ABSTRACT
When the INTENSITY and frequency of training exceeds the body’s capacity to respond positively to it, overtraining occurs. Performance decrements and chronic maladaptations occur consistently and are characterized by a set of associated symptoms. ‘‘Known as overtraining syndrome (OTS), this complex condition afflicts a large percentage of athletes at least once during their careers,’’ according to Lawrence Armstrong and Jaci VanHeest. A syndrome is a set of symptoms that persistently occur together. In
this case, they include, according to Julia Dalgleish and Stuart Dollery:
Tiredness, decreased immune system efficiency, nausea, excessive weight loss, aching joints and muscles, nausea, repetitive loading injuries (such as shin splints), reduction in bone density and an increased length of time to reach fitness goals (the ‘plateau effect’). At least the first four of these symptoms may be described as psychophysiological in character, having both psychological and physical components.
