6 Signs of Overtraining to Watch Out For—and How to Tell When It’s Time to Scale Back

Everyone feels a little tired and sluggish during a workout at some point. But overtraining syndrome is different from your average fatigue. If you exercise for too long or at too high of an intensity without enough rest over a significant period of time, you might notice some signs of overtraining.

While overtraining symptoms aren’t always easy to recognize, they’re important to know because pushing through them could lead to injury. Here’s how to tell if it’s time to ease up.

What Is Overtraining Syndrome?

At its core, overtraining syndrome is all about a “prolonged imbalance between stress and recovery,” says Sarah F. Eby, MD, PhD, a sports medicine physician at Mass General Brigham and an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard University.

When you train too hard for too long without enough rest, your body (and mind) doesn’t have enough time to recover, leading to a whole host of mental and physical symptoms (more on those below). “Our bodies can’t deal with this excess stress indefinitely—they need time to recover,” she says.

There’s also a nutrition component: Overtraining syndrome frequently occurs when people who are training a lot aren’t getting enough protein, carbs, or calories in general, says Todd Stull, MD, a sports psychiatrist with the University of Nebraska Medical Center who has researched overtraining.

Overtraining is more common among relatively competitive athletes—or at least people who are exercising with a performance goal, like getting faster or stronger, Dr. Eby says. To reach those goals, you have to train harder than you’re typically comfortable working. For example, “if you want to run a 6-minute mile, but you only ever train at a 10-minute pace, odds are you’ll never get there,” she says. Scaling up over time (in a safe way) is called progressive overload.

In the short term, when you go out for a faster-than-usual run, for instance, you might feel tired when you hit the gym the following day. But you’ll typically bounce back within a couple of days, especially if you take a day off or do an easier workout, she says. But without recovery time, proper nutrition, or a safe training plan, your fatigue may progress into full-blown overtraining syndrome, a complex constellation of symptoms that experts don’t yet entirely understand, she says.

Who’s at Risk of Overtraining Syndrome?

As mentioned, overtraining syndrome usually affects competitive athletes or hardcore exercisers. In fact, as many as 60 percent of elite athletes may experience it at some point, according to a 2024 literature review in Sports Psychiatry that Dr. Stull co-authored. You’re also more likely to experience overtraining syndrome again if you’ve had it before. But it can—and does—happen to anyone, even children, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). 

And overtraining syndrome isn’t only about excessive exercise: That key imbalance between stress and recovery encompasses all forms of stress, Dr. Eby says. Even if you’re not exercising harder than usual but you’re at a higher altitude, it’s hotter than normal, or you’ve got a lot going on in your personal life, you may still have a harder time recovering from a workout, she says.

Signs of Overtraining

It’s not always easy to identify overtraining syndrome because the symptoms overlap with many other conditions. For example, overtraining can look similar to burnout or clinical depression, Dr. Stull says. When you’re trying to tell if you’re dealing with overtraining, consider these common symptoms:

1. Your Performance Declines

The hallmark sign of overtraining, Dr. Eby says, is a decline in your physical performance. Cycling classes you’ve previously crushed feel like a slog, you can’t comfortably hit your typical running pace, or it feels a lot harder to lift the dumbbells you usually grab for your back exercises, for instance. 

2. Fatigue and Soreness Ramp Up

That drop in performance usually also comes alongside some pretty significant fatigue and other physical signs you’re overdoing it, such as excessive soreness, slower-than-usual recovery from workouts, and a higher-than-normal resting heart rate, Dr. Eby says. You might also sweat more than normal in your usual workouts, feel extra heavy or stiff, or not feel refreshed after a recovery day, per NASM.

3. You Get Sick or Injured More Easily

With all the excess stress and lack of recovery, your immune system can’t fight off bugs as easily. As a result, overtraining syndrome often comes with more frequent illnesses and infections, Dr. Eby says.

