Overtraining: Balancing Tough Practices and Performance

Josh is a nationally ranked football player, a senior in high school who is preparing for D1 college. With his sights set on graduation and moving up to the college level, Josh sets out not only to attend his team’s twice-a-day practices and semiweekly weightlifting sessions, but also to do more than any other player every day. He comes to practice early in order to work on foot work and stays afterward to lift weights. He’s up early each morning to get in an extra run. After week one, Josh is tired but confident that he will be in far superior condition than his competitors. Week two brings on increasing fatigue and difficulty sleeping, which begins to worry Josh. Josh tells me, “I need to learn how to relax or something—I can’t seem to get myself ready for practice.” After learning more about his symptoms of hard training and fatigue, I broach the subject of overtraining, but Josh isn’t interested in hearing about it.

Josh’s lack of competitive motivation continues; he is uninterested in eating and lethargic, and he becomes increasingly anxious about his prospects at. At the beginning of the season, he plays poorly.

Josh’s case is all too common—an athlete who seeks to put distance between them self and their competition by doing more, and then more again. Josh’s opposition to acknowledging that he might be overtraining is a frequently observed feature of this syndrome.

What is overtraining, and how can you tell when you or an athlete you coach is overtrained? One of the major difficulties in answering this question is the lack of a reliable way to assess whether an athlete is training at the optimal level versus entering the negative realm of overtraining.

Overtraining, defined by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) in 1999 as “the syndrome that results when an excessive, usually physical, overload on an athlete occurs without adequate rest, resulting in decreased performance and the inability to train,” is on the rise.

While we might argue that overtraining is an almost inevitable by-product of elite athletes being willing to do anything to “get the edge,” this phenomenon is spreading to other levels of sport as well. Researchers are noting an increased incidence of overtraining among even the youngest athletes, who appear all too ready to absorb our culture’s messages about “more is better” and “no pain, no gain.” More recently, of course, overtraining has come to mean something very different—an undesirable outcome of too much training that actually prohibits positive adaptations. For the sake of this discussion, I will limit the term to refer to an undesired outcome of fatigue and performance decrements.

Causes of Overtraining

Stressors related to training and nontraining can cause overreaching and overtraining. In the training realm, an overtraining effect can be elicited in several ways: sessions that are too long or too intense, progressions of training increases that are too steep, and too little time devoted to recovery between sessions, to name a few. Although training volumes and intensities and competition frequency are important factors in this equation, athletes and coaches need to be aware of nontraining stresses that can contribute to overtraining, including nutrition, general health, lifestyle issues such as sleep behavior, and environmental stresses caused by juggling life areas such as school or family. When a number of these stressors combine, they can lead to emotional distress and an increased susceptibility to overtraining. So just as all athletes may react differently to the same training load, they may also react differently to other life elements that interact with their training and lead to overtraining. Good coaches and self-aware athletes pay attention to such outside stressors and adjust the training accordingly.

According to physiological research, we cannot define the exact point at which training goes from being effective to negative for all athletes. In fact, our understanding of the interaction of physical and psychological stress shows that such a point cannot exist, since overtraining is an individualized response. The good news is that this understanding points to a direction for intervention. Although simply reducing the training load is not a guarantee against overtraining, careful and individual tailoring of the training load, with a simultaneous awareness of the effects of other life stresses, helps to optimize training plans.

Athletes can help themselves by doing the following:

• Developing self-awareness of how training and other life stresses are likely to affect them

• Proactively learning strategies to deal with sport and non-sport stressors

• Recognizing the symptoms of overtraining

• Regularly using training logs and other behavioral monitoring techniques to assess optimal training levels

• Learning and properly using recovery techniques

• Striving for balance between sport, school, work, family, social aspects, and other life elements

• Choosing the right coach, who, balances support and challenge in training situations; is a good communicator; encourages recovery, and helps other athletes thrive.

