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How to Identify Overtraining Syndrome – 23 Warning Signs

Use this quick-reference checklist to identify 23 warning signs and symptoms of overtraining.

by Brad Walker | First Published March 17, 2002 | Updated July 31, 2024
One of the biggest challenges to achieving your fitness goals is consistency. If you’re repeatedly getting sick, run down and overtrained it becomes very difficult to stay injury free.

So how do you tell the difference between being just a little tired, and being legitimately run down or overtrained?

And how do you keep the consistency and benefits of regular exercise, without over training and becoming sick or injured?

How to Identify Overtraining Syndrome

What is Overtraining Syndrome?

Overtraining Syndrome is the result of giving your body more work or stress than it can handle. Overtraining occurs when a person experiences stress and physical trauma from exercise faster than their body can repair the damage.

A 2012 Sports Health research article described overtraining syndrome (OTS) as…

“OTS appears to be a maladapted response to excessive exercise without adequate rest, resulting in perturbations of multiple body systems (neurologic, endocrinologic, immunologic) coupled with mood changes.”

This doesn’t happen overnight, or as a result of one or two work-outs. In fact, regular exercise is extremely beneficial to your general health and fitness, but you must remember that it’s exercise that breaks your body down, while it’s the rest and recovery that makes you stronger and healthier. Improvements only occur during the times of rest.

Remember, stress can come from a multitude of sources. It’s not just physical stress that causes overtraining. Sure, excessive exercise may lead to overtraining, but don’t forget to consider other stresses, such as family or work commitments. Remember, stress is stress, whether it’s a physical, mental or emotional stress, it still has the same effect on your health and well-being.

How do Muscles and Tendons Adapt to Training

Tissue adaptability
Muscle vs. Tendon vs. Ligament vs. Bone and the 3 month curse

23 Warning Signs and Symptoms of Overtraining Syndrome

At this point in time there are no tests that can be performed to determine whether you are over trained. You can’t go to your local doctor or even a sports medicine laboratory and ask for a test for overtraining. However, there are a number of signs and symptoms that you should be on the lookout for. These should act as a warning bell, which will give you advanced notice of possible dangers to come.

Suffering from any one or two of the following signs or symptoms doesn’t automatically mean you are overtrained. However, if you recognize a number, say 5 or 6 of the following signs and symptoms, then it may be time to take a close look at the volume and intensity of your work load.

To make it easier for you to recognize them I’ve grouped them into physical or psychological signs and symptoms. Generally the most common signs and symptoms to look for are a total loss of motivation in all areas of your life (work or career, health and fitness etc.), plus a feeling of exhaustion. If these two warning signs are present, plus a couple of the other listed below, then it may be time to take a short rest before things get out of hand.

Physical Signs & Symptoms

  • Elevated resting pulse / heart rate
  • Frequent minor infections
  • Increased susceptibility to colds and flu’s
  • Increases in minor injuries
  • Chronic muscle soreness or joint pain
  • Exhaustion
  • Lethargy
  • Weight loss
  • Appetite loss
  • Insatiable thirst or dehydration
  • Intolerance to exercise
  • Decreased performance
  • Delayed recovery from exercise

Psychological Signs & Symptoms

  • Fatigued, tired, drained, lack of energy
  • Reduced ability to concentrate
  • Apathy or no motivation
  • Irritability
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Headaches
  • Insomnia
  • Inability to relax
  • Twitchy, fidgety or jittery

How to Prevent Overtraining

As with most things, prevention is by far better than cure, so lets start by taking a quick look at a few things you can do to prevent overtraining.

  • Only make small and gradual increases to your exercise program over a period of time;
  • Eat a well balanced, nutritious diet, and increase your calorie intake;
  • Ensuring adequate relaxation and sleep;
  • Be prepared to modify your training to suit environmental conditions. For example, on a very hot day, going to the pool instead of out in the sun;
  • Monitor other stresses on your life and make adjustments to suit;
  • Avoid monotonous training, by varying your exercise as much as possible;
  • Don’t exercise during an illness; and
  • Most of all be flexible and have some fun with what you do.

The 2 fundamental causes of ALL overuse injuries

What are the 2 fundamental causes of ALL overuse injuries?

How to Recover from Overtraining

Okay, you feel run down and totally exhausted. You’ve got no motivation to do anything. You can’t get rid of that niggling knee injury. You’re irritable, depressed and have totally lost your appetite. Sounds like you’re over trained. What do you do now?

  • Your first priority is to put your feet up and take a 3 to 5 day rest (depending on how severe the overtraining is). During this time forget about exercise, your body needs a rest so give it one. A physical rest, as well as a mental rest. There’s no point in beating yourself up mentally over losing a few days training.
  • Try to get as much sleep and relaxation as possible. Go to bed early and catch a nap whenever you can.
  • Make sure you increase your intake of highly nutritious foods and take an extra dose of vitamins and minerals. Most athletes who train regularly do not eat enough calories, especially carbohydrates. Increase your carbohydrate intake, both during training and recovery.
A 2021 Sports Medicine research article highlights the importance of energy availability…

“It is important to note that the prevention of under-recovery is multi-factorial, but many aspects are based around energy availability and carbohydrate availability.”

After the initial 3 to 5 days rest you can gradually get back into your normal exercise routine, but start off slowly. Most research states that it’s okay to start off with the same intensity and time of exercise but cut back on the frequency. So if you would normally exercise 5 or 6 times a week, cut that back to only 2 or 3 times a week for the next week or two. After that you should be right to resume your normal exercise regimen.

Sometimes it’s a good idea to have a rest, like the one outlined above, whether you’re feeling run down or not. It will give both your mind and body a chance to fully recover from any problems that may be building up without you even knowing it. It will also freshen you up, give you a renewed motivation and help you to look forward to your exercise again. Don’t underestimate the benefits of a good rest.

To Stretch or not to Stretch

Stretching is a great recovery tool, and you should be using stretching during your normal exercise routine both to assist in recovery and to prevent injury.

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Research and References

Brad Walker - AKA The Stretch CoachAbout the Author: Brad Walker is often referred to as the "Stretch Coach" and has even been called the Stretching Guru. Magazines such as Runners World, Bicycling, Triathlete, Swimming & Fitness, and Triathlon Sports have all featured his work. Amazon (author page) has listed his books on five Best-Seller lists. Google cites over 100,000 references to him and his work on the internet. And satisfied customers from 122 countries have sent 1,000's of verified customer reviews. If you want to know about stretching, flexibility or sports injury management, Brad Walker is the go-to-guy.

Disclaimer: The health and fitness information presented on this website is intended as an educational resource and is not intended as a substitute for proper medical advice. Please consult your physician or physical therapist before performing any of the exercises described on this website, particularly if you are pregnant, elderly or have any chronic or recurring muscle or joint pain.