One more rep of a workout, one more mile, one more hour of practice. We have been taught that these are good ideas to improve and to become better, faster, and stronger. However, it is important to realize that while pushing your limits is a characteristic of most great athletes, knowing when to stop is a characteristic of all great athletes.
Doing more physical activities than recommended by your coach or doctor may seem like it is making you a better athlete — after all, aren’t you working harder and longer than everyone else? This is a thought that I have had before, and when left uncorrected, has had the potential to lead to dangerous outcomes, such as injuries or energy deficiencies. Overtraining syndrome is a state of chronic fatigue in which your body does not have sufficient time to recover after workouts, and is not capable of doing the activities it usually would be able to. This definitely does not allow you to perform at your peak potential and continuously improve. Sometimes athletes who overtrain have trouble sleeping, despite being exhausted, and find it consistently difficult to succeed in workouts that should be manageable for them. This is a sign that your body is shutting down to try to protect itself, not a sign to push through discomfort.
RED-S, or Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports Syndrome (formerly known as the “Female Athlete Triad”) is a deeper issue that is connected to overtraining. Symptoms could include fatigue, weight loss, dehydration, stomach problems, abnormal/absent periods, bone loss, stress fractures, muscle/tendon injuries, slow heart rate, low blood pressure. It is unfortunately extremely common in young female athletes, especially those who participate in endurance sports like biking, rowing, or running.
RED-S can be unintentional, but eating disorders are a common catalyst. Weight sensitive sports like running, dance, gymnastics, and wrestling have high rates of eating disorders, disproportionately affecting young women. The best version of yourself and your performance lies within the body that you feel most healthy and confident in.
The solution to these issues comes through education and respect. Being an athlete is a constant learning process: every time that I get injured or sidelined from my sport, I make both big and small changes to help promote health and success in the future. Taking rest days, balancing training loads and intentionally avoiding overtraining doesn’t mean that you are less dedicated than the version of yourself who wants to go 100 percent every day.
The goal should not be to finish on empty everyday, sacrificing your body and wellbeing in the process. More dedication than before to a healthy future as opposed to forced overtraining allows you to maintain a lifelong love for your sport and the community that comes with it.