Over training syndrome is when you train too much, so it causes no benefit to you. Your performance as a cyclist will get worst, so you could stay the same or even get slower. It could also cause you long term health problems.
What causes us to train too much?
There are many different reasons that could cause us to overtrain, but common reasons are:
An uncontrollable desire to get better
Chronic stress, when your life is unbearably stressful and we often solely rely on exercise to cope
Fear of putting on weight by training less
How to identify if you are training too much
The idea of a rest day feels unbearable
You are not getting any better and you are putting in hours of training
You are tired and fatigued all of the time and you feel that you are running on adrenaline.
You have loss of periods.
Personally I experienced over training syndrome about 10 years ago. I was a runner back then. I felt incredibly stress and saw it as a way of feeling in control of my life. I weighed as little as 45kg and worried if I put on weight I would sacrifice my performance. But in reality was not letting myself recover and feeling beyond fatigued. I would say that it was more of a mental battle than physical one. I had to awaken myself to deal with the stresses in my life in other ways, so that they did not just become another stress in themselves.
Accepting the problem and help off others was a great first step in overcoming it and feeling free to exercise in a productive and healthy way.
To talk with me about your cycling goals and what might be standing in your way Book a Free Discovery Call.