Overtraining syndrome is more than just feeling ‘a bit tired’ after a workout. It can have serious repercussions, and studies have shown that females are at a higher risk than males, due to the hormonal fluctuations that occur throughout your menstrual cycle – a drop in oestrogen, for example, can exacerbate fatigue. Digestive issues and skin breakouts are two big signs, as menstrual cycle and hormone health coach Zoe Anotonia discovered. Here’s her story, plus how overtraining is linked, and exactly what you can do to recover if you’re suffering.
I quit the gym six months ago, and here’s what I wish someone would have told me way sooner. My digestive issues, like bloating, farting – especially from onions – food sensitivities, the acne that came back, had nothing to do with the food that I was eating or my diet. It was the workouts.
Imagine. I thought I was doing everything right. I was eating clean, training five times a week, getting my cardio and my steps in. I cut out gluten and dairy, and convinced myself that it was too many eggs. I got food sensitivity testing, gut health testing. Oh my god, I’m already tired of myself.
No one really talks about the inflammation that overtraining can cause, the stress it puts on your nervous system, your gut, your hormones. And that kind of physical stress, especially over long periods of time, can create inflammation in the body, which can damage the gut lining and create loads of those different symptoms I mentioned, especially the food sensitivities.
When you damage the gut lining it can cause undigested food particles and toxins to seep into your bloodstream which can cause those kinds of food sensitivities, the farting from the onions, and I know that it was the workouts because as soon as I slowed down – especially with my training routine – I can eat onions without being a toxic hazard, my skin has cleared, I rarely get bloated, I rarely even get breakouts, and I never would have guessed it.
Because when I think of weightlifting – which is what I was primarily doing at the time, five times a week – I don’t automatically think of high intensity. But you are still putting your body under a lot of stress and a lot of pressure. Even though I was fuelling my workouts, eating way over 2000 calories, I was still dealing with a lot of stress-induced symptoms.
Now, it’s good to bear in mind that we all respond to stress differently. I have PCOS so my stress response is already a little bit dysregulated, so I’ve noticed massive changes since slowing everything down. So if you’re like me, maybe your gut doesn’t need any more supplements. It doesn’t need you to cut out any more foods. Maybe it just wants you to chill out a little bit.
Antonia switched weightlifting for walking, Pilates and yoga, but know that every body is different – what works for Antonia may not work for you. Your body may benefit from small doses of weightlifting, without a need to entirely rule it out. If you’re suffering with symptoms, follow our guide below and start by reducing to lower-intensity exercise only (with four rest days per week), then consider reintroducing one weightlifting session per week once your symptoms have subsided, to see how your body reacts. If you still feel energised after four weeks, trade another low-intensity session for an additional weightlifting workout (to make two weightlifting sessions per week), and again, another four weeks later. Be sure to always incorporate at least three rest days per week once symptoms have subsided, no matter which type of exercise you go for.
How overtraining can impact your gut health
Exercising intensely for two or more hours at 60 per cent of your maximum intensity level has been proven to cause gut problems, like cramps, heartburn, bloating, nausea and flatulence. The journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics found that the reason this happens is because strenuous exercise damages cells in your intestine and causes toxic substances to leak through your weakened gastrointestinal walls and into your bloodstream.
How overtraining can impact your skin
Your skin, hair and nails may all struggle as a consequence of overtraining. Research shows that consistently high cortisol from the stress your body experiences with excessive exercise can trigger your skin’s sebaceous glands to produce more oil, meaning clogged pores and breakouts. Other research shows that elevated cortisol could cause a flare-up in inflammatory skin diseases such as eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. Why? Experts say the amino acids usually provided to your hair, skin and nails are redirected to your muscles after excessive exercise.
How to recover from overtraining
The good news is that research shows that you can recover from overtraining with just four-six weeks of adapting your exercise approach, so while it’s crucial that you address your symptoms as soon as possible, know that it’s certainly not too late. Use this expert advice for recovering from excessive exercise.
- Analyse and optimise your rest: How many hours of sleep do you get? How long does it take you to fall asleep? How often do you wake up during the night? How refreshed do you feel when you wake up? Aim for seven-nine hours sleep per night, and practice solid sleep hygiene by waking up and going to sleep at the same time each day, to regulate your circadian rhythm.
- If you have access to a fitness tracker, monitor your HRV: The lower your HRV, the more stress your body is under.
- Deload weeks: You’ll likely need more than one deload week to fully recover, but record a diary of symptoms after each week, and only implement light exercise once you feel up to it. As symptoms have fully subsided and you begin to resume exercise, implement a deload week each month for the first three-four months.
- Reduce the intensity of your workouts: As you begin to resume exercise, stick to low-impact and low-intensity exercise such as walking, yoga, Pilates or swimming. This will help stabilise cortisol levels.
- Take regular rest days: During recovery, start with a full deload week (or more), then – if you feel up to it – take at least four rest days per week, and focus on low-intensity exercise such as yoga, Pilates, walking and swimming. Once symptoms have subsided and if you would like to reintroduce weightlifting or other forms of exercise, stick to at least three rest days per week. Leave at least one day between training different muscle groups, if you work with workout splits.
- Reduce the length of your workouts: Following the necessary number of deload weeks for symptoms to ease, stick to 10–20-minute workouts for the first two months. Gradually increase by five-ten minutes, until you reach 45-60-minute workouts.
- Increase your calories: Whether you’re experiencing fatigue or missed periods, upping your calorie intake will help you recover. Speak to a GP or nutritionist for personalised recommendations – this will depend on your weight, height, age, gender, and lifestyle factors.
- Practice mindfulness: Regular meditation and journalling can help level out your cortisol and manage stress.
As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director (and a qualified yoga teacher), Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism. She secured her first role at Look Magazine, where her obsession with fitness began and she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!. Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red.
Now, she oversees all fitness content across womenshealthmag.com.uk and the print magazine, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, where we showcase the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise. She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how.
Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.