Coaches can help themselves by doing the following:

• Understanding the causes of overtraining, including the fact that it can be brought on by numerous sport as well as non-sport factors

• Taking time to know their athletes, understanding how all kinds of stress may affect them and how vulnerable they are to overtraining

• Creating a supportive and challenging coaching environment that allows athletes to honestly share their thoughts and feelings about their training

• Incorporating regular monitoring of training intensities for each athlete by using logbooks, heart rate assessment, and pencil-and-paper tests

• Adding recovery strategies as a regular part of training, and using good training/recovery principles

• Keeping hard training fun

How coaches and athletes can more effectively accomplish this task will be the focus of future blog posts.

When To Use Heat On An Injury

Heat has been used for thousands of years in the treatment of different types of pain. Experience shows that it has a beneficial effect on pain arising from inflammation, which is the body’s defense mechanism in cases of injury due either to accident or to overuse. Injuries caused by trauma or overuse, such as ligament injuries and muscle ruptures, are often treated during the acute stage by cooling and bandaging so that the bleeding in the injured area is limited. After the initial 48 hours, heat treatment can be introduced to help the healing process. Heat may be started once the risk of hemorrhage is over, and aids healing by increasing the blood flow to the injured area.

If an injury is treated by heat applications in its acute stage the blood vessels expand, and the blood clotting procedure may be disrupted. The amount of fluid in the tissue increases. This leads to increased bleeding in the injured area, increased swelling and higher pressure in the surrounding tissues. The result may be more pain and slower healing than would otherwise be the case.

Perhaps the most important effect of heat treatment is its influence on collagen fibers. A tendon is composed of 90% collagen fibers and 10% elastic fibers. Collagen has viscous and elastic properties, which means that the more rapidly a tendon is loaded, the stiffer it becomes. Heat increases elasticity and plasticity, so after its application the collagen fibers become more flexible and more capable of rehabilitation exercises. Heat also decreases joint stiffness and relieves muscle spasm. This reduces the risk of injury.

Heat can be used in both the prevention and rehabilitation of overuse injuries and to combat the aftereffects of torn muscles and tendons. It can be valuable during warm-up before training sessions and competitions and in cold weather, increasing the mobility of joints.

Lunch: The Second Most Important Meal of the Day

Unfortunately for our health, today’s lifestyles rarely include breakfast and barely accommodate lunch and dinner, even when eaten on the run. Relaxing lunches and dinners—nicely prepared, attractively served, and shared with family and friends—are rare occurrences for many active people and sports families.

My clients commonly express dissatisfaction with their mealtime eating. Yet, when life is full, stress is high, and schedules are crazy, eating well balanced meals on a predictable schedule can provide the energy you need to better manage stress and prevent fatigue.

For active people who should be in the continuous cycle of fueling up for workouts and refueling afterward, lunch is the second most important meal of the day. Breakfast remains number one. Lunch refuels morning or noontime exercisers and offers fuel to those preparing for an afternoon session. Given that active people tend to get hungry every four hours (if not sooner), if you eat breakfast at 7:00 or 8:00 a.m., you are certainly ready for lunch at 11:00 or 12:00. But if you eat too little breakfast (as commonly happens), you’ll be hungry for lunch by 10:00 a.m.—and that throws off the rest of the day’s eating schedule. The solution to the “I cannot wait until noon to eat lunch” predicament is simple: You could either eat a bigger breakfast that sustains you until noon, eat a mid morning snack (more correctly, the second half of your too-small breakfast), or eat the first of two lunches, one at 10:00 and the other at 2:00.

For a nation of lunch skippers, eating two lunches may seem a wacky idea. But why not? Ideally, you should eat according to hunger, not by the clock. After all, hunger is simply your body’s request for more fuel. If you’ve eaten only a light breakfast or have exercised hard in the morning, you can easily be ready for lunch 1 at 10:00 a.m. and for lunch 2 at 2:00.

