Overtraining Vs Being Tired: Measurable Ways to Tell the Difference

Finn Melanson [00:00:10]: Hello fellow runners. I'm your host Finn Milanson and this is the Run to the Top podcast, the podcast dedicated to making you a better runner. With each and every episode, we are created and produced by the expert team of coaches@runnersconnect.net where you can find the best running information on the internet as well as training plans to fit every runner and every budget. Overtraining versus normal fatigue is probably the question that racks the brains of runners. Anytime something feels a bit off, as any runner knows, it's really hard to tell the difference between the two, especially for those of us who are super motivated and fret that backing off even one workout will be a killer to our progress. Well, if you've ever felt paralyzed by the decision of whether you're just feeling tired or if it's something more serious, then this episode is for you. Coach Jeff is going to break down some measurable ways you can tell if you're overtraining, when it's okay, and sometimes even good to train when tired, and how to dig yourself out of a hole if you are overtrained, let's get to it. If you're looking for the best way to increase your focus for your upcoming races, you'll love the new Perform from the Amino Company. You can check out the research@aminoco.com. RTT if you're looking for better and safer headphones while you run, then you need to check out Oledance. Their open ear design delivers premium sound while still allowing you to hear your surroundings to stay safe, head to Oledance.com RTT to learn more.

Jeff Gaudette [00:01:59]: Understanding the difference between normal training fatigue and overtraining is definitely one of the most difficult things I've had to do as both an athlete and as a coach. Trust me, I've had countless mental battles about whether I was truly tired and overtrained or whether I just needed to suck it up and push through. I can recall when I was still running professionally, times where I'd be sitting on the couch after a nap, really not wanting to go for a run because I was still half asleep and just so tired and wondering if I was just being weak or if I really needed a day to back off. Even now, when I'm just training for fun and to experiment on myself, I have long debates in my head about whether I should work out because I'm feeling tired and I don't know if it's just the normal tiredness or I'm feeling on the verge of overtraining. Well, if you've experienced debates like this in your head, then today's episode for you. I'm going to cover the difference between normal training fatigue and overtraining. Why? Training fatigue is sometimes okay and even needed some measurable ways that you can tell if you're overtrained and how to dig yourself out if you are indeed overtrained. So let's start out with the difference between overtraining and just being tired. Both, quote unquote feel the same, but overtraining has some specific measurable effects on the body that we can identify and use to determine if we are in fact overtrained or not. And I'll discuss those factors in depth in a moment. So when athletes ask me the difference, the first step I ask them is to take is to start gathering the Measurable data. I'll say this again later, but most of this data I'm talking about should be stuff you're collecting routinely. If you're training hard or training for a race, or at least gathering somewhat frequently, if none of the data matches up, then you can probably assume that you're not overtrained. Now, this isn't 100% foolproof, so you still want to keep an eye out and keep tabs on the data, but the chances are good you're just tired. If none of the measurable data matches up, so you've concluded that you're just tired. What should you do? Should you run through it? Take days off? Well, the answer depends on a few things. In my opinion, you definitely should consider a day or two off or taking something like a down week. If any of the following are true. One, you're just coming off an injury or a severely injury prone or dealing with something. In this case, the added fatigue may aggravate or cause an injury. That's not something that we want. Second, your gait is impacted. This could be because of an injury or just being overly tired. I know my Gait tends to get really sloppy. If I'm super tired or sore, I tend to shuffle, which puts a lot of stress on my lower legs. If you feel like running tired is going to impact your normal running form, take a rest day or two. Third, I'll finish this off by saying it's always better to be cautious rather than aggressive. We as runners overestimate just how important one or two runs in a training cycle are. If you envision every mile or kilometer, you do over a 16 or 20 week training plan as a drop in a bucket. Imagine how little difference missing a few drops at the end of your training cycle matters. In my opinion, it's very, very little. So always err on the side of caution rather than being aggressive. Okay, so you've decided that you've hit none of the prerequisites for needing a day off. These are the times when you just need to physically or mentally push through the fatigue. Now, how can this be a good thing? Well, the basis for all training theory is what we call the workout and recovery process. Running first breaks down your muscle fibers. The harder you run, the more muscle fibers you damage. Your body then works to rebuild. These damaged muscle fibers in the recovery process goes well, these muscle fibers are repaired stronger than before. That's how you become a faster and stronger runner through training. But as you may realize, it's nearly impossible to fully recover from a workout in 24 hours. It might be possible following a very easy day of running. But any type of speed, tempo or long run is going to require from anything from two to 14 days to fully absorb and recover. That means unless you're only running one or two days a