Over-training for amateurs - Is it really a risk?

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  • taon24
    taon24 Posts: 185
    It is possible to overtrain, but rarer than I think people regard it to be. When you train tired you are slower, and less productive for the time spent training, but that doesn't mean the training is not worthwhile (but at lower speeds and for longer times will tend to improve your endurance, rather than power.)
    You can get physiological complications from suddenly adjusting the volume of training by large amounts.You also get complications from stress and lack of sleep but they are effects of life conflicting with training. It would require a lot of training to 'over train' if you have unlimited amounts of time to recover and sleep.
    The pressure to perform and desire to improve often drives increasing amounts of training in response to falling performance. If you are a pro this enables you to train many, many hours a day, while most amateurs will have to rest during job/family/housework time preventing overtraining.
  • Team4Luke
    Team4Luke Posts: 597
    for the average full time worker who also competes but yet pushes their training to the limit likely to just get tired, fatigued and your training and racing speeds come down, usually clear when this happens, potential injury too, however you can recover easily by resting. The real danger is this happening when you are possessed with an underlying illness that can cause such things as chronic fatigue. I have seen that happen first hand to a friend a very capable time trialler, short 20min ten rider, reduced to recovery rides in more or less 1st gear for 5mins a day building back up from that. Never train when your ill in anyway no matter how slight.
    Team4Luke supports Cardiac Risk in the Young
  • Zingzang
    Zingzang Posts: 196
    Team4Luke wrote:
    for the average full time worker who also competes but yet pushes their training to the limit likely to just get tired, fatigued and your training and racing speeds come down, usually clear when this happens, potential injury too, however you can recover easily by resting. The real danger is this happening when you are possessed with an underlying illness that can cause such things as chronic fatigue. I have seen that happen first hand to a friend a very capable time trialler, short 20min ten rider, reduced to recovery rides in more or less 1st gear for 5mins a day building back up from that. Never train when your ill in anyway no matter how slight.
    Can you tell me where you friend is at now, i.e. how long he's had the illness, or, if he's over it, how long he had it?
  • Team4Luke
    Team4Luke Posts: 597
    It finished his racing, took many years to just be able to ride any sort of miles, this was a good 10+years ago now, never got back to the same level he was and never will again, any attempt to enter a race now and he seems to just feel unwell, so he no longer races. He's now capable of riding to work and back no problem. His approach was simply bit at a time, really was a case of resting and starting with one ride a week and in his case something like just 10minute rides (yes 10 mins ! all he could physcially do) building up over a long period. Not certain what was the underlying cause but he was at a high level and did a lot of intense turbo work regulary.
    Team4Luke supports Cardiac Risk in the Young
  • Zingzang
    Zingzang Posts: 196
    Team4Luke wrote:
    It finished his racing, took many years to just be able to ride any sort of miles, this was a good 10+years ago now, never got back to the same level he was and never will again, any attempt to enter a race now and he seems to just feel unwell, so he no longer races. He's now capable of riding to work and back no problem. His approach was simply bit at a time, really was a case of resting and starting with one ride a week and in his case something like just 10minute rides (yes 10 mins ! all he could physcially do) building up over a long period. Not certain what was the underlying cause but he was at a high level and did a lot of intense turbo work regulary.
    Thanks for your answer. I'm grateful for it, though it was what I was expecting.

    I'm in the same position your friend was. I was racing regularly, but fell ill with a virus. I've been ill for 15 months now and haven't been able to tolerate any training except the very lightest workload during that time. Once or twice I've made an attempt at some intensive work and paid a massive price in the form of extreme worsening of symptoms that in one case lasted for three months, during which time I felt so ill I could hardly be on my feet even for more than a few minutes a day. I'm still ill now, and reduced to nothing more than short mindless spins on the turbo, week in week out. I haven't ridden on the road for nearly 10 months.

    One of the things that has made the illness more difficult than it might have been is the treatment (or lack of it) I've had from the NHS, which basically just leaves you to get by on your own as best you can, scraping along as a piece of human wreckage while life goes on around you.

    If your friend was willing to talk to me on the phone about how he dealt with his own illness I think it might benefit me a lot. If you could ask him at least if he'd mind me ringing him I'd really appreciate it.
    Thanks again.

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