapy with anxiolytics, but these can affect athletic performance.
Too many competitions or too close together: the annual program must select the most important races and match the performance peak with a single competition.
Illnesses or injuries (they can also be a consequence): it is essential to dedicate the necessary time to treatment, to avoid relapses or complications.
Nutritional deficiencies: caused by a disorganized or insufficient eating style. Nutrition is a fundamental aspect. The help of a dietician specialized in sports nutrition can be decisive.
Excess of supplements and consequent liver / kidney overload: it is quite rare but it can happen. The most subject category is that of bodybuilders. Also in this case, the help of a dietician specialized in sports nutrition can be decisive.
Interruption of doping cycles: almost all "chemical" aids facilitate recovery and allow training to be brought closer together. This allows you to follow a fast pace and significantly increase the number of stimuli. At the "interruption of the" therapy "it is almost never possible to maintain the same rhythm without risking (in the medium and long term) overtraining. It is necessary to consult an endocrinologist or a well-trained sports doctor in order to reduce the complications of the case.
Complications of a psychological or emotional nature: relational, family, social and work problems negatively affect the ability to concentrate and the motivation to train. They can also be a consequence of the decline in performance imposed by overtraining. The solution consists in the psychological metabolization or in the concrete solution of the problems in question.

What NOT to do

In summary:

Expose yourself to risk with an inappropriate and non-preventive lifestyle.

Totally ignore the first signs of overtraining. In these cases it may be sufficient to reduce or suspend the activity for a very short time; persisting it would increase the risk of complications.

Continue to train when overtraining is severe.

Maintain excessive rhythms indefinitely.

Attempt to follow tables that are unsuitable for your level.

Carry out monotonous workouts.

Insufficient sleep.

Lead a very stressful life.

Setting yourself too many or too high goals (too many races or too close or too demanding).

Neglecting illnesses and injuries.

Eating inadequately or insufficiently.

Taking too many supplements.

Make use of performance-enhancing drugs, especially in the absence of medical guidance.

Protract uncomfortable psychological conditions.

Abusing alcohol or drugs.

To smoke.

What to eat

The ideal diet to avoid overtraining is the one capable of meeting all the metabolic needs of the body, without overloading the liver and kidneys:

The diet is normocaloric: it means that the "energy" must be able to keep the physiological weight constant (taking into account the muscle mass).

Energy distribution: the energy nutrients are made up of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. The correct distribution for an athlete is the traditional Mediterranean one, with a larger portion of proteins. guarantee to avoid shortages:

Lipids 30%: possibly unsaturated prevalence, with an intake of omega 3 equal to 0.5% of the total, and omega 6 equal to 2.0%. Cold-pressed vegetable oils or oily fish are preferred.
Protein: no more than 20% of total calories (this is an amount normally considered excessive, almost double that for an average sedentary). It is important that they are mainly of high biological value (eggs, meat, fish, milk and derivatives). They should be obtained from well digestible foods and with moderate portions (to ensure optimal absorption).
Carbohydrates: for all remaining energy. High glycemic index immediately before or immediately after activity, and low glycemic index far from performance. For the sportsman, the simple unrefined ones (from fruit, vegetables and milk) can reach almost 20% of the total calories (the rest from cereals, legumes and tubers); in this case all foods with added sugars should be avoided to avoid an excess of soluble carbohydrates.

Fibers: in sports they are important, but we must not exaggerate. They positively modulate absorption, but in excessive quantities compromise digestibility and intestinal absorption.

Vitamins: they all have a "fundamental importance. To have the guarantee of taking them all in appropriate quantities, it is essential to prefer fresh, partly raw foods and to follow a" varied diet. The choice of supplementing with a multi-vitamin is sensible but we must not exaggerate.

Minerals: the same recommendations as for vitamins apply. The salts tend to dilute in the fluid, abandoning the food which risks becoming excessively impoverished. It is advisable to replace the cooking methods in water with steam, pressure, vacuum or vasocooking systems.

Water: it is essential. Each meal must contain foods rich in water; these are mostly fresh and possibly raw.

Foods that support the immune system: these are those rich in probiotics, vitamin D, vitamin C, omega 3, polyphenolic antioxidants, zinc and selenium.

What NOT to Eat

Ethyl alcohol.

Low-calorie diet for weight loss. It is not recommended but when weight loss is required it becomes necessary. In this case it is advisable not to remove more than 10% of normal calories.

Too much / too little fat or protein or carbohydrates: any of them are necessary or essential. Excess with one nutrient inexorably reduces the quantity of the others. The role of carbohydrates in aerobic sports is of greater importance than in very short duration anaerobic sports.

Foods too rich in fiber: they compromise digestion and absorption.

Foods too low in fiber: they have a high glycemic index and can aggravate constipation (especially present in female athletes who practice endurance sports).

Dehydrated foods: they do not participate in guaranteeing the supply of water for the organism.

Preserved foods, especially packaged foods: they are low in vitamins, phenolic antioxidants and mineral salts. They also contain potentially harmful molecules and are high in calories.

Natural Cures and Remedies

Supplements: they can be useful in the treatment and prevention of overtraining, but not miraculous. In most cases, the most useful are:

Hydrosalines and multivitamins: to be taken regularly but not continuously. They are very useful for those who follow a vegan diet.
Maltodextrin or vitargo and branched amino acids: useful in aerobic sports, especially at high intensity.
Creatine, carnitine, essential amino acids and high biological value proteins: very useful for those who follow a vegan diet.
Omega 3: necessary for those who follow a diet lacking in these very important essential fats (without fish, without oil seeds or with few cold-pressed seasoning oils).
Supplements to support the immune system. The useful molecules are above all: probiotics, vitamin D, vitamin C, omega 3, polyphenolic antioxidants, zinc and selenium.

To decrease stress levels and facilitate relaxation:

Phytotherapy: based on the intake of plants such as: valerian, hawthorn, lemon balm and above all passionflower.
Oligotherapy: based on the administration of minerals, in particular manganese-cobalt. This is taken once a day for 3 weeks; after that it is reduced to 2-3 per week. It can be supplemented with magnesium.
Gemmotherapy: based on the administration of buds, in particular: Ficus carica (fig) and Tilia tormentosa (linden).
Aromatherapy: based on the inhalation (or cutaneous absorption) of neurosedative volatile essential oils, in particular: lavender, lemon balm, chamomile and bitter orange.

Pharmacological treatment

There are no drug treatments to cure overtraining. However, some products can help reduce the symptoms or complications of overtraining:

Benzodiazepines: anxiolytic, sedative-hypnotic, anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants and anesthetics. They are administered in the form of tablets or drops. There are many types, classified on the half-life (short, intermediate and long). Those most useful in case of chronic anxiety are with medium and long half-lives; those with a short half-life are more suitable to promote sleep (initial).

Prevention

Adjust recovery.

Sleep.
Abstention from training.
Nutrition.

If necessary, use food supplements.

Have a positive attitude and avoid performance anxiety.

Choose appropriate training volumes. If not necessary, avoid prolonging "total exhaustion" workouts (very high intensity) beyond 60 ". They also affect the integrity of muscles, tendons, joints, blood and require recovery times so long as to be counterproductive. . Furthermore, after 40-50 "there is an increase in blood cortisol (the" stress hormone ").

Keep blood values and metabolic parameters monitored. Excessive training can induce negative changes: low blood pressure, anemia, high cortisol, lowering of white blood cells, etc.

Planning training in relation to family life, work and social commitments. When sport is not synchronized with the rest of the activities it becomes stressful and very difficult to manage.

Organize the annual program by providing short moments of total regeneration (for example 4-7 days of total abstention).