{"id":6199,"date":"2015-02-24T12:26:33","date_gmt":"2015-02-24T12:26:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fitproblog.mysites.io\/no-pain-no-gain\/"},"modified":"2015-02-24T12:26:33","modified_gmt":"2015-02-24T12:26:33","slug":"no-pain-no-gain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fitpro.com\/blog\/no-pain-no-gain\/","title":{"rendered":"No pain, no gain?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Questions have been raised about the number of athletes said to be under-performing without apparent cause and, as a result, taking a prolonged period of time to recover. PTontheNet ambassador Karen Porter\u00a0<\/strong>investigates overtraining and how you can identify the signs and determine the causes of overtraining when working with your clients.<\/p>\n

Overtraining syndrome <\/strong><\/h4>\n

The term \u2018overtraining syndrome\u2019 is derived from those athletes who suffer from prolonged fatigue. The syndrome also relates to poor performance in sport despite continued training, and influences a change in mood state and neuroendocrine factors, contributing to frequent general illnesses such as upper-respiratory tract infections. Overtraining syndrome reflects the body\u2019s inability to adapt to cumulative fatigue, resulting from daily intense exercise training that is not balanced with appropriate or sufficient rest. This means general performance will decrease and other symptoms may commence. Athletes who are said to be suffering from overtraining syndrome experience a loss of purpose, energy and competitive edge and have a sense of \u2018feeling trapped in a routine\u2019.1<\/sup> Sports medicine expert Elizabeth Quinn wrote on sportsmedicine.com, \u201cConditioning requires a balance between overload and recovery. Too much overload and\/or too little recovery may result in both physical and psychological symptoms of overtraining syndrome.\u201d2<\/sup><\/p>\n

Athlete insight<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Michelle Robinson, athlete and Olympic mentor, shared with me her experience of overtraining. \u201cIt really was about listening to your body and trusting that you have done all the hard work in the previous months,\u201d recalled Robinson. \u201cThe main considerations are that mentally you are in a great positive state, and physically you have reached 90% of your training goals prior to reaching your peak event and, of course, ideally with no real blips!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I asked Robinson if, through her career, she had ever been in the position of pushing herself too hard. Robinson replied, \u201cI have one example that stands out. I had a severe hamstring and ankle injury that recovered well; however, I pushed myself so hard to get back to competitions that it caused a stress fracture in my leg.\u201d Robinson went on to say how important it is to understand your own body and learn when things are feeling right and when they are not: \u201cIn my opinion, listening to your body and self-reflection is critical too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robinson said she had never suffered from long-term overtraining effects because she knew her body and trained well but she had seen athletes who had encountered this and they suffered from fatigue, emotional upset and unexplained weight loss.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lizzie McColgan, Olympic and Commonwealth distance runner, avoided overtraining when, at her peak, she would run 140 miles a week. She said, \u201cIt was all about balance and I prepared meticulously for my events.\u201d The athlete mentioned that she was very careful about her training and planned all her events and training leading up to it. \u201cI didn’t just wake up and think I am going to run a marathon; it took years of balanced training and progressive work. I looked after myself and made sure I ate well and recovered well.\u201d I never really overtrained. I went into one race with a cold and did not perform as well as I should have, but I took recovery and then went on to break a record in an 8km a few weeks later.\u201d So it would seem, for the most part, that if you are sensible with your training, even if you are running 140 miles a week, and you take the necessary recovery, your body can adapt and respond.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Effect of training on the heart<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I wished to find out more about this subject and, in particular, how overtraining can affect the heart, so I spoke to Professor Mathew Wilson, head of athlete health and performance research at Aspetar (sports medicine hospital), who shared with me his expert insights.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe vast majority of evidence suggests that regular (\u22654 times per week), sustained (\u226545 minutes) and intensive exercise throughout life is the most advantageous to optimise CV health,\u201d<\/em> he said. \u201cHowever, considering that physical activity rates in adolescents and adults are reducing year on year, a balance must be struck considering, 1. There is no lower exercise threshold for CV benefits to be seen, and 2. CV disease risk reduction is greatest in the unfittest individuals who start exercising, signifying that \u2018some exercise is better than none\u2019. In conclusion, exercise is a potent stimulator, activating numerous downstream cascades at a molecular and cellular level that, if sustained and intensive enough, enable gross anatomical remodelling capable of enhancing functional capacity in both healthy and diseased populations. Since aerobic capacity is a prognostic marker of CV disease and mortality more than any other established risk factor, clinicians should promote the expansive benefits of exercise in all spectrums of society, be it the casual exerciser, the sedentary individual or those with established CV disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

