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CAREER FUEL

Managing high training workloads in competitive athletes and professional sports people presents a series of challenges that need to be managed carefully to avoid the onset of chronic fatigue. One of the key signs of overtraining syndrome is a drop in performance (i.e., the same training or competitive efforts produce sub-standard results). This will often drive the athlete to train harder to overcome these performance deficits with disastrous results.

Group fitness instructors will often have a weekly volume of exercise that would astonish many other sports professionals. Not only is the weekly volume high, but the continual loading over successive months without recovery phases increases the chances of developing overtraining syndrome.

So, how do we know when we are doing too much? The best indicator, as mentioned, is performance. A drop in performance over a series of training sessions or classes is the best indicator. Some sports medicine professionals monitor resting or waking heart rate. An elevated resting heart rate may provide some insights into training effects but is not always reliable. Feelings of persistent lethargy, irritability or falling asleep during the day present some of the more obvious signs.

As to the cause of fatigue, there are thought to be two main contributors to fatigue: peripheral and central fatigue. Peripheral fatigue is the effect that most athletes are familiar with. This is the effect of training within the working muscle. Glycogen depletion, increased lactate levels and other biochemical markers such as

Fuel your career for the long haul by avoiding overtraining syndrome, writes Bryce Hastings.

BEAT FATIGUE

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CAREER FUELcreatine kinase levels have been associated with peripheral fatigue. Muscular stress and overload during high-intensity workouts create changes within muscle which need to return to normal before the next training session to avoid a drop in performance.

The other more subtle and less recognised component of fatigue is central fatigue. Changes within the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) appear to play an important role in the development of overtraining syndrome. These changes are thought to contribute to disrupted sleep patterns, changes in appetite, irritability and impaired concentration often seen in chronically fatigued athletes.

The brain is involved with the processing of neural impulses and levels of concentration in performing physical tasks and, like any other tissue, can suffer from the effects of overuse. Alterations in neurotransmitters such as serotonin and the accumulation of inflammatory substances within the brain are thought to contribute to many of the symptoms associated with chronic fatigue.

It is thought that sporting situations that require a high central nervous system drive, such as contact sports and sports involving complex movement patterns, increase the central nervous system activity required for these tasks, accelerating these effects (e.g., the central fatigue component during

BODYATTACK® would be much higher than that experienced in RPM®).

MAnAging FAtigUE1. Catch it early. A noticeable drop in performance during classes will often be your first sign. This may be followed by lethargy and other symptoms noted above, such as a drop in concentration.

2. Avoid sudden increases in training load. Take care when covering classes. You may be already at your capacity and a sudden increase in class load may push you over the edge.

3. Take rests. Athletes would only ever try to peak three times per year. Group fitness professionals maintain a high workload all year and then often increase their commitments around workshops, etc. Take a break every three months. This may not require a complete break; just a reduction in classes for a fortnight.

4. Prevent muscular or peripheral fatigue. We all know the importance of fluid intake and carbohydrate replenishment after classes. Take a look at the Fuel Your Fitness Session in your DVDs from the previous releases for the latest on this.

5. Prevent central fatigue. Watch your workload of complex movement pattern classes such as BODYATTACK®,

BODYCOMBAT®, BODYJAM® and BODYSTEP® – especially when you are getting your head around new choreography. These classes will take a higher toll and may begin to affect performance. Relaxation in a quiet environment, massage and meditation are thought to assist central fatigue recovery. Schedule in a BODYBALANCE® class or anything that helps you achieve a state of calm.

It is up to you to manage your workload to avoid burnout. Look for the signs and manage your workload carefully. Avoid sudden increases in workload and seek advice when you need it. Talk to your co-ordinator about your workload. If you feel it is not sustainable, it probably isn’t. If you want to continue to keep teaching group fitness classes at a high level in years to come, it is worth making some changes now.

Bryce Hastings is technical consultant to Les Mills International.

REFEREnCEsBrukner P and Khan K (2006), Clinical Sports Medicine, 3rd edition, McGraw Hill.

Armstrong L and VanHeest J (2002), The unknown mechanism of the overtraining syndrome, Sports Med, 32(3). KO

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