It’s easier than you think to slip into overtraining and the symptoms of it can be similar to generally feeling knackered from life and also to perimenopause. So how do you work it all out?
Fatigue from normal training
It’s normal to feel tired when you’re training hard, especially if you’re combining it with a busy work and home life. But it might be time to take a step back if you find you:
- plateau in your running
- become unable to match or improve your times
- lack the endurance for distance
There could be a mismatch between what you’re demanding of your body and the recovery time you’re giving it? It can be a fine balance. It’s usually enough to reassess your plan and perhaps take a short period of rest, or cut back on your intensity and frequency of running if you think you’re overdoing things.
When overtraining gets more serious
Sometimes, excess training can be more serious and begin to affect your body in a more harmful way. You may have heard of Over Training Syndrome (OTS). This is the term used for a condition involving prolonged overtraining. It’s rare and usually seen in professional athletes. It can be career-ending for some of them, as excessive training demands, coupled with the inability of the body to recover adequately from exercise during rest, can lead to problems in multiple body systems. Physiological, immunological, hormonal and psychological systems can all be affected, and also all play a role in recovery.
While true OTS is rare, it’s important to know what the symptoms of excessive training on the body can be, in case you begin to identify them in yourself. Having one or more of these symptoms doesn’t mean you have OTS, but you would be well advised to assess your running and recovery balance, and consider seeing your GP to discuss whether you need any blood tests to rule out underlying medical conditions:
• Constantly feeling tired.
• Underperforming despite resting.
• Frequently getting ill.
• Frequently getting injured.
• Not being able to sleep despite being tired.
• Finding it hard to concentrate.
• Feeling low or irritable in mood.
• Lacking motivation.
• Not feeling refreshed by recovery.’
Overtraining and perimenopause
If you’re a perimenopausal runner, then you might tick off everything on this list and overtraining is not to blame. The big question is, is this overtraining or is this perimenopause? Or could it be both? The hormonal changes of the menopause transition can cause all of the symptoms listed above. This is all about context, knowing yourself and looking for patterns and trends in your activities and feelings.
Your balance between what you do and how much recovery you need can change in perimenopause. Many women find they need more recovery days, especially after long runs. Lots of women talk about training smarter not harder to achieve the same objectives. The boundaries for overtraining can be different at different times of our lives. Whether that’s with age, hormonal changes or other life events that are going on. It’s a constant challenge and we need to stop and notice how we feel from time to time. Reflect on what we’re doing and make sure it fits our life, our energy intake and our running goals. If you can’t get the right balance or symptoms persist despite you trying to adjust, then do speak to your GP. There are other causes of the symptoms of overtraining and we shouldn’t assume everything we experience is down to perimenopause.
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Featured image: Mylene2401 at Pixabay