3 stages of overtraining: symptoms and treatment

Author: Sergey Yezhov - sports medicine physician.
2017-02-17

For the first time, the term "sports illness" (overtraining) was proposed by the Austrian scientist L. Prokop in 1956. According to him, the basis of this pathology lies in the disruption of neurological connections between the cerebral cortex and underlying structures, developing against the background of overfatigue. Thus, the condition resembles a common neurosis or neurasthenia.

The modern view on overtraining has significantly expanded, addressing biochemical processes occurring in the athlete's body and affecting all of its organs and systems. In this article, we will not describe the physiology of this pathological state in detail but will touch on the main points that may help you in your athletic endeavors.

Causes of Overtraining:

• Excessive loads (exceeding the intensity or volume of training),
• Sudden increase in training intensity without achieving adaptation,
• Disruption of rest and recovery regimen,
• Training in uncomfortable environmental conditions (high altitude, hot climate, etc.),
• Training against the background of illness or an incomplete rehabilitation period.

Currently, three stages of overtraining are distinguished, which determine the volume of therapeutic and rehabilitation activities.

Stage 1

Typically, serious complaints from athletes are not yet noted. Symptoms may include sleep disturbances, lack of motivation for training, and nervousness. Objective symptoms include reduced adaptability of the cardiovascular system to prolonged and intense loads, and decreased accuracy in highly coordinated exercises. Changes are diagnosed only during functional tests (cycloergometry, cardio intervalography) by a specialist.

What to do?

1. At this stage, it is advisable to reduce the training volume and diversify the training process with exercises from other sports; consider even changing the focus of training (for example, for martial artists, adding 1-2 strength training sessions per week).

2. It is necessary to increase the athlete's overall diet, primarily through carbohydrates. Possible use of vitamin and mineral complexes, plant adaptogens (such as Leuzea extract, Eleutherococcus), and creatine (5 g, 2 times a day for 20 days).

3. Completely eliminate all CNS stimulants: alcohol, coffee, strong tea, psycho-stimulants.

4. Beneficial supporting activities include sauna, cryotherapy, and massage. If possible, consider procedures like electro-sleep or electrophoresis (SMT) with euphyllin in the neck-collar zone.

Stage 2

A reduction in physical performance is noted even during standard training sessions, and sports results decline. Somatic complaints arise: persistent headaches (daily, not relieved by analgesics), unending muscle pain, cramps, digestive disturbances (bloating, nausea, constipation), sleep disturbances, depression, and complete lack of motivation for training.

What to do?

1. This condition requires immediate cessation of training and assessment in a clinic or specialized sports medicine center. Treatment should be under medical supervision.

2. Sedative medications (Novo-Passit, Afobazol, Phenazepam), neurotransmitters for inhibitory processes (GABA), immunomodulators, metabolic drugs, beta-blockers, and belladonna preparations are used.

3. I personally always recommend the additional intake of glycine and tryptophan to normalize biocycles and sleep.

4. Massage and electro-therapies are also prescribed.

5. A very interesting and effective method is floating therapy. I won’t delve into this in detail here (for those interested, there is a lot of information available online); instead, I will discuss it in a separate review.

Stage 3

This stage represents a severely advanced condition, with decompensation of the function of internal organs, possibly accompanied by dystrophic changes in them. Manifestations may vary depending on the affected organ, presenting as arrhythmia, shortness of breath, jaundice, kidney failure, especially increasing over several days following physical exertion.

What to do?

1. Patients at the third stage of the sports illness require inpatient treatment, with a complete cessation of training and constant medical supervision.

2. Specialized therapy for the affected organ and general restorative measures for the body are carried out. Treatment continues until complete restoration of identified disturbances.

3. After discharge from the hospital, the athlete is prescribed active rest in the form of therapeutic exercise. A gradual return to training is not recommended before 2-3 months. Participation in competitions is prohibited for a period of 4-6 months.