Overtraining- a deeper look into what it is and how it affects you

While I initially wrote the following to help a journalist out with a story they were working on, I realized a few days after the story was posted, that this more detailed information on overtraining is far too valuable to not be released for athletes to see and understand for themselves. 

I hope you find this article helpful for yourself, and for those you train with. 

Please share this article with those whom are starting the sport, are looking to learn more about their body, or who may be on the path to overtraining.

If you have specific questions, please feel free to contact me at HumanVortexTraining@gmail.com 

What is overtraining, and what does it do to our body that makes it so bad?

There are actually 2 different kinds of overtraining- one is called Basedowic overtraining (also referred to as “Overwork”), which may occur due to excessive high-intensity training without building a proper base beforehand (doing low-intensity exercise at with a build-up of volume over appropriate time). Basedowic overtraining can also occur due to too much psycho-emotional stress placed on the athlete, such as when they are in a high pressure situation to win, or there are personal-life problems.

The other kind of overtraining is called Addisonic overtraining (also referred to as "monotonous training"), and this can occur if three is too great of volume of work, repeating the same workout routine for a prolonged period of time, or from not allowing the body to recover properly in between exercise sessions. 

While we may think that Addisonic training is very hard to achieve, it in fact can, and does occur. A current example (most likely Addisonic, although I do not know the details) is that which the current World champion bike racer Pauline-Ferrand Prevot has suffered, just this past month withdrawing from the Olympic race, due to fatigue and exhaustion (http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/article/2016/08/26/cycling-now-nightmare-former-world-champion).

Both of these types of overtraining can correlate with a number of different hormonal responses including decreased IGF-I (Insulin Growth factor I), impaired pituitary gland response, as well as seeing Cortisol and Adrenaline increases within the body. These changes can have a devastating effect on the body, leading to a number of negative signs and symptoms of overtraining.

As the body reaches an overtrained state, it effects not just the training one is doing, but also ones sleep patterns, mental status/mood, and can really mess with one's social life as well (due to energy level changes and moods).

Sometimes we don't recognize the symptoms of overtraining until it's too late, and we've already smashed through the wall...

Picture CopyWrite and property of Menachem Brodie

What happens to our immune system when we are in an overtrained state?

For both Basedowic and Addisonic overtraining our immune system tends to be compromised, and leads to one of our main concerns, which is a systemic infection of the body leading to sepsis. This can start as a low-grade bacterial infection as simple/common as something such as Strep throat, that can develop to be much more catastrophic from there, due to the overtraining state of the body and the immense strain it places on the immune system, the body and its other regulatory systems.

I can tell that I'm overtrained by looking at my heart rate, right?

Not all the time!

Depending on which type of overtraining one has fallen into there are different responses in Heart Rate, thus making identifying the overtraining a little tricky at times.

For those whom have overtrained via the Addisonic route, they may experience a LOWER resting Heart Rate & a rapid drop of the heart rate to their resting levels after an effort, as well as a lower Lactate threshold heart rate, and even a DECREASE in their maximum heart rate by up to 8-10 beats per minute (all of which are commonly seen as a GOOD response to training). 

However, when the coach, trainer, or athlete sees these physical responses, but the athlete feels like theres nothing in the tank/no energy/no "power" to go when they try to practice or train, then we begin to take a step back and look at the athlete on a more global scale to figure out where they are.

Those suffering from Basedowic overtraining, tend to have the signs of overtraining that most of us have come to expect- They generally don’t feel well, they look tired, as well as have a delay in their heart rate dropping back to resting levels after an effort, as well as a higher resting heart rate. 

Because basedowic overtraining involves higher intensities, the body becomes “wound up” and responds with a what some amy call a “stress response”, even though the response from Addisonic overtraining is also a stress response, it just doesn’t “jive” with what we as a society have come to think of as overtraining.

What about my nervous system and my muscular system, what kinds of signs would I see there?

When we overtrain, we can expect a few different musculoskeletal responses such as:

• Longer complex-skill response time (such as a tennis pro being “a step slow” on their service return)
• Worsened coordination, especially at higher intensities (**This applies for both addisonic and basedowic overtraining)
• Increased time needed for the soft tissue to recover between sessions
• Increase in muscle pain or stiffness the day after a hard workout, that just don’t seem to go away quite as quick as “they should” 
• An increase risk of injury (due in large part to the aforementioned)

Is there a limit to how much exercise I should do per week?