I asked him if you could indeed \u2018train the heart\u2019 too much and what the symptoms would present as. He replied, \u201cCare should be taken in all athletes when suffering with viral or bacterial infections. Myocarditis (an inflammation of the heart muscle) should be suspected in athletes with unexplained cardiac arrhythmias and dysfunction, especially if preceded by flu-like symptoms. Acute myocarditis is typically a viral or post-viral process. Clinically, patients with acute viral myocarditis present with tachycardia, hypotension and shortness of breath.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He added, \u201cTreatment is often difficult for highly competitive athletes to comprehend, as initial treatment for athletes with myocarditis should be complete absence from all physical activity for at least six months. Adherence to such guidelines should be strongly advocated to reduce the potential of life-threatening arrhythmias or rapidly progressive cardiac dysfunction and the introduction of antiviral or an immunosuppressive treatment.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Overtraining as the fit pro<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Similar to an athlete, it can be a challenge to take a break or get enough rest when you are teaching, training clients and indeed trying to incorporate your own exercise routine. However, as Wilson states, care should be taken in all athletes when suffering from a virus or bacterial infection. I am an example of this advice. In the early part of my career, I worked as a freelance trainer and teacher in Australia and, through this time, I worked very hard enjoying myself and trying to earn enough money to travel at the end of my stay there. Through naivety and necessity, I over did it and suffered a terrible case of glandular fever. I didn’t take enough rest, trained too soon and worked more than I should have; this led to a whole host of problems for me and, later in my life, I had a pacemaker fitted in order to control my heart rate. This was largely attributed to the damage the viral infection caused to the electrical system at the time.<\/p>\n

After many more years of\u00a0managing how I felt and my symptoms, I became pregnant with\u00a0my first child. I still kept fit and worked out all through my pregnancy and I was quite\u00a0amazed how good I felt. Once I had my baby things changed and I felt awful; I was so tired\u00a0but I put this extreme tiredness down to being a new mum. As most mums do, I just\u00a0continued. Then I had my second child and, shortly after this, we all moved to Qatar in the\u00a0Middle East.<\/p>\n

I felt dreadful. Extremely tired and non-functioning, with no memory and feeling dizzy: all symptoms that could be were put down to a busy lifestyle, small children and moving countries.\u00a0I managed to set up work and I started training. By now, my second child was just over one year old. I really wanted to get back into shape too, so I thought I would start training for a\u00a0triathlon. My brother competes regularly at a high level, so I wanted to do it with him.\u00a0I trained hard and got nowhere. I had a solid programme and felt pretty good while training but my recovery was awful. I used an HR monitor and knew through my sessions I\u00a0was comfortable but my tiredness was unbearable afterwards.\u00a0I saw countless doctors, all of whom\u00a0put it down to lifestyle. When my heart rate was\u00a0checked, they said I was like an elite athlete. This was something I desperately wanted to believe but\u00a0knew was not true.<\/p>\n

Symptoms<\/strong><\/span>
\nErratic heart rates: very low and high<\/strong>
\nPalpitations<\/strong>
\nDizziness<\/strong>
\nExtreme tiredness<\/strong>
\nMental confusion<\/strong>
\nPoor memory<\/strong>
\nGrey looking<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thankfully, a friend of mine had been a cardiac nurse in the UK for quite some time and,\u00a0one\u00a0day, looked at me and said, \u201cKaren, you are grey: something is not right.\u201d After countless trips to the doctor and even a two-week admission to the local hospital, I\u00a0headed home to see cardiologist Dr Edward Petzer. I underwent many tests and\u00a0sick sinus syndrome<\/em>\u00a0was finally diagnosed.\u00a0This is where the heart rate cannot control itself. Somehow, my electrical system had\u00a0become short circuited. Structurally, my heart is fine and very strong, but it just can’t\u00a0regulate the beats.\u00a0I was upset. I felt many things, one of which was a bit silly due to the fact I was a fitness\u00a0trainer and, of course, there were many jokes.\u00a0Having the pacemaker fitted allowed my heart rate to stay above 60. At night and at time\u00a0of rest it was between 25-50 bpm, which is why I was always so tired.<\/p>\n

My doctor\u00a0said this probably had come about due to a virus. When I mentioned how badly I\u00a0had glandular fever\u00a0it was thought this may\u00a0<\/em>have been the reason, especially as I was continually\u00a0putting strain on the heart through training and poor eating patterns.\u00a0It was a long process to getting my head round it. Being told not to carry heavy shopping\u00a0bags in my left arm, no longer doing exertion training and generally being careful with exercise was\u00a0hard. Obviously my children were my priority but what did this mean for my career? What it meant was an adaptation to my life and a completely different approach, which I\u00a0follow through to this day. Although I am still useless at saying no to people, I do know\u00a0when I need to rest.\u00a0I have regular check-ups and I have become very conscious of when my clients or others\u00a0talk about their training.<\/strong> Especially other trainers.\u00a0Having the pacemaker means that I am never going to attempt to run a marathon, which\u00a0quite frankly is fine with me, but I have kept up training and I do eat very well.<\/p>\n

