While the concept of diminishing returns is borrowed from economics, it can also be applied to strength training, particularly muscle building. When we take a workout too far or workout too persistently, not giving the body the time or nutrition it needs to recover, your muscles will reach a point where they are incurring physical trauma at a faster rate than their body can repair the damage. Signs of overtraining include:
- Feeling drained after a routine workout
- Emotional instability
- Underperformance
- Inability to concentrate
- Personality and mood changes
- Chronic fatigue
Many of these symptoms can be worsened by an imbalance in the nervous system, themselves often a result of too much exercise and not enough rest. Subluxation is often present in athletes who are feeling out of whack, and chiropractic adjustments work to restore the spine to proper alignment, allowing the conduit of the nervous system to communicate properly with every system in the body. Furthermore, we can help open up injurious muscle sites to an influx of nutrients through targeted massage.
Avoiding the syndrome of overtraining means being informed and proactive: your level of activity and fitness must be balanced by adhering to a proper rest schedule and ensuring that your muscle protein synthesis is greater than protein breakdown through diet. If your body is the warship, then we can be your maintenance crew. Call our office in Houston today to schedule an appointment.
Dr. Randall Holmes, D.C.
