Most people find it difficult to stay motivated to workout. On the other end of the spectrum, there are people who don’t know when to stop. Some people over exercise to the point where it is detrimental to their health. For these people, they simply have no idea how much exercise is too much.

So what happens when a person exercises too much? That person would likely experience symptoms of over training.

Overtraining is a complex condition that is often misunderstood. Most people only concentrate on the physical signs; however, the condition can also have mental and emotional effects.

When people exercise or workout, they usually have two goals. One is to lose weight while the other is to gain muscle. When a person exercises, his or her body converts carbohydrates into energy.  The physical stress during the exercise causes micro-tears in the muscle fiber. When the body repairs these micro-tears, the muscle fiber increases in size and strength.

When a person experiences the symptoms of over training, the person’s body is not receiving enough carbohydrates to convert into energy and enough protein to repair the micro-tears in the muscle fiber. In this state, the body starts to consume its own muscles to produce energy. This in effect causes excessive weight loss, muscle atrophy, fatigue, and chronic muscle soreness, which are a few of the more obvious physical symptoms of over training.

However, overtraining can also have mental and emotional effects. Overtraining can lead to overtraining syndrome. This happens when physical stress overwhelms the endocrine and nervous systems. Normally, when the body is under duress, the adrenal gland releases the hormone, cortisol. The hormone helps produce more energy through faster carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism. When the body is under duress for long periods, this would lead to cortisol levels being unhealthily high.

When cortisol levels are high for long periods, the body starts to breakdown protein and fats at a much faster rate. In addition, the body no longer effectively responds to the other hormones such as insulin, testosterone, and estrogen. Hence, a person suffering from over training syndrome will experience the following symptoms:

• Lack of focus
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Mood Swings
• Lack of motivation

Over training is a dangerous condition. People undergoing a fitness program need to be sensitive enough to listen to what their body is telling them. Aside from the symptoms discussed, overtraining can lead to an overuse injury. And for an athlete, bodybuilder, or someone who just wants to have a more active lifestyle, an injury is the last thing they want.

Although treating over training is quite simple. All there is to it are changes in the diet and fitness routine so that the body can effectively recover. Preventing overtraining from happening is essential. Having an exercise buddy, trainer, or coach can help. Supplements can also help in many ways.

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