Exercise Burnout - How to avoid "too much of a good thing..."
5/7/2008
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Federal officials estimate around 30 percent of the adult population is inactive, despite a near-constant bombardment of messages regarding the value of physical activity.
But there are always going to be those individuals who take the fitness gospel too far. These are either committed exercisers who overtrain to the point of burnout or even injury, or well-intentioned couch potatoes who embrace an exercise regimen too aggressively only to fall victim to injury.
Burnout is hard to describe, but easy to spot. Overtraining is exercise beyond the abilities of the body. It’s when the training, intensity, or duration really surpass the recuperation time needed. For example, you might be a long-distance runner who goes out and runs hard daily, perhaps for several hours, and allows no recuperation time. If so, you’re probably overtraining.
Recuperation time is key, and does not mean total rest, but rather active rest. You might follow ... read more
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recovery, overtraining, recuperation, burnout
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Strength: It's in the recovery, not the workout!
4/14/2008
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Did you know that it's not your workout that makes you stronger? Although aerobic exercise and strength training are essential, your strength and fitness gains are actually made during your recovery from a workout, not the workout itself.
You can maximize your fitness and strength gains from every workout by making sure your body actually recovers from the stress and challenges of your training. To do this, it is important to understand the nature of your muscles. Your muscles are packed with an energy source called glycogen. Glycogen is a form of sugar that your body uses as a fuel during exercise. While you exercise, your glycogen stores decrease but they can be replenished during your recovery from exercise. When you finish exercising and consume a meal containing carbohydrates, sugars pass through the blood stream, and eventually enter your muscle cells where they are converted to glycogen. Soon you can use this glycogen as the fuel for your next workout. The replenis... read more
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nutrition, protein, workout, strength, recovery
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