If the practice of a physical activity is strongly recommended, in excess it can have consequences on the growth, the sleep or the sports performances. A questionnaire of overtraining makes it possible to situate oneself.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the practice of a sports activity : 75 minutes of intense activity, 150 minutes of moderate activity or 300 minutes of walking per week. But too much sporting activity can have negative effects. “The signs of overtraining are unique to everyone. In adults, it depends on the type of sport and their environment: their work pace, their family life, etc. “, explains Dr Jérémy Cadiou, sports doctor. The state of tiredness is a sign and the athlete can then respond to 54 questions of the overtraining questionnaire of the French Society of Exercise and Sports Medicine (SFMES) in order to know if he does too much sport. “This is a very good diagnostic tool. If the score is high, then you have to take the risk of overtraining seriously.”
What are the risks and side effects of excessive exercise?
Excessive exercise can lead to:
- Significant tiredness
- Decline in athletic performance
- Greater ease of injury “mainly repetitive microtraumatic injuries such as stress fractures or tendinopathies for example”
- Mood disorders or even depression
- sleep disorders
- weight loss
- An accelerated heart rate
- A propensity to get more sick
What are the consequences of excessive exercise on growth?
If physical activity in children and adolescents is strongly recommended, however, it is estimated that he is overtrained when he practices more than 6 hours per week for those under 10 years old and more than 10 hours per week for those over 10 years old. An intensive sports practice can, on the other hand, have effects on bone growth and development or generate slowed pubertal development. Of the osteo-articular pathologies can also develop:You can diagnose growth osteochondrosisi.e. a pathology related to overwork in the bones and cartilage.” The sports doctor wants to be reassuring, however: “These however, effects remain reversible in time. In addition, sport does not make you smaller or taller: there is simply a natural selection of athletes in their chosen sport where they will perform more or less depending on their size.
“exercise 30 minutes four times a week rather than 2 hours once”
What are the consequences for the libido?
“Excess of sport can have effects on libido“says Dr. Cadiou. Excessive sport could impact the endocrine system and draw on the reserves of testosterone, a hormone linked to desire. This drop in testosterone would then have a negative impact on the libido, mainly in men.
What impact of too much sport on the rules?
“Women who practice excessive sporting activity may have periods of amenorrhea. This is often the case in sportswomen with an energy deficit : these no longer have enough fat mass to allow them to obtain regular cycles. We sometimes even observe a total absence of cycle. Sports such as running, dancing, gymnastics or simply having weight categories to respect are the most affected.”
What are the consequences for sleep?
Overtraining can indeed have consequences on sleep. “Athletes often testify to sleep disturbances, early awakenings, difficulty falling asleep especially in those who exercise after 6 p.m. because it increases their body temperature”assures Dr Jérémy Cadiou.
According to the sports doctor, the main error of athletes who train too much lies in the fact that they practice the same sport over and over again. “It’s necessary vary the pleasures. Combining training and practices : running with the bike and swimming for example. This will allow them not to enter into a routine, not to always stimulate the same parts of the body and so reduce the risk of injury.“Finally, it is essential to take recovery time adapted. “In Pôle Espoir-type structures, for example, we question high-level athletes every day. on their feelings about the training load in order to adapt it.“As far as amateur athletes are concerned, it is better to extend their sporting practice throughout the week: exercising for 30 minutes four times a week rather than 2 hours once will be more beneficial. “Ideally, it is better be supervised by medical and paramedical professionals specialized in sport when practicing sport requires a high level of intensity.”
Thanks to Dr Jérémy Cadiou, sports doctor.