week, training. While fatigued is a necessary part of training, especially since we know that slow, easy mileage is the best way to build an aerobic endurance and is the foundation for running performance. The trick is finding that balance between running enough miles to build your aerobic capacity without overdoing the fatigue. And herein lies the art of training. However, there's also a way that we can utilize this fatigue to make training more effective. In training, vernacular coaches use a term called accumulated fatigue to describe this. Basically, this theory posits that the fatigue from one workout accumulates and transfers to the next run. So you're always starting a workout or a long run a little tired from your previous training. This is important for longer distance races like the marathon, because it's nearly impossible to run the full distance in training. Furthermore, if you were to start every workout fully recovered and fresh, it would be difficult to simulate how your body feels late into the race. As such, we can strategically implement the theory of accumulated fatigue to better target the specific demands of your race. For example, during marathon training, one of my favorite methods of introducing accumulated fatigue is to buttress the long run against a shorter but steady pace run the day before. As an illustration, you would run 6 miles at marathon pace on the Saturday before your Sunday long run. Because of the harder running on Saturday, you start Sunday's long run at 0 mile, but rather at six or 7 miles. Since this is the level of fatigue and glycogen depletion your body is carrying over from the previous run, you can even apply this theory to five k training using what we know about muscle fibers and the recruitment and fatigue ladder. I often have athletes run a short, explosive hill workout something like nine times 62nd hills at five k pace. Two days before a five k specific workout. Something like twelve times 400 at five K pace with 60 seconds quick jog, rest the hill session fatigues and depletes the fast switch muscle fibers so that during the five K specific work. Your intermarry type two A muscle fibers. The ones that are primarily responsible for running at five K pace have to handle more work and thus are more specifically tired. So how do you find the right balance? Obviously, training would be much easier and runners much happy if you could just train hard and fatigued all the time. But you simply can't continue to accumulate fatigue and run these types of workouts all the time. Although I know a lot of runners who definitely try to do this, and I probably have in the past as well. There needs to be a balance. First, try to keep the specific accumulated fatigue workouts to once every two weeks and only schedule them during the race specific portion of your training schedule. This ensures that you don't overdo it and that you don't get burnt out long term. Be sure to keep your easy run slow. One of the most common mistakes runners make is running their easy days too fast. This hinders your ability to recover and doesn't provide any additional aerobic benefit. Research has shown that the most optimal aerobic pace for an easy run is about 65% of five K pace for a 20 minutes five K runner. This would mean about 840 per mile on your easy days.

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Jeff Gaudette [00:11:19]: Now let's talk about how we can measure overtraining symptoms. I'm going to discuss these in order in terms of how easy they are to track and how often I track them in my training so you can get a better idea of the data that you should keep and then some of the data that you can add if you think you may be overtraining. First up is sleep quality. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to self monitor for overtraining is to constantly monitor your sleep quality. According to a review of overtraining research from 2018, sleep disturbances are a common symptom experienced by athletes who are overtrained. The exact reasons why overtraining can lead to sleep disturbances aren't fully yet understood. But it's not that the physiological and psychological stresses of intense training may disrupt normal sleep patterns. These disturbances can take a number of different forms, including difficulty falling asleep, which can lead to feelings of frustration, anxiety, and restlessness. Even if overtrained athletes are able to fall asleep initially, you may wake up frequently during the night, which can disrupt the normal sleep cycle and leave you feeling tired or groggy the next day. You also may experience reduced sleep quality. Overtraining can lead to a decrease in overall sleep quality, meaning you're not feeling as rested or refreshed after sleeping as you normally would. And finally, overtrained athletes may experience a decrease in their total sleep time, either through a difficulty of falling asleep, like we talked about before, or waking up frequently during the night. Others may find that they are sleeping more than usual but still not feeling rested. Luckily, sleep tracking is really easy to do, and I recommend you set it up before you're even experiencing any tiredness or overtraining symptoms. This way, you have a baseline for what your normal or good is, and then you can monitor when the data starts to head south. I personally use the Whoop device, which can track total sleep time, sleep quality, which is basically how much time you spend in deep sleep and is really the most important data marker for recovery and how many times you wake up through the night. Since it's a Whooper device, it simply sits on my wrist and records all the data. I don't have to do anything with it. And that's why this is my number one measurable data point, because it's easy to keep track all the time and you can see any adjustments or any changes in your data. Another common sign of overtraining is changes in appetite. Studies have shown that some overtrained athletes may experience