The best thing to come out of it was my ability to understand others, how and when to\u00a0push the body and that things do sometimes go wrong.\u00a0<\/strong>Being so aware of this and knowing everything I have been through, it has given others a\u00a0greater awareness as well. People will often ask me about it and I have had several clients\u00a0tell me they were given the confidence to see their doctor because they new something\u00a0wasn’t right.<\/p>\n

Click here\u00a0<\/a>to read Karen’s client story: Lizzie Tebbs<\/b><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

I met Lizzie while in Qatar. Lizzie said she had tried a few classes here but never felt\u00a0comfortable doing them. When I asked her why, she told me she also had heart issues and\u00a0was nervous to participate.\u00a0I spoke with Lizzie about her experience and how this affects her ability to exercise and\u00a0maintain a normal routine.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI got diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) when I was 30,” recalls Tebbs.<\/p>\n

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Lizzie Tebbs<\/p><\/div>\n

“At the time, I had never even\u00a0heard of the condition but it was explained to me as a form of cardiac arrhythmia, more\u00a0common in elderly people (wonderful!). During an episode of AF, the heart beats in a very\u00a0rapid and irregular way \u2013 mine would go up to over 200 beats a minute. Due to the speed at\u00a0which your heart is beating, it also makes you feel very faint and short of breath. This would\u00a0all happen from a resting rate \u2013\u00a0I could just have been sitting on the sofa at home and\u00a0suddenly it would spark off and be all over the place.\u00a0I had noticed it once or twice on occasions where I was slightly stressed, but it had only ever lasted for a few hours and then disappeared, so I had just thought it was some form of\u00a0panic attack. However, after one particularly bad episode that lasted over 24 hours and\u00a0ended in a trip to A&E, it was diagnosed as AF and I was referred to a cardiologist for\u00a0treatment.<\/p>\n

“The episodes were getting worse, with more frequent trips to hospital, so I was\u00a0put on daily medication to try and control the rhythm and\u00a0regulate the speed of my heart.\u00a0When it was diagnosed I had been quite active, running regularly and playing hockey three\u00a0times a week for a club side in the UK. Although exercise had never brought on an episode, I became much more aware of my heart rate and became hesitant to now raise my heart\u00a0rate through exercise in case it wouldn’t come back down to ‘normal’.<\/strong> It was really\u00a0debilitating and I felt very low as I had gone from enjoying my time playing sport to being\u00a0terrified to play each week. I eventually stopped exercise altogether when I became\u00a0pregnant later that year because I was so worried by it.\u00a0<\/strong>I’ve had three\u00a0surgical procedures to try and fix the problem over the years but, unfortunately, at the moment it’s still a condition I suffer from; however, I manage it by taking medication\u00a0which mostly keeps the symptoms at bay.<\/p>\n

“I know that doing sport is OK\u00a0\u2013 my cardiologist tells me that I should absolutely keep active\u00a0to keep my heart healthy. He fitted me up to a heart monitor while on a running machine\u00a0to prove that my heart rate can cope, but it has taken a long time to get my confidence back\u00a0to doing regular exercise. I now go running three\u00a0times a week, as well as taking fitness classes\u00a0with Karen. It’s been a real help to find someone who actively understands what it’s like to\u00a0suffer from a condition like mine and she’s given me some great advice, tailoring workouts\u00a0and suggesting classes specifically for me. I feel so much better to be back doing regular\u00a0exercise!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, whether you are a trained athlete, an exercise enthusiast or a fitness trainer, the evidence suggests that particular care needs to be taken when training and, although it is highly beneficial to gain a solid and regular exercise programme, it is also important to listen to your body.<\/p>\n

As Professor Wilson advises, \u201cThe advice should be very clear: do not exercise while suffering from a viral or bacterial infection and ensure that all symptoms have gone before re-engaging in low- to moderate-intensity physical activity.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Karen Porter<\/strong> is a fitness trainer, life coach and founder of Body and Health by Design.<\/h5>\n

#teamFitPro<\/p>\n

\"Karen

Karen Porter<\/p><\/div>\n

bodyandhealthbydesign.com<\/a> and facebook.com\/bodyandhealthbydesign<\/a><\/p>\n

Click here\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/a>for key details on how to avoid overtraining …\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Although it can produce positive outcomes, intense training completed too frequently without sufficient rest can compromise an athlete\u2019s muscular, endocrine and immune systems, as well as psychological state. Signs and symptoms of overtraining can be:4<\/sup><\/p>\n