Overtraining Syndrome: Signs, Risks, and How to Get Out of It

March 7, 2024 Stephanie Pi

As distance runners, we tend to lean towards the extreme forms of training. We try to run long, pack in one too many extensive speed sessions, and then try to carry out our regular daily activities and obligations. The term “overtraining” is a bit confusing in a sense, since the effects come more from insufficient rest for the particular performance load. Unfortunately the lack of balance between work and rest may actually be decreasing your fitness and risking injury and poor race outcomes. The good news is that there are specific signs you can look out for so you can switch up your program to get out of the rut!

Running After a Race: The Reverse Taper

October 16, 2019 Stephanie Pi

After several months of dedicated training, race day finally arrives and it is time to showcase all of that hard effort by running 26.2 miles. You finish the race, refuel with the goodies provided at the finish line, and feel accomplished. But now what? Whether you have an amazing race and set a personal record or have a disappointing one, your body goes through the same workload. The biggest mistake most marathoners make is not giving their bodies enough recovery time after the grueling training months and a demanding race.

After getting used to running most days of the week, or everyday for some, it is not the easiest task to take time off. It ends up being unenjoyably miserable and creates a sense of not feeling like oneself even after just a few days. If you had an amazing race and set a PR, you will feel anxious to continue the streak and get back on the training wheel as soon as possible. On the opposite spectrum, if the race did not go so well, you may feel like you need to start harder training right away, or worse—feel like you don’t deserve much time off. But this break is a very important step to improve performance for the next race.

Why Do I Need Such a Long Break?

The marathon and all of those hard training sessions damage the body in so many ways. Of course, if you trained properly, gradually increasing mileage over time, taking rest days as they should be, and fueling properly, the damage to the body is reversible and not detrimental. You do not have to be an elite athlete training 100+ miles per week to get this damage. Since most plans go up to twenty miles at the most training for the marathon, the extra six miles completed at the race, with most likely faster paces, is enough to damage the body just on race day alone.

Muscle Damage

The most obvious damage is done to the muscles. The significant amount of inflammation accumulated in the body after hard training runs and races is a normal process. The temporary inflammatory response to training is necessary in order to improve different fitness components such as strength, stamina, and VO2 max, but only if proper recovery is included in the mix. If you do not let your body recover effectively after a hard workout, then the next hard workout will only pile on more inflammation. Eventually, this stacking on of inflammation will turn into chronic inflammation and lead to injury. The key is to recover properly from every hard workout, especially the hardest workout in the entire plan—race day.

Cellular Damage

There may be times where you run a race, and do not even feel sore afterwards. This is probably the most dangerous time because it will be more likely that you will return to harder running too quickly. Although one may not feel sore or fatigued following a race, it is important to note that the race still induced muscle damage. Creatinine kinase (CK) is a substance that is measured in the blood that indicates skeletal muscle and cardiac damage. Increases in CK in the blood are usually brought on by intense or prolonged exercise, especially in the case of eccentric-type exercise, such as running downhill. Some studies show that this increase can last 3-4 days post-race, while others show it can take longer than seven days to bring these levels back to normal. Given this information, it is important to make sure to not judge your recovery time on how sore you are from your race.

Immune Suppression

Yet another reason a good break after racing is recommended is the impact of hard training on the immune system. The tissue damage that occurs during training and racing leads to the production of cytokines, which are basically substances secreted by the immune system that affect other cells in the body. This development of cytokines then increases the lymphocytes responsible for suppressing immunity. This process is what makes athletes, especially endurance athletes, more susceptible to infections. Although you may not get sick right after racing, this bodily response to the months of hard marathon training will increase your risk of getting sick and having to put a break on your training plan later down the line.

Reverse Taper

A good method to determine your plan to returning back to running after racing is to simply take your taper plan from before your race and reverse it. If your training plan called for a two week taper, then the reverse taper would also be two weeks in length. The few days leading up to your race were mostly easy, short runs, so the first few days back to running should be the same. A few speed sessions fall within these two weeks as well, but overall the mileage is much lower than peak mileage. The third week after the race is finally a good time to start weaning back into the type of running you were doing before. Of course if you follow this approach and your taper was longer, say three weeks, then this plan will take three full weeks until you are back to your prior training level.

It is a good idea to include some light strength training by week two to slowly begin getting your muscles used to exercising. It is important to keep these strengthening exercises similar to what you were doing before. Flexibility exercises and massage/foam rolling should begin as soon as possible to help keep sore and tight muscles flexible and circulated.

You Won’t Lose Fitness

During the reverse taper, runners feel they will lose fitness and get out of shape. There are several studies out there concluding that there is a minimal drop in fitness levels within the first couple of weeks of inactivity. VO2 max is a main indicator of fitness in athletes. It is the measure of the maximum amount of oxygen one is able to utilize during intense exercise. Within the first week of inactivity, there is an insignificant drop in VO2 max (up to 3%), and it will go as high as a 6% drop after two weeks. This is for athletes who decide to take the weeks off completely, instead of incorporating easy runs and other cross-training. Therefore, the drop is even less for those who get back into those easy runs within the first few days as explained above.

