Overreaching VS. Overtraining in Exercise
What if I told you that you didn’t have to train 6-7 days a week for 2 hours every session, consistently flogging yourself at the gym to be fit? What if I told you that it could lead to negative effects on your training in the long term if you weren’t taking the time to rest and recover?
You may have heard the terms ‘overtraining’ and ‘overreaching’, but what’s the difference?
Overreaching is a short-term decline in performance that can happen after back to back days of hard training. It’s usually temporary and can be reversible after a normal, planned recovery from a few days up to a week. Whereas overtraining is a long-term effect that can go on for weeks and possibly months, and doesn’t seem to be reversible with normally scheduled recovery periods1.
Overreaching isn’t always bad. Using positive training adaptations to improve performance can be a key part of your training program if you plan, track, and get the right support.
Effective training requires a balance between training sessions and enough rest and recovery. Too much training (AKA overtraining) and/or not enough recovery can limit performance and cause you to stop exercising and training altogether. More often than not, inadequate rest and recovery happens because of our busy lifestyles – balancing work and family, work and health stressors, poor nutrition and poor sleep2.
Rest and recovery is essential in the overreaching process and can help you avoid overtraining. When planned correctly you should recover from the fatigue of a training stimulus in 12-48 hours, depending on the energy system used and intensity of the session. Muscle soreness, insomnia and a lowered immune response usually accompany fatigue3.
Symptoms of overreaching
Symptoms associated with overreaching are similar to fatigue, but more severe3.
- Increased resting heart rate
- Early fatigue during training
- Decreased performance
- Higher than normal heart rate during exercise
- Increased thirst, especially at night
Symptoms of overtraining
There are over 125 symptoms in published research for overtraining, but the most common symptoms include2:
- Persistent heavy, stiff, and sore muscles
- Persistent fatigue, washed-out feeling
- Decreased performance and ability to stick to the training program
- Increased likelihood to get sick
- Nagging and somewhat chronic injuries
- Poor sleep
- Decreased concentration and restlessness
- Increased irritability
- Depression
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Missed or irregular menstrual cycles for women
Tips to avoid overtraining2
Preventing overtraining is about learning how your body copes with exercise and adapting your training by:
- Listening to your body and taking extra recovery time as needed.
- Not increasing your training volume too quickly
- Following a periodised program; intersperse periods of intense/high-volume training with extended periods of rest/recovery.
- Ensuring adequate recovery/rest between intense workouts to allow for muscle tissue repair and growth
- Leaving some in the tank after a workout - you shouldn’t feel absolutely flogged every session
- Having proper nutrition and hydration
- Getting quality sleep
- Getting a Personal Trainer who can monitor and guide you through your training
References
- Wilber, R. L. (2012, April). Overreaching vs. Overtraining Understanding the Difference. Performance Soccer Conditioning.
- Roy, B. A. (2015, March/April). Overreaching/Overtraining More Is Not Always Better. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal, 19(2), 4-5.
- International Sports Science Association. (2018, December 5). Rest & Recovery: Minimizing Fatigue, Overreaching And Overtraining Part 2. Bodybuilding.