a decrease in appetite, which can lead to unintended weight loss or nutritional deficiencies. They are not able to maintain a balanced diet. You may also experience an increase in cravings for specific foods, particularly those that are high in carbohydrates or sugar. This can be a sign that the body is trying to compensate for the energy deficiencies caused by intense training. The exact reasons why overtraining can lead to changes in appetite are not yet fully understood. But it's not that. The physiological and psychological stresses of intense training may disrupt normal hunger signals and lead to changes in food preferences or intake. So the data point here is if you notice any abrupt changes in your eating habits. This could be a sign that you're overtrained. Another fairly easy indication of overtraining is monitoring your illness or how often you're getting sick. The research is pretty conclusive that overtraining increases your risk of illness. The specific type of illnesses that overtrain athletes may be more susceptible to can vary, but they tend to include upper respiratory tract infections, gastrointestinal infections, and viral diseases. This increased risk can be attributed to a number of factors, including a suppressed immune system. Because your immune system isn't as efficient at clearing up the normal viruses you'd normally be able to, and avoid getting sick, or elevated stress hormones, which we'll talk about in a second. The physiological stress of overtraining can sometimes lead to an increase in stress hormones, such as cortisol, which can suppress the immune function and increase your risk of illness. So if you notice yourself getting sick more frequently, or it's taking you longer to recover from things like a basic cold, this could be a sign that you're overtraining and that what you're feeling is a little more than just normal fatigue. Hormonal changes are perhaps one of the most surefire ways to determine if you're suffering from overtraining or not. Unfortunately, it's also the most difficult or expensive to monitor. Likely, you'll need some help from your healthcare provider. But if you do want to test your hormone levels, here's what I suggest you look at first, cortisol overtraining can lead to an increase in the stress hormone cortisol, which can have a number of negative effects on the body, including the suppression of the immune system, impairing sleep quality, and increasing your risk of illness. All the things we talked about before testosterone overtraining can also lead to a decrease in testosterone levels, particularly in male athletes. This can lead to a decrease in muscle mass, reduced energy levels, and a decrease in overall athletic performance. Overtraining can also lead to a decrease in growth hormone levels, which can impair muscle recovery and lead to a decrease in muscle mass. Finally, overtraining can also affect insulin sensitivity, which can impact how the body metabolizes and uses glucose. This can lead to a decrease in energy levels and increases in feelings of fatigue. And honestly, this is why I get my blood levels routinely tested, usually about once every three months or so. I'm lucky enough to have a lab around me that offers testing for a straight fee. I just tell them what markers I want, and each one costs a certain amount. The price for me varies between $50 and $90, but you'll obviously have to check on if you have a lab in your area, and the price also depends on which markers you're going to get. I also know that there are some online options where you can get these tests done. I routinely get my iron and testosterone tested once every three months during periods of hard training. I'll do some of the other hormones I mentioned as well, especially if I feel like I'm getting a little bit more tired. My goal here is to monitor and establish baselines. That way, I have a frame of reference for what normal is, and then when I do feel tired, or if I do think I might be overtrained, I can go get my blood work done, and I can see where these levels match up to what my baseline is. It gives me a pretty instant, usually two or three days, measure of whether I might be overtrained or not. Now, finally, I'll mention that for female runners, there may be some hormonal changes that impact your menstrual cycle. So this is another data point that you may want to pay attention to. Specifically, overtraining can lead to a decrease in estrogen levels, which can disrupt the normal menstrual cycle. This disruption can lead to changes in your menstrual cycle length, such as a shorter cycle or a longer cycle, as well as changes in frequency, such as irregular periods or missed periods. So if you do experience any changes in your menstrual cycle, I recommend that you consult your doctor, as this could lead to serious issues. As a final note, you may notice that I didn't include heart rate. We used to believe that measuring your resting heart rate in the morning could be a good way to track changes and to determine if you're overtraining. However, recent research has shown that this may not actually be accurate. The heart rate variability can change pretty just drastically between five to ten to 15 beats per minute, even without any changes in your fatigue levels or being overtrained. So now that you know you may be overtrained, if any of these markers match up for you, how do you dig yourself out and how do you manage to get back on track? Now, honestly, researchers and coaches are varied on the exact amount of time you'll need to fully recover from about or over training primarily. The rest period that you're going to need is going to depend on how severe your symptoms are and how quickly your body responds. Personally, I suggest taking at least two to three weeks before you even think about running again. If you do find that yourself overtrained, if you have any of those biomarkers we mentioned above, more than likely you're going to need six to eight weeks of complete