The reverse taper is an excellent strategy to use when recovering from a marathon. It lets you continue your running while giving you ample time to rest and incorporate other recovery methods such as massage and cross-training. Not planning adequate time after racing will only lead to overtraining syndrome and a higher risk of injury. It is important to listen to your body during these few weeks post-race and gradually increase mileage. A proper break from intense training will only lead to better performance in your next race!

Sources

Hikida RS, Staron RS, Hagerman FC, Sherman WM, Costill DL, Muscle Fiber Necrosis Associated with Human Marathon Runners, Journal, Oct 16, 2019

Marianne F. Baird, * Scott M. Graham, Julien S. Baker, and Gordon F. Bickerstaff, Creatine-Kinase- and Exercise-Related Muscle Damage Implications for Muscle Performance and Recovery, Journal, Oct 16, 2019

Lakier Smith L., Overtraining, Excessive Exercise, and Altered Immunity: Is This a T Helper-1 Versus T Helper-2 Lymphocyte Response?, Journal, Oct 16, 2019

Salt Tablets for Effective Hydration

August 6, 2019 Stephanie Pi

Hydration is a popularly researched topic on the internet for runners and other endurance athletes. When you are training for a long distance race, proper hydration will be a key factor in improving performance. While most people, especially newbies in the running and cycling world, believe hydration only has to do with water, this is far from correct. You will find that sodium plays a crucial role in being properly hydrated before, during, and after distance training. This is due to the fact that our bodies eliminate a large amount of sodium during sweating. When there is an excessive loss of sodium, it negatively affects the body.

Sodium not only plays a role in maintaining proper fluid balance throughout the body, but it also is an important component in the nerves that control our muscles. Not having enough sodium in the body will decrease nerve signals and reduce the firing of muscles needed during activity. This is why it is emphasized to include electrolyte-enhanced sports drinks along with water while training for long periods of time, especially in the heat, where our bodies sweat more. Some drinks primarily include high amounts of sodium, while others will have additional minerals that aid in hydration such as magnesium and potassium. Most running events will provide Gatorade at aid stations, and it is highly recommended to take advantage of this.

How Much Sodium is Actually Lost?

The amount of sodium lost during exercise will vary from person to person. If you are a heavy sweater you will likely lose more sodium than a light sweater. Training in excessive heat or humidity will also cause more sweating and sodium loss, but that will depend on how acclimated your body is to training in that type of weather. The average amount of sodium lost is around 500mg/lb of sweat, but again, this will vary with the factors just mentioned. Runners can lose around two pounds of fluid per hour of training, which means a loss of 1000mg of sodium. This gives a pretty good idea of how much is needed to replenish during training and races. Once an athlete reaches a loss of 3-5% of their body weight in sweat, dehydration and hyponatremia symptoms may develop which will decrease athletic performance. It is a good idea to consider replenishment options other than plain water during these circumstances, such as the readily available salt tablets on the market.

Salt Tablets: Not Just Sodium

Most salt tablets contain more than just sodium. Magnesium, potassium, and chloride are also electrolytes that we lose when we sweat and are minerals that work with sodium to balance out the fluid inside and outside of the cells in the body. This is why it is important to look for salt tablets that contain these electrolytes as well. Many ultra runners and triathletes swear by these supplements and have had positive outcomes in race performance.

Reaching to a point of hyponatremia, which is a low sodium level in the blood, leads to nausea, lightheadedness, and muscle cramps, all which can reduce strength and energy during performance. Many athletes reach for water when they begin noticing these side effects, but this will only dilute the sodium further creating even worse problems. Severe states of hyponatremia may cause seizures and death in some cases, so it is crucial to understand and consider sodium supplementation. Although sports drinks are quite effective at replenishing electrolyte loss, other minerals are needed to enhance the role of sodium during performance.

How Much Sodium Do Runners Really Need?

Studies have shown that preloading of sodium when exercising in the heat may slow the rise of core body temperature, but this does not mean athletes should overindulge in salty foods on a daily basis. As most health information emphasizes the negative impact of a high sodium diet has on the body, athletes should practice safe consumption of salt regardless of the sodium needed during excessive exercise. A regular diet without the inclusion of added salt will easily meet the daily recommended allowance for sodium which is 2300mg. Although running a marathon for 4 hours can cause a loss of around 4000mg of sodium, incorporating a salt tablet prior to starting and replenishing throughout the race is enough to keep the fluid balance.

Although runners can get a good amount of sodium by eating a salty meal or snack before a race or long run, it is difficult to consume and track the total amount of sodium needed. This method will also involve the ingestion of extra calories and other nutrients that are unnecessary at the time. The reason salt tablets may be a better choice is that they have a more concentrated amount of sodium than foods or even the sports drinks available at aid stations. If those sports drinks had a higher concentration of sodium, it would create an excessively salty flavor, which is not appealing to most people. Therefore the lower sodium levels in the few sips of Gatorade taken at each aid station would not be sufficient enough, especially in an extremely hot and humid race. Taking salt tablets is a quicker method to supply the body with the electrolyte levels it needs.