In general, it is incredibly important to have a realistic idea of where you currently stand with your fitness. 

While high school or college may not be that far in the past, if you’ve been working at a desk in a sedentary job for most of your week and took a break from regular exercises, chances are that you need to start low, and slowly build.

In general high intensity exercise may lead to a faster burnout or overtraining (as well as higher risk for injury), but as we see from the two different types of overtraining “getting into a routine" and not varying it can also lead to overtraining.

One can and should follow the general periodization that so many beginning endurance coaches use, and that is have a 4 week cycle and slowly buid yourself up.

EXAMPLE:

First week start low (volume or intensity) second week medium (volume or intensity), last week high (volume or intensity), and then the 4th week return to low volume AND intensity. This allows the body time to adapt and recover.

If you’re not sure where you are in your fitness, or you'd like to have professional guidance on your way to your fitness goals, seek out an NSCA certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (NSCA-CSCS) or NSCA-Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT), an ACSM certified Healthy & Fitness Specialist (ACSM-HFS), or a Coach who is Certified to coach your chosen sport, to help assess you and develop a program that fits your needs and lifestyle.

If you think you may be in an overtrained state, make an appointment to see your family physician for an assessment, and in the mean time ease back on your training, and focus on your recovery and nutrition- making sure to get adequate sleep, and eating healthy foods in correct proportions to your energy needs.

So you want to turn pro?

So, You want to turn pro, Let's just take a pause on that for a second....

This is a conversation I just had with a young athlete.
Take it for what it is, but I'm sharing it because I think more riders who want to go pro, need to hear the real side of things.

Being a Pro athlete can have a ton of perks: gear, travel, rubbing elbows and competing against your idols, and much more.

But I believe that too many coaches romanticize the realities too much, and that can lead to burnout and frustration, thus robbing promising athletes of making it.

This is "Real talk", and is my take on what it takes to REALLY turn pro, and make it to that level- and stay there long enough to make a career and living out of it. Of course it takes good fortune and having a skill set in your sport/position that is desired by teams at that level, but I firmly believe that if you put your mind to it, and reverse-engineer your goal, you CAN achieve it.

Take it or leave it, it's simply where I'm at in my coaching career and experiences at this point in time.

Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences!
------------------------------

Athlete:   If I had a chance at pro level it's coming up fast. I'm almost 17

Me:  Why are you looking at the pro levels? what cat are you currently racing?

Athlete:  4

Me:  ok, so hear me out.

I'm going to be tough for a second. BUT one that is on your side, and just want you to see the big picture. cool?

Athlete:   Go for it. Heard it all before. Your probably just gonna tell me that I can't do it, but if that's what your gonna say I don't even wanna hear it.

Me:  nope. forget that

Athlete:  OK...

Me:  I'm going to tell you how it is, and how it could be

Athlete: Thumbs Up Sign

Me: You're not going to go pro this year, and probably not next year.

Athlete:  Oh I know that

Me:   If you want to have a shot at going pro in the US, you have to attend a Talent ID camp

Athlete:   Ok

Me:  You CAN turn pro. X rider I coached did it as a Domestic Pro- and he started when I started coaching him at age 19. I know 5 euro pro's here right now

Athlete:  When I say pro I mean euro pro

Me: and if you want to make it to that level, you HAVE to LOVE LOVE LOVE riding because when you turn euro pro, shit is hard you get 3-4 kits a YEAR, and not half the support you think you should. You do your own repairs with what you have available to you, which may be nothing.

Athlete:  ?

Me:  you sleep in crappy motels that are loud, with too small beds, and sometime really dirty sheets. you race every week, and barely get a rest

Athlete:   I don't wanna hear of what it's like, I wanna hear what I gotta do to get there

Me:  the guys who make it to the middle and top levels are not only guys who LOVE the bike, and all the crap that goes with it just makes it all the more romantic

you have to LOVE riding your bike

and understand how to work hard

and that the tough days will be many

and the great days will have to learn how to relish and savor them, because they won't come that often, or if they do, they won't come when you want them to

You want to turn pro?

here are the keys to success:

1. Love your freaking bike. Eat, sleep. breath, crap everything bike related, but also have another hobby that you can enjoy

2. Train hard. Recover hard.

No good comes from burying yourself day after day. you need to learn how to ride hard when you need to ride hard, and how to ride smart, easy, and fast, when you need to recover

3. ride with people better than you, who have already done it.