Overuse injuries (such as shin splints or jumper’s knee) are also more common in people with overtraining syndrome, Dr. Stull says. This is actually a telltale sign that helps experts distinguish between overtraining syndrome and other conditions with similar symptoms. “You tend not to get overuse injuries with depression,” he says, for example.

4. Sleeping Gets Harder

“Sleep patterns are [often] really disrupted,” Dr. Stull says, leaving athletes with overtraining syndrome even more tired than they were from the fatigue they’re already experiencing. You may have trouble falling or staying asleep and might not sleep as deeply, according to NASM.

5. Your Mood Changes

Alongside the physical changes, people with overtraining syndrome usually find themselves feeling more depressed or less excited by the things that usually bring them joy, Dr. Eby says. You might also feel more irritable and apathetic and less confident, Dr. Stull adds. It can also be harder to concentrate when you have overtraining syndrome, per NASM.

6. Other Physical Symptoms Pop Up

You may also notice changes to your digestion, menstrual cycle, and appetite, Dr. Eby says, as well as weight loss or gain, skin or hair changes, or a dip in your sex drive, according to NASM.

Overtraining Syndrome Treatment

Because the signs of overtraining can be so common and indicate so many different conditions, you might not find out you have overtraining syndrome for several months, Dr. Eby says.

First, your doctor may do some lab tests to rule out other causes that could be sapping your energy, such as an iron deficiency. They might want you to take some time off from your fitness routine to see if you naturally bounce back from a period of rough sleep or a brief illness. If not, “we are typically diagnosing overtraining syndrome in retrospect: an athlete that has reductions in physical performance that are not explained by an alternative diagnosis and are persistent despite a recovery period,” Dr. Eby says.

Increasingly, researchers are looking into whether certain hormones, inflammatory markers, or other measurable outcomes (like blood pressure and heart rate) are associated with overtraining syndrome in ways that could be helpful for diagnosing the condition, Dr. Stull says. More research is needed to fully understand diagnosis and treatment for overtraining syndrome.

If your doctor thinks you meet the criteria for overtraining syndrome, you’ll likely focus on three areas of treatment: rest, nutrition, and mental health support, Dr. Eby says. 

Rest

Most people don’t have to stop all activity, but you shouldn’t be actively training when you’re recovering from overtraining syndrome, Dr. Stull says. “Movement is medicine,” he says, but in this case, “movement” isn’t the same thing as traditional exercise.

Focus on taking leisurely walks or engaging in other gentle, enjoyable activities so you stay active but slowly build back your energy and excitement without taxing your body too much, Dr. Stull recommends. You can gradually return to physical activity, ideally under the supervision of a doctor or coach, Dr. Eby says.

If you aren’t working with an expert, you’ll need to carefully listen to your body as you ease back into working out. Slowly build up the time and intensity of your sessions and pay close attention to how you’re recovering afterward, how your mood changes, how much energy you have, and how well you’re sleeping, Dr. Stull says.

Nutrition

You’ll also need to make sure you’re getting enough calories, protein, and carbs. Some people with overtraining syndrome benefit from protein supplements or other nutritional replacement products to help them ramp back up to adequate amounts, Dr. Stull notes—but it’s smart to check with your doctor before trying anything new in this arena.

Mental Health

A sports psychologist or psychiatrist can help you work through the mental and emotional components of overtraining syndrome. Your doctor will likely refer you to a mental health care professional, per the Sports Psychiatry review.

The sooner you’re treated, the less time you’ll need to take off from activity, Dr. Eby says. “If you are experiencing any of the associated signs of overtraining syndrome, back off of your training, optimize your nutrition and mental health, and seek the guidance of your medical provider to ensure there isn’t an alternative diagnosis that may require specific treatment.”

Keep in mind primary care doctors may not be all that familiar with overtraining syndrome, and visits can be rushed, so they might quickly conclude you have, say, depression, and refer you to a mental health care provider, Dr. Stull says. If you feel like your doctor isn’t taking your symptoms of overtraining seriously, speak up about what else is going on, especially if you’ve recently ramped up your workouts.

