“Is It Overtraining or Just Work Ethic?”: Coaches’ Perceptions of Overtraining in High-Performance Strength Sports

BELL, Lee, RUDDOCK, Alan, MADEN-WILKINSON, Tom, HEMBROUGH, Dave and ROGERSON, David (2021). “Is It Overtraining or Just Work Ethic?”: Coaches’ Perceptions of Overtraining in High-Performance Strength Sports. Sports, 9 (6), p. 85.

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Official URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/9/6/85
Open Access URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/9/6/85/pdf (Published version)
Link to published version:: https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9060085

Abstract

Optimal physical performance is achieved through the careful manipulation of training and recovery. Short-term increases in training demand can induce functional overreaching (FOR) that can lead to improved physical capabilities, whereas nonfunctional overreaching (NFOR) or the overtraining syndrome (OTS) occur when high training-demand is applied for extensive periods with limited recovery. To date, little is known about the OTS in strength sports, particularly from the perspective of the strength sport coach. Fourteen high-performance strength sport coaches from a range of strength sports (weightlifting; n = 5, powerlifting; n = 4, sprinting; n = 2, throws; n = 2, jumps; n = 1) participated in semistructured interviews (mean duration 57; SD = 10 min) to discuss their experiences of the OTS. Reflexive thematic analysis resulted in the identification of four higher order themes: definitions, symptoms, recovery and experiences and observations. Additional subthemes were created to facilitate organisation and presentation of data, and to aid both cohesiveness of reporting and publicising of results. Participants provided varied and sometimes dichotomous perceptions of the OTS and proposed a multifactorial profile of diagnostic symptoms. Prevalence of OTS within strength sports was considered low, with the majority of participants not observing or experiencing long-term reductions in performance with their athletes.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: 1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9060085
Page Range: p. 85
SWORD Depositor: Symplectic Elements
Depositing User: Symplectic Elements
Date Deposited: 07 Jun 2021 10:05
Last Modified: 07 Jun 2021 10:15
URI: https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28721

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