X is a domestic Pro, and X was a Euro Pro, these guys are great starts

Ride with guys who will support you on your dream, and won't fill you with hot air, and bullshit

you want people who will keep your feet on the ground when you need to hear you did something stupid, or can learn from.

but they yell at you and reprimand you because they care about you, and want to see you succeed. not because they are jealous that you're chasing the dream, and getting somewhere

4. take those who always have only positive things to say to you, with caution. Many an aspiring professional has lost their opportunity because they surround themselves with people who tell them how awesome they are, but when someone comes and tells them how it really is, they ignore them, or get pissed and reject them

5. Learn how to properly care for your body, and get really in tune with it.

Yoga, meditation, strength training, whatever it is that does it for you. learn what your body is telling you, and how to understand what it needs

6. Learn to love the focus and misery of hard efforts on the bike

7. After learning your body, understand how far you can push it, but never push it too far. 

Limits are made to be pushed, but not always broken. There is a time and a place for that

8. learn how to recover.

Feet up, eating healthy food, drinking fluids, and sleeping enough.

9. Cycling is a team sport.

Learn how to work for others, and how to have others work for you

10. Be a hard, tough, gritty competitor, but ALWAYS showcase sportsmanship.

It's a lost art, being a sportsman. Everyone wants to be right, or bitch someone out because they didn't like how they ran things or did things.

Sportsmen understand that sometimes things don't go your way, but there is a time, a place, and a proper way, to deal with these things properly

Honestly, I believe 100% that you can do it.

It won't be easy

Athlete: But?

ME: and it will take a lot of hard work, communication, team work, and making sure to have fun, but IT IS POSSIBLE.

Athlete:  Can you take me there?

Me: Shoot as high as you can, for even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.

before we jump in- WHY do you want it?

your WHY needs to be big and strong

If your WHY is strong enough, the HOW will emerge

Athlete:  Because it's the only thing I can think of, and the only thing I can see me doing later on in life.

Me:  WHY

Athlete:  Why? Because I love it

Its just what I do

Its what I was put on this earth to do.

--------------

This kid's going to go far. How far? We'll find out...

The rest of the conversation was incredibly important as well:

-I told him about learning other skills outside of cycling, and having a trade or career to move to other than cycling once his career is done.

-We talked about making money work for YOU, not the other way around.

-And lastly, I told him about how old style paper books and learning how to properly read them, can allow him to be on the fast track of becoming a top professional in a field other than being a pro athlete, when that time of his life has come.

Train smarter, not harder my friends, and enjoy the crazy ride that is cycling!

Anemia and the Endurance Athlete: Tips to help you prevent Iron-Deficiency

Recently, one of the athletes whom I work with has been properly diagnosed with Anemia. After 2 months of his not responding well to training, constantly commenting that his energy was low, and that he feels that he just cannot recover "like he used to", I had him see his Family Doctor for a battery of blood test, and to check out his general well being (You can learn about which blood test I recommend for my athletes here).

Coincidentally, another rider on a team that I coach, was having similar issues, at the same time. It jogged my memory, that I had done a blog post on this issue back in 2012. Below you will find the post. While there are a few updates you should be made aware of, i.e. that being a vegetarian/vegan does not necessarily raise your risk of anemia as much as once believed, overall the post still rings true. 

Enjoy!

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Anemia and the Endurance Athlete: Tips to help you prevent Iron-Deficiency

                     The USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides"
                            February 2012   Boston, MA

As we head into the Base time of year for most endurance athletes, I have seen a few issues seem to be trending the last few years for endurance athletes in the region which I operate my business out of.

Amongst the issues is lack of proper nutrition (total calories in), hydration during cold rides, and perhaps the most surprising: athletes apparently being Iron-deficient.

Right now I want to focus on Anemia and Iron deficiency, as this can REALLY derail ones training for a year, or more, should it go undiagnosed for a few months, and especially if it goes on until mid-build.

If you have more questions about Iron-Deficiency or Anemia, please contact your doctor, or Sports Dietician. If you don't have a dietician, I recommend Kim Schwabenbauer of Fuel Your Passion. She is not only a (my) sports dietician, but also a professional triathlete who races for a great cause, Ballou Skies Charities, and she is a phenomenal source of knowledge. She understand the treacheries of training and racing, and has a great perspective on things.

