Fighting Fatigue

Training should be a balance between exercise and recovery. Overtraining occurs when there is an imbalance and performance may suffer. Overtraining can lead to respiratory illnesses or even injury. The athlete and coach need to be attentive to the athletes' training and watch for overtraining signs - mood changes, irritability, low morale or poor concentration.

Exhaustion Triggers

It's hard to say why some athletes develop chronic fatigue while others don't, but here are some possibilities:

• Overtraining: Athletes who push themselves without controlled schedules or habits may overdo it.
• Infections: Infections caused by virus or bacteria can affect anyone and athletes make heavy demand on their bodies.
• Dehydration: Dehydration can cause fatigue and have disastrous effects on performance.
• Eating disorders: Common among athletes who want to keep their weight down, an unbalanced dietary intake can cause exhaustion.
• Anxiety or depression: Athletes who worry about their performance are more inclined to suffer from fatigue.
• Mental exhaustion: If diet and adequate sleep are in balance, fatigue often comes from mental over-exertion or the constant focus on training goals or competitions.

According to the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma, overtraining and fatigue have been shown to lead to shoulder pain if the swimmer continues to swim with tired muscles. As muscles fatigue, they work less efficiently, as they have to work harder in a weakened state. The swimmer has to stroke more often to cover the same distance. Overusing already-fatigued muscles can result in swimmer's shoulder.

Body Boost

British record holder in the 1500m freestyle Ian Wilson was diagnosed with fatigue caused by training at too high an intensity without sufficient recovery, causing severe muscle damage. As a result, he was put on a series of six-week recovery and recuperation programs, starting off at only 20 minutes of light exercise a day. Rest was the cure.

Rest is when no strenuous activity is performed. Recovery is what the body does during rest to repair damage done to muscle cells after big activity. When the body is allowed to rest for adequate recovery, it will repair broken-down muscle cells and even build them up stronger. Programming rest into training can help.

Swimmers are encouraged to keep a daily training log, recording weight, diet or level of fatigue from one to ten. Swimmers can also measure their morning heart rate. If the pulse increases during the day, it may be a sign that the body has not had ample time for recovery. If the fatigue score also goes up over days, it may be time to decrease the intensity of training.

There are several measures you can monitor to guard against exhaustion when training.

• Pace yourself and allow your body to recover from strenuous exercise.
• Make sure you recover from illness or infections before you start intensive training. Work into your routine gradually.
• Drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise.
• Increase your carbohydrates during and after training to replenish energy levels and muscle glycogen. Drink a carbohydrate liquid booster when needed.
• Practice mental relaxation exercises for 10 minutes a day to boost your body's immune system and energy levels.

Don't forget the primary importance of proper diet and enough sleep. For additional swim tips, e-journal options and helpful products visit www.all-americanaquatics.com.

Click here for a printable version of this page.