Are you over-exercising? Here are its symptoms and side effects

Holistic health expert Dr Mickey Mehta on aligning your fitness goals with your body capacity and what overexercising does to you

When the amount, frequency or duration of exercise go beyond the body’s capacity to heal, its musculoskeletal, lung and cardiac capacity, it is called over-exercising. (File)

The other day, one of the many people I interact with online, mentioned a case where a 24-year-old medical intern in the US, who was as driven about her job as well as her gym routine, had collapsed and had to be rushed to the ICU as her urine colour had changed to that of a cola. She was put on IV drip and dialysis. This is called rhabdomyolysis, a serious condition where your damaged muscle tissue breaks down and releases proteins and electrolytes into the blood, which can damage the heart and kidneys.

The reason? She had upped her time for doing high intensity exercises, been compulsive about her gym routine and had cut down on social life. In short, she had been over exercising.

Exercise improves physical fitness, elevates mood and gives you more energy. But exercising too much can be harmful to the body and mind. When the amount, frequency or duration of exercise go beyond the body’s capacity to heal, its musculoskeletal, lung and cardiac capacity, it is called over-exercising. You don’t have to go over the 150-minute a week drill of moderate physical activity.

Signs of over-exercising

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You feel extremely lethargic with depleting energy despite keeping to your lifestyle routine. You could be sore, in pain and not comfortable enough to walk, stand and sit. Muscle soreness can last up to three days but if it lasts beyond that, there is a problem. You may be injuring yourself frequently. Most importantly you might feel agitated, jittery, panting and gasping for breath despite your workout. Not bouncing back after a workout or making progress could be a sign you are pushing your body too far, too fast. Also, if your resting heart rate goes up instead of going down, you should wind down.

What happens when you over-exercise?

High amounts of the stress hormone cortisol and low testosterone levels might result from excessive exercise without adequate rest in between. These hormonal shifts are frequently linked to weight gain, muscle loss, fatigue and extra abdominal fat.

Also your coping mechanism goes for a toss. You are dealing with toxins generated by exercise in terms of carbon dioxide in your lungs, oxidative stress and wear and tear of your joints and muscles. That’s why over-exercising can damage your bone joints, muscles, give you spasms, pains and aches. It can build up lactic acid levels, which is when your body can’t get enough oxygen to your muscles and other tissues as quickly and your cells break down glucose to create the energy you need to keep moving (anaerobically).

Overtraining impairs immunity, too, and increases a person’s vulnerability to diseases and infections.

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Excessive exercise can cause abnormal weight fluctuations and interfere with the management of hunger. At first, intense exercise may suppress appetite, but long-term overtraining can mess with metabolism and hunger cues, causing dysregulation of appetite and changes in weight.

Over exercising can rob you of sleep and plunge you into depression.

Striking a balance between activity and passivity is extremely important. Allowing recovery time is extremely important. Even if it means reducing your exercise and slowing down.

In the meantime…

Include low-impact exercises like swimming, cycling or walking in your physical repertoire in addition to high-intensity routines so that there is some gap for healing and recovery. Drink a lot of water and eat a balanced, nutrient-dense diet to help in your recuperation. Let your workout be a celebration and not a punishment.