As I sit back and watch "Vince Lombardi: A Football Life" on the NFL Network I am reminded of a quote often attributed to him: "Fatigue makes cowards of us all". Now you don't have to agree with the quote (I think it is a bit harsh) to read this piece, but I want you to understand that fatigue has serious effects on the body and we should not take these warning signs lightly!
There are two common types of fatigue: central fatigue and peripheral fatigue. Central fatigue is associated with the Central Nervous System (CNS) and is a decrease in performance due to fatigue of movements. When stress on the CNS accumulates, there is an impairment of nerve impulses and the recruitment of motor neurons. You see this type of fatigue with powerlifters who do not adhere to a proper plan. The continually train heavy and eventually, their CNS can't take the amount of stress that is put on it. As a result, they experience a drop in maximal strength (a nightmare to a powerlifter), joint and tendon soreness, trouble sleeping, decreases appetite, and decreased immunity. On the other hand, peripheral fatigue occurs at the muscle cell level. Simply put, the muscle is too fatigued to function properly. The CNS will send the signal to fire or excite the muscle but it will not fire. You see this when runners collapse as their legs can no longer withstand the stress put on them (think lactic acid built up in the legs and you can no longer hold yourself up).
Any time an individual trains or competes, there is an overload placed on the body. The body is built to adapt to the stressors placed on it, and in most cases, our body can handle it. BUT, there are those individuals who continually ask more and more out of there body. By doing so, they begin to experience a dip in performance or mood. This is called overreaching. With this, the trainee will begin to show signs of an overtrained state. With proper recovery, this state will come to an end and you will be back to "normal". Now, if your body continues to be in this overreached state, a more serious issue arises: overtraining. The time it takes an overtrained person to recover far exceeds the time it takes the trainee who has over-reached. Taking a day or two off can be all you need to avoid the issue of overtraining.
Now to the tough part, how do we avoid all of this? This is easier said than it is done. Good recovery, regardless of what happens to the body, will be able to return to baseline within a day or two. I remember hearing a Strength and Conditioning Coach say "there is no such thing as overtraining, just under eating". With that being said, post-workout meals play a huge role in recovery. It is important to consume calories within the first 30-45 minutes post-workout. This will replenish the energy you just used during exercise. Depending on the intensity of your workout, you should eat again 1-2 hours after your initial post-workout meal. After that, consuming some form of energy every 2-3 hours would be a good idea to ensure recovery. Don't use this an excuse to overeat, just listen to your body and if you are hungry, then eat! The next area to improve is in your mind. Tolerance to fatigue can indeed be trained and often times, your mind will tell you to stop before your body has to. Athletes tend to have a higher threshold than the general population, so if you are new to exercise, make an effort to improve your mental makeup. When you get to that point where you feel like you can't go on, just hang on and push through for a few more reps or a few more seconds. And last, but not least, sleep. Sleep is the foundation of recovery. If you are struggling in the area of sleep, there are three quick fixes that work: cut caffeine, go to bed at the same time every night, and exercise daily! Recover is vital if you want to live a healthy lifestyle.
I hope you are all staying cool and enjoying this weather!
Chris Fluck
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