rest before you're fully recovered. Now, I know this sounds pretty scary, but actual scientific for research shows that you lose very little long term fitness if you need to take three to four weeks off, it's critical that you listen to your body and be patient, or you'll find yourself right back in the overtrained state within a matter of a few weeks. During this time, focus as much as you can on the recovery protocols. Not only does this help physically, but it can give you something to take your mind off the fact that you're resting and not running. These things would include dynamic stretching, self massage, warm and cold baths, and probably the most important element, sleep. I also think focusing on nutrition can play a huge role in getting you back faster. The first thing a runner has to look at when they're overtrained is the amount of calories they're taking in on a daily basis. The reality is that most runners do not eat enough calories to fuel their calorie expenditure. This lack of calories means the muscles aren't getting the nutrients and fuel they need to recover. Usually, the caloric deficit is a result of runners wanting to lose weight or hit their racing rate or just be healthier in general. Unfortunately, trying to lose weight and training hard are two diametrically opposed goals. You need to restrict calories to lose weight, and you need to consume calories to train hard. So if you are overtrained or think you may be overtrained, look to consume about 300 to 500 calories more per day than you normally burn. For a simple way to how to determine this number, you can use this handy calorie calculator I'll include in the show. Notes it's also important that you increase your calorie intake at the right times and with the right foods. Simply eating an extra helping of dinner or a handful of junk food at work isn't going to help you recover. Instead, focus on adding nutrientdense and protein rich foods. Protein is the main muscle building nutrient required to repair the small micro tears runners inflict on their muscles with every hard workout that you run. Therefore, it's critical that if you are in danger of overtraining, consume ample amounts of lean protein. This extra protein consumption will provide the essential nutrients and amino acids needs for muscle repair. Now, don't go about this by adding artificial animal protein sources like cold cuts or processed meats. Simply add something like grilled chicken breast to your lunch, on a salad or in a sandwich, and include some salmon or an occasional red meat for dinner. If you're a vegetarian, you'll need to combine protein sources to ensure that you're getting the full range of amino acids. For example, you can combine grains with legumes or dairy, vegetables with soy or dairy, or legumes with nuts. Whatever your favorite combination is, make sure that you're getting enough extra protein. If you believe you're overtrained, the second important power food you're going to want to eat is your fruits and vegetables. Most fruits and vegetables are superfoods for runners who need to focus on recovery because they are nutrient dense and contain high qualities of essential vitamins and minerals necessary for muscle repair. Personally, I also recommend a green supplement. Regularly using a green supplement has been the absolute best thing I've done for my nutrition. In all honesty, I still get to try out lots of fruits and vegetables, and I do my best to get them in on a daily basis, but the green supplement acts like a backup. Plus, it has a ton of vitamins and minerals I might not get from the fruits and vegetables available to me in the grocery store. To help you out, here's a simple diet for the average runner fighting from over training. Now, these don't include serving sizes because each person's caloric needs are going to be different. So usually for breakfast, we have two breakfast breakfast. One would be overnight oatmeal with vanilla, protein powder berries, Greek yogurt, almond milk, chia seeds and wheat germ. Second breakfast, we do half egg whites, half egg, regular eggs with cheese, spinach, peppers and onions. For lunch, we could do a grilled chicken sandwich and a small spinach salad with peppers, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, Tunis sunflower seeds. Use a small amount of olive oil or mayar and oranges for dressing as needed. Now, midday stack could be something like oranges or a handful of nuts. Brazilian walnut, pistachios are all good options. And then dinner would be something like salmon with brown rice and asparagus. And you can definitely include a nighttime snack. I love cottage cheese with fruit like strawberries, obviously. Feel free to mix and match any of the favorite foods and vegetables with this generalized diet device and make sure to consume an extra 300 500 calories per day. Within a few days, you'll be eating yourself right back on track and feeling fresh and recovered and ready to get back to training hard in a few weeks. In conclusion, take a few weeks to fully rest, focus on recovery and your diet, and you'll be back before you know it. I hope this episode helped you better understand the differences between fatigue and overtraining and how to overcome and use both. Thanks for listening today, guys, and we'll talk to you soon. Have a great run today.

Finn Melanson [00:23:35]: Thanks for listening to the Run to the Top podcast. I'm your host, Finn Mulanson. As always, our mission here is to help you become a better runner with every episode. Please consider connecting with me on Instagram at Wasatch, Finn and the rest of our team at Runners Connect. Also consider supporting our show for free with a rating on the Spotify and Apple podcast players. And lastly, if you love the show and want bonus content, behind the scenes experiences with our guests, and premier access to contests and giveaways, then subscribe to our newsletter by going to RunnersConnect. Net podcast. Until next time, happy trading.