Signs you are exercising too much
While we know that exercising is good, “Too much of something is bad enough,” Spice Girls. This is because exercises pose a level of stress to the body. When the volume and intensity is optimal, we achieve positive adaptations and get stronger, faster, more mobile. Conversely, when we do not recover sufficiently and go too hard for each and every workout, there is a threshold beyond which our bodies are not able to handle that physical stress, leading to negative effects. The following are some signs to know you are exercising too much.
1. Rhabdomyolysis
Commonly known as “Rhabo”, we have seen numbers of rhabdomyolysis cases rise over the last few years in Singapore as reported in May 2022. It happens due to excessive amounts of muscle damage causing the release of intracellular enzymatic content into the bloodstream leading to complications systemically. Signs and symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include severe muscle pain, pronounced weakness, dark colored urine , and a marked elevation of serum creatine kinase that is measured with a blood test. It is not uncommon that the kidney gets affected (10-50% of cases). If you experience any of the signs and symptoms especially after a high intensity workout that you are not accustomed to, you would require medical attention as soon as possible. Early administering of IV fluids has been reported to prevent acute kidney injury complications. It happens when the body is suddenly pushed beyond its threshold and may happen to beginners in spin classes and high intensity classes. Typically, when the body is fatigued, our central nervous system will send the massage to our muscles and power output decreases. In a class setting where the energy level is kept high by motivated trainers, peer pressure and loud music, we get distracted and force the body to keep going leading to muscle damage. Beginners should be identified and only allowed to join the main group after a ramp up program where they begin at a lower intensity and gradually build up to the intended intensity. Alternatively, beginners should be paid extra attention and advised to go at their own pace at least for the first few sessions. Acquiring rhabdomyolysis is the most extreme sign that you are exercising too much.
2. Muscle soreness more than 2 days
This second sign is less severe than rhabdomyolysis. When we perform any strengthening exercises, we create micro-trauma to the muscles and the connective tissue around them. This phenomenon is perfectly normal and these micro-trauma will heal up making the muscles and tendons stronger. If the load and intensity is optimal, the soreness should disappear within 48hrs. However, if we have overloaded the muscles, we can expect the soreness to last more than 2 days which is an indication that you may have exercised too much. It is good that we record the exercises that we do so that we can tweak the intensity and volume accordingly if soreness lasts more than two days.
3. Overtraining syndrome
With optimal training, over time you get stronger, fitter, faster, better. Those are indicators of positive adaptive change. With overtraining, performance drops for a period of 4 weeks or more. In addition, mood changes and fatigue may be experienced. This syndrome usually affects athletes that have very high training volume and intensity and is less common amongst recreational athletes. It is however important to note some of these symptoms because it may potentially lead to neurological, immune, biochemical and endocrinological changes to the body. Hence if your performance drops chronically for more than 1 month, you might be exercising too much. Evaluate to see if increments of volume and intensity have been too high.
4. Injuries associated with overloading
Injuries that involve our tendons and connective tissues are usually caused by an overload. These injuries include tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, jumper's knee( patellar tendonitis) and achilles tendinopathy. As tendons are responsible for load bearing, when we train beyond what our bodies can heal, inflammation occurs and overtime, if not managed, it may lead to tendinosis. Symptoms include pain and swelling in the connective tissue upon load bearing and /or with a stretch. Furthermore, the heel and plantar fascia are common injuries at the foot that result from overloading. If our muscles are not strong enough to control the load given to our body, our feet have to bear the brunt of the load leading to foot injuries.
What causes us to exercise too much?
Firstly, inexperienced coaches and trainers may plan exercise programs that push individuals, especially beginners too hard. Quality coaching takes into account the current fitness level with good understanding of adaptation in order to program an exercise program that is optimal. Look for trainers who have qualifications beyond their personal training certification and those who constantly upgrade themselves. Some people choose a trainer based on how they look or how many followers they have on instagram. Followers do not equate to qualifications or competence.
Secondly, poor body awareness may lead us to keep pushing, not recognising when to stop.
Fatigue and pain are our body’s indicator that something is not right. Ignoring these alarms is like ignoring a fire alarm. We should not wait till we see the walls on fire before leaving the building. Tune in and listen to your body.
Thirdly, some people may have a “more is better” mindset. They believe it is a demonstration of grit and determination. However, our body does not work this way. Too much may be as bad as too little and it is important that we are keeping exercise within the optimal zone where performance and positive adaptation happens. We can show our determination by committing consistency and to the method while regulating the load and intensity to the goldilocks zone. Recovery may be just as important as our training.
Even though most people exercise too little vs exercising too much, it is still important that we are aware of the signs of exercising too much so that we can prevent burnt out, reduction of performance so that we can increase the number of years of active, healthy living.
References
Chavez, L.O., Leon, M., Einav, S. et al. Beyond muscle destruction: a systematic review of rhabdomyolysis for clinical practice. Crit Care 20, 135 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-016-1314-5
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/start-slow-when-exercising-medical-experts-say- As-cases-of-muscle-breakdown-increase
Weakley J, Halson SL, Mujika I. Overtraining Syndrome Symptoms and Diagnosis in Athletes: Where Is the Research? A Systematic Review. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2022 May 1;17(5):675-681. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2021-0448. Epub 2022 Mar 23. PMID: 35320774.
