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"Is It Overtraining or Just Work Ethic?": Coaches' Perceptions of Overtraining in High-Performance Strength Sports
Lee Bell1, Alan Ruddock1, Tom Maden-Wilkinson1
1Department of Sport and Physical Activity, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield S10 2BP, UK.
Sports (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 2, 2021
Summary
Coaches perceive the overtraining syndrome (OTS) in strength sports as rare, with varied definitions and multifactorial symptoms. Most coaches have not observed long-term performance declines in athletes due to OTS.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Strength and Conditioning
Background:
- Optimal physical performance hinges on balancing training and recovery.
- Functional overreaching (FOR) enhances capabilities, while nonfunctional overreaching (NFOR) and overtraining syndrome (OTS) result from excessive training with insufficient recovery.
- The overtraining syndrome (OTS) in strength sports remains under-explored, especially from a coaching perspective.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore strength sport coaches' experiences and perceptions of the overtraining syndrome (OTS).
- To identify definitions, symptoms, and recovery strategies for OTS within strength sports as understood by coaches.
Main Methods:
- Conducted semistructured interviews with 14 high-performance strength sport coaches across various disciplines (weightlifting, powerlifting, sprinting, throws, jumps).
- Employed reflexive thematic analysis to identify key themes related to OTS experiences.
- Analyzed interview data focusing on coaches' definitions, observed symptoms, and recovery insights regarding OTS.
Main Results:
- Coaches presented diverse and sometimes conflicting views on the definition and diagnosis of OTS.
- A multifactorial profile of symptoms was proposed by participants for diagnosing OTS.
- The prevalence of OTS in strength sports was considered low, with most coaches reporting infrequent long-term performance decrements in their athletes.
Conclusions:
- Strength sport coaches possess varied perspectives on OTS, highlighting the need for clearer diagnostic criteria.
- While symptoms are multifactorial, the perceived incidence of OTS in strength sports appears low based on coaching observations.
- Further research is warranted to consolidate understanding and management of OTS within strength-based athletic populations.
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