Fatigue in Sports: It is tiring to be tired
Between simple acute fatigue, momentary and quickly reversible, which results from essential training loads for performance, and overtraining or even physical and psychological "burnout" that lead to poor performance, the boundary is sometimes thin, and the diagnosis is difficult to make. Moreover, the COVID-19 crisis and its anxiety-provoking context have not helped; quite the opposite. Fatigue in Sports: It is tiring to be tired.
Fatigue, whether physical or mental, is a disruptive part of our lives. New forms of exhaustion have even emerged, primarily due to sleep deprivation, excessive screen usage, and increased mental burdens. However, fatigue should not be trivialized, especially when it becomes a familiar companion that weighs on physical and psychological health. In sports, fatigue challenges and fascinates researchers, doctors, and coaches who seek a better understanding to enhance athletes' performance.
Defining athlete fatigue is a challenging concept, with a multitude of factors contributing to its occurrence, making its measurement equally problematic.
MOMENTARY OR SUSTAINED?
While increasing training load is essential for inducing new adaptations in the body and allowing athletes to reach their full potential, it inevitably brings fatigue. Momentary fatigue, considered normal in response to training, contributes to progression. However, the line is thin, and the key lies in finding the right balance, effectively juggling between work and recovery without falling into overtraining.
Fatigue during exercise is normal. Conversely, it becomes less so when an athlete can no longer recover. Fatigue experienced over a day or two can be easily explained based on the intensity of training loads. However, if it persists for several weeks or even months, accompanied by a prolonged decrease in performance, urgent action is required. Additional symptoms such as sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, mood alterations, and muscle and joint pain can help identify and assess the severity of fatigue. Athletes always teeter on the edge, so vigilance is necessary to avoid falling into a state of overtraining. One thing is certain: We do not leave a tired athlete without answers to their fatigue.
FOUR STAGES OF FATIGUE
Although fatigue is a complex and multifactorial problem that remains largely unrecognized in the context of elite sports, four stages have nevertheless been identified: acute fatigue, functional overwork, non-functional overwork, and overtraining. In response to a period of high training load, the athlete may experience a form of acute fatigue. However, an "off" day is enough to allow them to regain their usual level of performance. The second stage of fatigue is more intense but remains positive for the athlete. In this case, the balance between training load and the athlete's recovery capacity is temporarily disrupted, resulting in a momentary degradation of performance. One day "off" is no longer sufficient for recovery. However, after a few days or even weeks of relative rest, an overcompensation phenomenon occurs. This overwork is considered functional because the athlete is able to "bounce back."
SYMPTOMS OF OVERWORK
Symptoms of functional overwork are common and often sought after by many trainers and athletes. Working based on alternating phases of fatigue accumulation and recovery is a common and necessary practice in high-level sports training. This strategy is particularly implemented during periods of high training load, with the hope that this training stress will generate new adaptations. Typically, these cycles are followed over about three to four weeks, with two to three weeks of training loads followed by one week of relative rest. If this cyclical organization ensures sufficient recovery and is accompanied by a steady improvement in performance capacity, the training is suitable.
If the athlete fails to improve their times despite a prolonged recovery phase, the overwork becomes non-functional. The overload is then of no interest to the athlete since they are unable to progress in response to it. In more extreme cases, usually resulting from an imbalance between training and recovery, there may be a lasting loss of performance capacity over a long period, ranging from several weeks to several months. Symptoms may include sleep disturbances, impaired mood, and an inability to regain a feeling of "freshness." In such cases, there is a high probability that the athlete is experiencing overtraining.
A DIFFICULT DIAGNOSIS
In addition to the incorrect dosage of training, several factors can contribute to overtraining, including:
- Poor quality of recovery
- Insufficiently observed breaks during training sessions
- Practice in conflicting climates
- Ambient noise
- Sleep
- Daily schedule
- Nutrition
- Consumption of alcohol or tobacco
- Material living conditions
- Activities related to sport
- School or professional obligations and constraints
- Colds and feverish conditions
- Gastric or intestinal illnesses
Managing fatigue involves recognizing the essential role of sleep, which should be considered when investigating the causes of overtraining. However, diagnosing overtraining presents challenges. Before prematurely attributing decreased performance to overtraining, it is crucial to systematically eliminate other potential factors. Initiate discussions with the athlete and their coach regarding training loads, recovery quality, nutrition, and sleep. Subsequently, conduct a clinical examination and blood tests to identify possible infections, anemia, or deficiencies. Finally, adopt a multidisciplinary approach involving psychologists or nutritionists to assess the presence of nutritional disorders, stressors, anxiety, or depression that may contribute to fatigue.
The causes of fatigue can be multiple and cannot be attributed solely to training loads. For example, female athletes, on average, exhibit better resistance to neuromuscular fatigue than men. However, this fatigue is influenced by hormonal changes throughout the menstrual cycle. Conversely, self-reported sleep disturbances appear to be higher among high-level female athletes. Additionally, although not scientifically substantiated, there may be a greater cognitive load today due to the strain of social media, leading to increased emotional fatigue. Not to mention the current context and the health crisis. Numerous factors contribute to fatigue, making it complex for athletes and coaches to find definitive answers.
BURNOUT
Exhaustion is not always purely physical; the psychological component also plays a fundamental role in an athlete's ability to invest in training, perform in competition, and overcome difficulties and failures. Under these conditions, psychological saturation can be just as detrimental to an athlete's preparation as physical exhaustion. It is important for specialists, including coaches, to differentiate between overtraining and a form of both mental and physical saturation commonly referred to as "burnout." When emotionally exhausted, an athlete feels incapable of meeting the demands of high-level practice, experiencing a decrease in motivation, dissatisfaction with the sport, and a decline in performance.
Burnout can result from prolonged physical fatigue associated with overtraining, leading to a state of psychological saturation. However, it can also occur independently, stemming from boredom, lack of enjoyment, or pressure to persist from external sources such as coaches or parents. When athletes excessively invest in their practice, factors such as school, work, occupation, and nutrition can further increase the risk.
A recent study has also demonstrated that excessively intense physical training can impair the cognitive abilities of athletes, particularly cognitive control, leading to intense mental fatigue. Researchers found that overly intense sports training can have similar deleterious effects on the lateral prefrontal cortex's activity and impulsivity during decision-making, akin to excessive intellectual work.
REST AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT
Athletes experiencing these states of physical and psychological saturation need to rest and reduce their training loads for a certain period, instead of completely stopping practice to manage overtraining or burnout. Psychological support is crucial in helping athletes regain confidence, a sense of control, and motivation. The time required to return to one's optimal level is equivalent to the time spent in a state of overtraining. Therefore, it is vital to identify the symptoms of overtraining as early as possible.
Strain, fatigue, and occasionally suffering are inevitable at a certain level of practice. Coaches must be attentive to their athletes and be vigilant for signs that may indicate overtraining or burnout. Each sign or symptom, such as an athlete expressing tiredness or appearing less invested, does not necessarily indicate overtraining or psychological saturation. However, when multiple symptoms become recurrent over time, the possibility of overtraining or burnout should be considered.
Next read: https://mentalaccelerator.com/resource/grit/get-out-of-your-comfort-zone