Overtraining in the Female
Athlete
Jacalyn J. Robert-McComb,
PhD, FACSM
Abigail Schubert, BS, PT
Graduate Student
Texas Tech University
Learning Objectives
• Define overtraining and staleness
• Discuss various responses to overtraining
and staleness:
• Mood swings
• Hormonal Responses
• List signs of overtraining
Introduction to the Overload Principle
The body must be exposed to progressive
amounts of overload in order to continue
experiencing adaptations.
When exposed to excessive physical stress the
body may begin to exhibit signs of
overtraining and/or staleness.
Staleness vs. Overtraining
• Overtraining- Typically short term, caused
by an imbalance between training and
recovery time.
• Staleness- due to extended periods of
overtraining. Has far greater consequences.
• Both hinder athletic performance
Short Term Overtraining
• Also called over-reaching
• Over-reaching refers to a brief period of heavy
overload without adequate recovery.
• Overreaching can actually contribute to enhanced
performance since it usually lasts no more than two
weeks.
• Can easily be reversed with a few days of reduced
training intensity/volume or complete rest.
• Supercompensation can be achieve after overreaching within a few weeks of rest
Staleness
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Also termed the overtraining syndrome
Occurs after long periods of over-reaching
Much more serious condition than over-reaching
Causes fatigue and inability to complete workouts
and competition at previous levels
• The OTS is defined as persistent underperforming,
with or without other accompanying psychological
and physical symptoms, despite weeks of lighter
training or complete rest .
Types of Staleness
Sympathetic
-changes in the adrenal
medullar response
system
-non-endurance type
sports
-high resting heart rate,
decreased appetite and
weight loss
Parasympathetic
-altered pituitary adrenal
cortical response
-low pulse, fatigue early
in exercise, excessive
sleep
Profile of Mood States
• Measurement used in studies to determine
one’s mood profile
• Rank moods such as anger, fatigue,
confusion, depression, vigor and tension
• Athletes tend to rank high in vigor and low
in the other moods
• However, overtrained athletes show higher
scores in fatigue and depression
Mood and Overtraining
• Overtraining can lead to prolonged periods of
depressed mood states coupled with fatigue.
• This often leads to stress that further compounds
the problem and hinders performance
• Coaches should be aware of the mental states of
their athletes in order to catch a problem before
performance is affected
Hormonal Responses to
Overtraining and Staleness
• Overtraining syndrome has thought to be
diagnosed by the changes in the recovery
phase of the plasma levels of certain
hormones (epinephrine, norepinephrine,
cortisol)
• However, results have been inconsistent
Hormonal Responses Cont.
• Increments in plasma cortisol levels
immediately after exercise have been found
by some authors (Kuoppasaimi, Naveri,
Harkonen, et al., 1980 , whereas others have
found decrements in adrenocorticotropic
hormone and cortisol responses in trained
runners following a bolus of ovine
corticotropin-releasing hormone (Luger,
Duester, Kyle, et al., 1987).
Overtraining in Athletes
• Athletes that exceed 30 hrs of training a
week are susceptible to staleness.
• Most athletes experience overtraining at
least once in their career .
Signs and Symptoms of Overtraining
• Alteration in physiological functions
and adaptations to performance
• Psychological symptoms
• Immunological dysfunction
• Biochemical alterations
Source: Fry FW, Morton AR, Keast D. Overtraining in athletes: an
update. Sports Med 1991;12:32-65.
Alteration in Physiological Functions and
Adaptations to Performance
• Decreased performance
• Decreased muscular
strength
• Muscle soreness and
tenderness
• Reduced tolerance of
loading
• Recovery prolonged
• Chronic fatigue
• Headache
• Sleep-wake cycle
abnormalities
• Changes in blood pressure
and heart rate
• Alterations in sexual
functions
• Gastrointestinal
disturbances
Psychological Symptoms
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Feelings of depression
General apathy
Difficulty in concentration
Emotional instability
Fear of competition
Loss of appetite
Excitation and restlessness
Immunological Dysfunction
• Increased susceptibility to bacterial
infections
• Reactivation of herpes viral infections
• Decreased functional activity of
neutrophils
• Decreased total lymphocyte count
• Decreased production and secretion of
immunoglobulins
Biochemical Alterations
• Decreased hemoglobin,
serum iron and ferritin
• Negative nitrogen balance
• Increased urea levels
• Increased uric acid
productions
• Decreased glutamine
concentration
• Mineral depletion (Zn,
Co, Al, Mn, SE, Cu, etc.)
• Low free testosterone
• Decreased free
testosterone to cortisol
ratio of more than 30%
Conclusion
Universally agreed diagnostic criteria for
OTS are lacking
Despite the research that has been
conducted on the overtraining syndrome
known as staleness, there is a vast body
of knowledge still unknown to
researchers concerning the extent of this
malady.
Conclusion cont’d
• Diagnosis is difficult , overtraining can be
confused with fatigue due to a hard workout or
stress related symptoms, leading the athlete to
become frustrated with their performance and
push himself or herself even harder.
• Consideration of symptoms in alerting the
health care professional to overtraining in the
athlete should be made in conjunction with the
athlete’s own assessment of well-being .