The below questions were composed from my own knowledge, and a few of the quality sports nutrition books that I have found (Monique Ryan's "Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes", Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook", and Chris Carmichael's "Food for Fitness" --Chris is NOT a Sports Dietician, but the book is well put together), and is a small bit of the information that I talk about with Human Vortex Training Athletes whom are suspected of possibly experiencing effects of Iron-Deficiency, or anemia, before sending them over to either their PCP, Kim S., or their Sports Dietician.

Due to the nature of sports nutrition and the mass amounts of research being done, it is possible that some of the information below is outdated. Again, I am not a Dietician. The information below is not intended to diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease, or other health issues. It is here to serve as base knowledge to help the endurance athlete community to become more aware of how their diet affects their training and racing, and most importantly, their overall health.

If you suspect that you may have Iron-Deficiency Anemia, I strongly urge you to talk to your Primary Care Physician, or your sports dietician, ASAP.

                                                   
          Photo from :  http://www.english-online.at/biology/blood/blood-supply-and-blood-diseases.htm

What is Iron-Deficiency Anemia, and how does it affect me?
Iron-Deficiency Anemia defines that the body is unable to supply or carry enough oxygen to the muscles, or the body's cells. This can lead to feelings of fatigue throughout one's day, or during workouts. Some of the more common complaints heard by active individuals are "I can't seem to find the energy to workout like I used to" or "I feel so tired during my workouts".

A little about Iron...
Iron is a Micro-mineral, otherwise known as a "Trace element", which are present in the tissues of the body in small amounts, but have crucial roles in human nutrition. Iron is needed to form the Oxygen-Transporting compounds Hemoglobin & Myoglobin.
Iron Absorption is ultimately controlled by the amount that is already in storage in the body (as Ferritin, & Hemosiderin), due to the lack of an effective mechanism to expel excess Iron. However, absorption rates of Iron from ingested foods rarely exceed 10-15% of TOTAL PRESENT IN THE FOOD. (This means if you eat something that contains 30% of your daily value, you're most likely only absorbing 3-4.5% of your daily value!) This is a mechanism that helps the body maintain a relatively regular level of Iron storage.

What does this mean to me as an endurance athlete?
It is important to eat a balanced diet, ensuring that you intake adequate amounts of Iron. Although the best sources of Iron are meat, fish, poultry, legumes and dark leafy green vegetables, Iron is commonly added to help fortify foods such as breakfast cereals, and grain products.

What are the best sources of Iron? Can I absorb more from one food or another?
The most easily absorbed type of Iron is "heme" Iron, which is found in meats and other foods of animal origin. "Non-Heme" Iron can be found in fruits and vegetables, as well as cereals. Non-heme iron absorption can be enhanced by consuming vitamin C along with it.

I'm a vegetarian, am I at a higher risk of developing Iron-Deficiency Anemia?
As far as conventional wisdom goes, unfortunately yes. Vegetarian endurance athletes, and vegetarians in general are considered to be at a higher risk of developing Iron-Deficiency Anemia. However, there are a few things that one can do to help you attain enough Iron from your diet. Some of which include: Proper dietary planning, consciously eating fruits and vegetables high in Iron, eating Iron-fortified grain products, and even adding Vitamin C to vegetables by squeezing lemon or orange juice on them before eating.
There is a lot of new information coming out about vegans/vegetarians and Iron-Deficiency Anemia. If you are a vegetarian/vegan endurance athlete, I recommend consulting with a sports dietician.

I heard that I can lose Iron through sweat, is this true?
Although Iron loss through sweat is low (often the concentration is 0.2 mg/L of sweat), it can lead to Iron Deficiency in athletes with marginal Iron intake. This type of occurrence is more often associated with athletes who participate in long-duration activities, as they can sweat up to 2 Liters or more per hour.

I met with a dietician, and they told me that my Iron levels are low, but I have been taking in enough Iron in my diet...What's going on?!?!
You may have what is called "Dilutional Pseudoanemia. This occurs due to the increase in blood volume due to exercise, more often intensive in nature, which may result in a temporary dilution of the red blood cells. Ask your Dietician or Doctor about doing test for Iron at the END of a recovery week during the Pre-season (Base), Season (x2 Build & Peak), and Off (Transition)-season. Also, having a yearly blood panel is also a good idea to track your overall vitamin and mineral intakes to help ensure you have a sound, well rounded diet.

You can Read more from my old blog by following this link