The Overtraining Syndrome in Athletes:

The Challenge of  Prevention

(from the United States Olympic Committee)

Athletes are running, swimming, and skating faster, jumping  higher, throwing further, and lifting more than ever before.  Records in many events continue to be broken, and in some  events the pace is accelerating. For example, in just the past  five years the world record in the men's 10,000 meters has been  broken eight times by six different runners. Even more  startling, the world record improved by nearly three percent  during this period, whereas during the preceding 30 years it  improved by less than two percent!

Many factors are contributing to this improvement. Coaches  have increased their knowledge base because of advances in  sport medicine and science. Equipment changes have led to immediate improvements, the most recent example being the clap  skate in speedskating. However, it is generally accepted that  the most important cause of improved performance is the training that athletes undergo, particularly for events that  require endurance or superior physical conditioning.

As records have progressed, so has the level of training.  Some sport scientists estimate that training loads have  increased by 20% over the past decade, and far greater  increases have been noted for some sports (Raglin & Wilson,  in press).

However, there is a limit to an athlete's capacity to endure  and adapt to intense training. Once this threshold is crossed  the athlete fails to adapt and performance declines. Ten to  twenty percent of athletes who train intensively may fall prey  to the overtraining syndrome, otherwise known as staleness  (Kuipers, 1998; Krieder et al. 1997; Raglin & Wilson, in  press). Athletes suffering from the overtraining syndrome are  unable to train and perform to their capacity, and may  experience a variety of other symptoms.

To learn more about overtraining, click here.