Effects of overtraining on body?

Overtraining can significantly impact the body with a wide range of physiological, hormonal, and psychological effects:

1. Physiological Impact: When you overtrain, especially in endurance sports, glucose concentrations rise in anticipation of activity due to liver glycogen breakdown, helping maintain blood glucose levels. However, prolonged and intense training can deplete liver reserves leading to fatigue and collapse in severe cases, like during marathons 1.

2. Hormonal Changes: Hormonal responses to overtraining include fluctuations in cortisol levels, leading to increased stress. Additionally, the sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) rises, binding free testosterone, which can diminish muscle recovery and growth 2.

3. Psychological Symptoms: Overtraining often leads to increased irritability, decreased motivation, sleep disturbances, and changes in appetite. These symptoms are exacerbated by both mental and physical exhaustion, making training feel more challenging than usual 3.

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     1

     Liver Depletion Insights

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     2

     Measuring Stress Load

     01:45:41
     
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     3

     Optimal Exercise Strategy

     00:52:35
     
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     4

     Overreaching Explained

     00:42:56
     

4. Recovery Time: Overtraining requires significant recovery time. Non-functional overreaching may set a person back by weeks, while true overtraining can take months to recover from fully 4.