Despite the importance of lunch, logistics tend to be a hassle. If you pack your own lunch, what do you pack? If you buy lunch, what’s a healthful bargain? If you’re on a diet, what’s best to eat? Here are some helpful tips to improve your lunch intake.

If you pack your lunch, the what-to-pack dilemma quickly becomes tiring. Most people tend to pack more or less the same food every day and end up with yet another turkey sandwich, salad, or bagel. As long as you’re content with what you choose, fine. But if you’re tired of the same stuff, consider these suggestions:

• Strive for at least 500 calories (even if you are on a reducing diet) from three types of food at lunch. This means a bagel, yogurt, and banana or salad, turkey, and pita. Just a bagel or just a salad is likely too little fuel.

• Pack planned leftovers from dinner and heat them in the microwave oven. They’re preferable to the cup of noodles or frozen lunches that cost more than they’re worth.

• Remember peanut butter. Peanut butter is an outstanding sports food—even for dieters—because it’s satisfying and helps you stay fueled for the whole afternoon. Yes, it has 200 more calories than a standard turkey sandwich, but a  satisfying peanut butter sandwich allows you to nix the afternoon cookies and snacks that would otherwise sneak into your intake for the day.

What To Do In Case Of Emergency | Injury Management For Coaches

When muscles, tendons, or ligaments are damaged, blood vessels in the area are also torn, and bleeding spreads rapidly into adjacent tissues. The bleeding causes swelling, placing increased pressure on surrounding tissues, which become tense and tender. The increased pressure causes pain in sensitive tissues, and the combination of bleeding, swelling, and increased pressure can adversely affect and delay the healing process.

Once bleeding has been controlled, some blood remains in the tissues and has to be resorbed. This function is performed mainly by the lymphatic system. A variable amount of scar tissue forms in the area and constitutes a weak spot in the injured muscle, tendon, or ligament. If too early or too heavy a load is applied to this scar tissue, injury is liable to recur.

Sports injuries may take so many different forms that it is impossible to create a standard protocol for their management. Certain guidelines for immediate treatment can, however, be drawn up.

– Listen to the injured athlete’s description of how the injury occurred and what symptoms are present.

– The injury should be examined in the light of the history. Is there any bleeding, swelling, an open wound, or any other abnormal sign?

– A simple functional assessment of the injured part should be made. Can the injured athlete carry out normal movements of the part (with or without a load) without pain?

– The area around the injury should be examined. Is there tenderness in soft tissues or bone? Can a defect be felt in any soft tissue?

If there is swelling and tenderness together with pain when movements are made or a load is applied, treatment should be started as follows.

Compression

A compression bandage is intended to provide counter-pressure to the bleeding developing within the injured area, so that the body’s own functions can take effect more easily. A compression bandage is an elastic bandage applied with careful tension. It should be applied as soon as possible. It is convenient to position an ice pack with the aid of an elastic bandage so that cooling and compression effects are achieved simultaneously. The compression bandage should be kept in position usually for another 2 days after cooling has ceased, provided the location and extent of the injury allow it.

Ice

When soft tissue injuries occur, the first priority is to attempt to stop the bleeding, since this results in swelling, pain, and tenderness. Therefore, in soft tissue injuries, reduce the extent of the bleeding by compression bandaging, rapid cooling, an elevated position of the injured limb, and rest. This enables the body's self healing mechanisms to take effect more easily. The use of ice on the injured body tissues brings about:

– a local pain-relieving effect which makes the injured athlete feel better and may encourage a return to sporting activity. Here trainers and coaches have a great responsibility: if an injury needs cooling it is probably of such severity that further exertion will only delay healing. Common sense should prevail;

– contraction of the blood vessels so that the blood flow is reduced in the injured area. The effect of the treatment is limited and does not really start for 15 minutes. Less swelling may occur and healing proceed more rapidly.

