The long term effects of overtraining?

Cianos

Hi,
A friend of mine thinks that he has overtrained himself and that this is having long term effects on his health and well being. It was a few years ago at this stage since he first 'overtrained' himself, and apparently after doing it the first time, he did it again. Present day, he gets physically tired very easily and is very unmotivated to do things that may require the slightest bit of effort. He thinks this is down to his overtraining, even though it was a few years ago. Between recognising that he had overtrained, and today, he has been taking it very very easy. He doesnt leave his house much, he works from home, and he rarely goes much further than down to the shops and back. Also he never socialises unless it is to the pub around the corner. Does anyone have any knowledge about overtraining? Can it really effect you to this extent a few years down the line? Any specialists on the condition that he should be aware of?

Cheers

Beelzebub

What type of training/exercise/sport are you talking about specifically?
This sounds like more than over training to me.
I would recommend him visiting his GP. And maybe then being referred to a sports injury specialist.
Depression also seems indicated here.

hardtrainer

Overtraining can certainly lead to a lack of motivation and to fatigue in general, but really that's more common in the short term. Once you pull pack on the training regime (taking a couple of weeks completely off is ideal really), energy levels should return to normal. In the long term, continuous overtraining can lead to chronic fatigue and depressed hormone levels.

In the case of your friend, it really sounds like something else is behind his lack of motivation and energy. He may be latching on to the idea that it's caused by overtraining as a way to avoid the real issue. I would be very surprised if over training in the past was responsible. I think it would be wise for him to seek professional help, i.e. his GP.

Cianos

Beelzebub wrote:

What type of training/exercise/sport are you talking about specifically?
This sounds like more than over training to me.
Depression seems indicated here.

It was mostly long distance running if I remember correctly. He has been to a few doctors, even tried acupuncture. Apparently depression has been ruled out.

Beelzebub

Cianos wrote:

It was mostly long distance running if I remember correctly. He has been to a few doctors, even tried acupuncture. Apparently depression has been ruled out.

I'd still recommend that he goes to his GP and gets full blood work done and full physical, just in case. Especially if he hasn't been recently and by recently I mean within the past 3 months.

Odysseus

I know little about the effects of over-training, but I a long distance runner myself. However, it sounds like there is something psychological behind this, I would suggest like above get more bloods done to rule out anything medical and if nothing is found, I would suggest your friend attends therapy, your friend sounds like he is living a very isolated experience and that generally suggests he is unhappy with life, but that's as far as I will go on the internet.

Hanley

Odysseus wrote:

I know little about the effects of over-training, but I a long distance runner myself. However, it sounds like there is something psychological behind this, I would suggest like above get more bloods done to rule out anything medical and if nothing is found, I would suggest your friend attends therapy, your friend sounds like he is living a very isolated experience and that generally suggests he is unhappy with life, but that's as far as I will go on the internet.

Broadly speaking, I agree. I think it's more psychological than physiological, of course that's provided there's nothing going on medically that he doesn't know about.

Odysseus

I would really doubt this is a medical issue, but of course it should be medically evaulated. Lack of motivation, agoraphobica issues, allowing for the effects of denial god knows what is going on here. We don't know what the levels of panic or anxiety are like as well as the subjective mood. Best advise is GP and a good therapist.

Cianos

Thanks for the advice everyone. If the problem was physical, ie overtraining has had a long term effect, should this show in a physical examination including bloods etc? Or could it be something that would not leave physical 'evidence'? Just, he has gone to a couple of doctors and they haven't been able to tell him what it is.

Hanley

He should probably go see a good sports doctor if he hasn't already. Perhaps even a sports psychologist.

topdog8

Its defo sounds like your mate suffers from the symptoms you described for us of a moderate depression, your mate is trying to channel his depression with the fact that he overtrained.. Maybe there is something underlying about this such as failed goals and achivements or the social setting he is in, could also play a fact that there might be a chemical inbalance,
The best bet is to go and see his G.P