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Overtraining and glycogen depletion hypothesis

A C Snyder1

  • 1Department of Human Kinetics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 53201, USA. acs@uwm.edu

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|July 15, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Low muscle glycogen from extensive exercise causes fatigue. However, maintaining glycogen with carbohydrates did not prevent overtraining in cyclists, suggesting other factors contribute to overtraining syndrome.

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Area of Science:

  • Sports Science
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Nutritional Biochemistry

Background:

  • Extensive exercise can deplete muscle glycogen stores, leading to fatigue and performance decline.
  • Low muscle glycogen may also contribute to peripheral and central fatigue through branched-chain amino acid oxidation.
  • The role of muscle glycogen in the development of overtraining syndrome remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if low muscle glycogen contributes to overtraining.
  • To determine if sufficient carbohydrate intake can prevent overtraining.
  • To explore potential mechanisms of overtraining beyond glycogen depletion.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing research on swimmers and cyclists.
  • Analysis of studies examining training load, energy intake, carbohydrate consumption, and muscle glycogen levels.
  • Comparison of physiological responses to training in different athlete populations.

Main Results:

  • Swimmers with training non-responsiveness exhibited low muscle glycogen and insufficient energy/carbohydrate intake.
  • Cyclists who maintained muscle glycogen through increased carbohydrate intake still met over-reaching criteria.
  • These findings suggest that reduced muscle glycogen alone does not fully explain overtraining.

Conclusions:

  • While low muscle glycogen contributes to fatigue, it may not be the sole or primary cause of overtraining syndrome.
  • Other physiological or psychological mechanisms likely play a significant role in the development of overtraining.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the multifactorial nature of overtraining.

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