How Long Does It Take to Recover from Overtraining Syndrome?

The exact time frame will vary for everyone, depending on the severity of your symptoms. But generally speaking, “recovery from true overtraining syndrome takes months, at a minimum,” Dr. Eby says.

That’s another big difference between overtraining and fatigue from one hard workout: You should pretty much always recover from a single workout in a matter of days, not weeks to months.

How to Prevent Overtraining Syndrome

The best way to treat overtraining syndrome is, of course, to never have it in the first place. That can be more challenging than it sounds, though: If you’re working toward a goal, you need to keep training harder over time to make progress, Dr. Stull says. But it’s all about finding balance: “It’s when you get beyond the ability to maintain stability as you've increased the load that things start to break down,” he says.

Prioritize these hallmarks of safe training so you don’t put yourself at risk.

1. Get Enough Sleep

The importance of sleep is “underappreciated,” Dr. Stull says. “Sleep has a profound effect on recovery.” Sleep gives your muscles time to repair, keeps performance-related hormones in balance, and supports a healthy immune system, among other benefits, according to the American Council on Exercise.

Aim for at least seven hours a night, and if you’re having trouble getting there, take a hard look at your sleep hygiene. Make sure your bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet, tuck electronics away in the hour or so before bed, and create a calming wind-down routine to help you drift off.

2. Vary Your Training

Doing the same workout over and over again isn’t the fast-track to fitness gains. Instead, you want a workout program with variation so you don’t overdo any one thing. A good mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercise challenges different energy systems and muscles, Dr. Stull says.

For example, even if you want to build lower-body strength, you shouldn’t make every day a leg day. Instead, a smart training program might include lifting heavy on Monday, lifting a different body part Tuesday, taking a walk Wednesday, doing a HIIT workout Thursday, and lifting a different body part Friday, Dr. Stull says. (Want to remove the guesswork? The Peloton App offers personalized exercise plans and plenty of guided programs with recommended workout schedules.)

3. Take Rest Days Regularly

“The recovery days are just as (if not more) important than the hard training days,” Dr. Eby says. While the perfect amount of recovery differs for everyone, it’s generally smart to take at least one to two days fully off from exercise each week to give your body ample time to recover.

4. Eat to Support Your Goals

“Adequate fueling is a key element in the process,” Dr. Stull says. Everyone’s individual nutrition goals are a little different, so it may be worth working with a registered dietitian who can help you determine your needs for various nutrients.

In general, though, the average active adult needs anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day, according to the Cleveland Clinic. (The exact amount varies depending on your sex and activity levels.) About 45 to 65 percent of those calories should come from carbs, and you should ensure you eat enough protein (usually somewhere from 1.2 to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day) to support your fitness routine and goals. 

Following these fueling guidelines will help you stay energized for your workouts and improve your recovery, helping to ward off overtraining, Dr. Stull says.

5. Listen to Your Body

To prevent overtraining, you can’t aimlessly follow your training plan without some feedback from your body. Ask yourself: “How do I feel? How did I sleep? How’s my day going, and how am I functioning during the day?” Dr. Stull says. If you’re sore, hurt, or tired, “maybe you need to have a lower-impact day,” he suggests.

6. Consider Working With a Coach

The principles above “are often built into a well-designed training plan,” Dr. Eby says. If you’re having trouble creating a smart workout plan for yourself and making sure it’s safe and effective, enlisting the support of a professional might help you avoid overtraining.

The Takeaway

Overtraining syndrome is a complex condition caused by an imbalance between the stress on your body and how much rest you’re getting that can result in a dip in performance, mood changes, fatigue, sleep problems, and illness and injury. It’s more common in elite athletes who exercise frequently at high intensities, but everyday stressors can up your risk for overtraining, too. It’s typically treated with weeks to months of rest, nutrition, and mental health support. Overtraining syndrome can be prevented by getting plenty of sleep, taking enough recovery days, varying your fitness routine, and prioritizing good nutrition, among other healthy habits.