Overtraining syndrome: burned-out athletes

Overtraining can lead to this set of symptoms.

Exercising produces both psychological and physical benefits. But in some cases, hoing sport can also be counterproductiveAnything taken to extremes can be detrimental.

Physical exercise addiction is one of those phenomena that has attracted the attention of psychologists, but so too has the Staleness o Overtraining Syndrome. This syndrome has been observed more in athletes, although not exclusively.

Overtraining syndrome causes a decrease in the athlete's performance.

As we saw in the article on runnorexia, the excess of physical exercise can lead some people to a severe addiction to it.. In contrast, in other cases excessive physical training can lead to the opposite, e.g. feelings of fatigue, lethargy, loss of vigor, insomnia, depression, etc., and this is what occurs in the Staleness.

Coupled with these symptoms, the Overtraining Syndrome (SSE) is characterized by a decrease in the athlete's performance, caused by stressors that are a consequence of excessive training and the absence of adequate recovery.a. Other extra-sport stressors (social, work, economic, nutritional, etc.) also favor the appearance of this syndrome.

Overtraining Syndrome is associated with prolonged and/or excessive training and inadequate recovery.

The sports planning planning is very important because it allows the athlete to adjust to the General Adaptation SyndromeIn other words, it allows the athlete's body to adapt to the training and the stimuli that cause stress (physical, biochemical or mental).

Therefore, a good planning contributes to increase sport performance, and the alternation between work and rest allows a sufficient recovery and an improvement in the performance of the athlete. the alternation between work and rest allows a sufficient recovery and an improvement in the physical qualities of the individual..

Overtraining Syndrome: the Burnout of sportsmen and women

Any training session is likely to provoke a state of (acute) fatigue, but fatigue should not be confused with fatigue.t is not necessary to confuse acute fatigue with the Overtraining Syndrome, which refers to a fatigue that can be caused by the physical qualities of the individual.which refers to a chronic and generalized fatigue and also presents psychological symptoms, such as emotional fatigue, apathy or depression.

The mechanisms of acute fatigue depend on the duration and intensity of exercise, but when fatigue is prolonged, there is a severe decrease in sports performance, accompanied by a set of physiological and psychological symptoms of exhaustion. In many cases, this may lead to the abandonment of sports practice..

Some authors use the term Burnout or "being burned out" (more commonly used in the field of work). (more used in the work field) to talk about Staleness, since both are characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal fulfillment.

Symptoms of Overtraining Syndrome

Many studies have been carried out to provide information on the Overtraining Syndrome, and it has been concluded that the symptoms described so far vary from subject to subject.

However, the American Physical Therapy Association (American Physical Therapy Association) has established a series of symptoms that occur frequently when an individual suffers from Staleness.. It is important to highlight that not all of them will necessarily appear. The symptoms of Overtraining Syndrome are the following:

• Physical and PhysiologicalPhysical and Physiological: increased Blood Pressure and increased heart rate during rest, respiratory problems, high body temperature, hypotension, weight loss, loss of appetite, increased thirst, gastrointestinal problems and muscle aches.

• ImmunologicalImmunological: vulnerability to infections (especially of the respiratory tract) and reduction of the body's defenses, decreased ability to avoid injury, decreased healing speed, decreased production of red blood cells (increased fatigue).

• BiochemicalsCortisol (stress-related hormone), adrenaline, serotonin, increased plasma fatty acids, decreased muscle glycogen, hemoglobin, iron and ferritin.

• PsychologicalPsychological: mood alterations (e.g. depression), lethargy, anxiety and irritability, decreased motivation, lack of concentration, low tolerance to stress, low self-esteem and lack of confidence, loss of libido, sleep disturbances and feeling of exhaustion (physical and emotional).

The importance of psychological indicators in diagnosis

For both psychopathology and sports psychology, Stanleness is of great interest. Psychological indicators turn out to be very important for the diagnosis.

Previously, apart from the decline in sports performance, other physiological variables had been suggested, other physiological variables have been suggested as possible markers of this syndrome.for example, decreases in cardiac pressure or elevations in cortisol level. These markers, however, have not proven to be reliable markers.

Over time, experts have realized that the best indicators for this syndrome are psychological or psychophysiological. A very useful and widely used tool in the world of sport and physical training is the "Profile of Mood States (POMS).”.

A questionnaire that evaluates the following emotional states: tension, depression, anger, vigor, fatigue y confusion. The normal population usually scores lower on the negative emotions (confusion, fatigue, etc.) and higher on the positive (vigor). This is known as the "iceberg profile". In contrast, people with SSE score inversely.

Unlike physiological markers, the POMS tool is cheaper, the scores are easy to obtain and its determination is non-invasive. It is therefore an ideal tool for makes it an ideal tool for the diagnosis of Staleness..

Causes and consequences of SSE for the organism

Due to the complexity of this phenomenon, focusing only on physiological factors would bias the condition. The causes of Staleness and the damage it causes to the organism are still not entirely clear..

Neurological factors

According to the model of Armstrong and Van Hees, the hypothalamus seems to play an important role in this condition.as it would activate both the sympathetic-adrenomuscular axis (SAM), which involves the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system, and the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis (HPA). It is not the aim of this article to explain this model, as it can be quite complex.

Now, as an idea, it is important to understand that neurotransmitters play an important role in this syndrome. neurotransmitters would play an important role in this syndrome.. For example, serotonin, which seems to play a very important role in Staleness.

Psychological and physiological factors

With regard to the body's immune response, another complementary model seems to indicate that due to overtraining, lack of rest and other factors that favor the onset of the syndrome (e.g. psychosocial stress, stressors, etc.). (e.g. psychosocial stress or psychological problems of the individual), what is known as the "Cytosine model". of Smith.

This model states that excessive and prolonged training, together with other causes, would increase the number of cytokines, would increase the number of cytokines resulting from trauma to the skeletal muscle, bone and joints caused by overtraining. caused by overtraining. These changes are related to a depression of immune function and may expose the individual to an increased risk of experiencing infections and disease.

Treatment of Overtraining Syndrome

Treatment should be employed on the various symptoms presented by the patient, and usually starts with the physical aspect, treating the physiological symptoms. Once the physiological symptoms have been treated, psychological symptoms, which require the presence of a psychologist, can be addressed.. Regaining control over sleep hygiene and a proper diet are also very important.

Regarding physical training, and although some specialists propose the total suspension of physical exercise, it seems to be more effective an adequate regulation of the same and not the total suspension. From the outset, it is important to work on regenerative endurance, it is important to work on regenerative endurance, through swimming, cycling or jogging.. Gradually, volume and intensity should be increased, and there should be an adequate relationship between progressive training load and recovery.

Bibliographical references:

• Kellmann M. (2002). Underrecovery and overtraining. In: Enhancing recovery, preventing underperformance in athletes. Champaign (IL): Human Kinetics, 1-24.
• Palmer C. and Mitchell J. L. (2015). When (or how) do the Olympics become 'stale'? Sport in Society: Cultures, Commerce, Media, Politics, 18(3), 275-289.