***Heat treatment should not be started until at least 48 hours after the injury has occurred. 

The same applies to massage.***

Ice is usually applied for 15–20 minutes per treatment and may be applied hourly for the first 24–72 hours after the injury. During each application of cold therapy, four progressive sensations will be experienced: cold, burning, aching, and numbness.

***Ice therapy has mainly a pain-inhibiting effect. Icing will therefore mask the real extent of the injury. There

is a great risk that an injury will get worse if the athlete resumes activity after cooling.***

Rest

It is generally true to say that an injured athlete should rest the injured part for 24–48 hours and that it should not be subjected to loading. It follows, therefore, that the athlete should be assisted from the scene of the injury and taken home or to a doctor, as soon as possible. Crutches are usually very helpful.

Elevation

When an injured part is elevated, its blood flow is reduced, and expelled blood is transported away from the site of injury more easily, thus reducing swelling. An injured leg that is elevated should be supported at an angle of more than 45° when the patient is lying supine. Four or five cushions or a stool placed under the leg will achieve this effect. In cases of extensive bleeding and swelling the injured part should be kept elevated for 24–48 hours if possible. Subsequently, it should be elevated whenever the opportunity arises.

Pain relief

Cooling, compression, and rest usually provide relief from pain in soft tissue injuries. Pain-relieving medication may be given if the examination is complete but should be avoided in the early stages as it can complicate further treatment if continued analysis and medical examination are required.

Injured athletes should seek a medical opinion within 24–48 hours in cases of:

– persistent symptoms arising from injuries to muscle, tendon, joint, or ligament;

– severe pain.

It is generally true to say that a doctor should be consulted if there is any uncertainty about the diagnosis, and thus the treatment, of any sports injury.

A medical opinion should be sought urgently in any of the following circumstances:

– unconsciousness or persistent headache, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness after a head injury;

– breathing difficulties after blows to the head, neck or chest;

– pains in the neck after impact, whether or not they extend to the arms;

– abdominal pain;

– blood in the urine;

– fracture or suspected fracture;

– severe joint or ligament injury;

– severe muscle or tendon injury;

– dislocation;

– severe eye injury;

– deep wound with bleeding;

– injuries with intense pain;

– any injury in which there is doubt about its severity, diagnosis or treatment.

Jump Training For Beginners | Low Hurdle Progressions

Jumping and landing techniques are crucial to teach to younger and lesser experienced athletes that have never done any form of plyometric or jump training. In order to be able to correctly perform plyometrics the execution of jumping and landing must be mastered first.

The primary issue with landing is the inability to stabilize the legs via the hip musculature, and the feet via the lower leg musculature. The hip weakness can have a major impact on the functioning of the feet and ankles as well. The other area of concern with landing is the strength of the musculature around the pelvis and spine. The muscles must be strong enough to dissipate forces away from the pelvis and spine.

Without going into too much detail the major concern is that the knees are able to remain in line with the feet and not cave in (valgus) during landing and jumping. The other concern is the ability of the pelvis and spine to avoid extreme flexion or extension of the spine during landing.

Many plyometric activities require the athlete to rebound off the ground quickly using little bend of the knee and primarily force production from the lower leg. Examples of this form of quick jumping would be jump rope, line drills, and hop scotch type activities. But when more advanced jumping from higher heights are being introduced the athletes must learn to push the hips back and allow the shoulder to come forward during the landing. If the hips do not go back, during a jump that will require the knees to bend quite a bit due to the height of the jump, the knees will get pushed forward as the athlete goes way up on the balls of the feet. This technique puts large amounts of stress on the knee joint and soft tissues. Another potential injury that can occur from this knee forward approach is to the lower back. When the knees push forward the hips will follow and the lower back will hyper-extended in many cases to maintain balance and an upright position. If this is done aggressively there can be damage to the structure of the low back.

This is why it is a must that all athletes learn how to jump and more importantly how to land.

Here are some basic plyometric and jumping/landing exercises and progressions

In-place jump and hold

Low hurdle jump and rebound and hold

Low hurdle continuous jumps

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