Overtraining and Eating Disorders
The Negative Connotations Associated with this Topic
What is Overtraining Syndrome, Anorexia, and Bulimia?
<http://www.active.com/health/articles/what-is-overtraining>
- Anorexia is not some colloquial term. It is a clinically proven eating disorder/mental illness called 'anorexia nervosa,' or commonly referred to simply as anorexia. Those who suffer from this disease have not just lost interest in food, they have intentionally restricted their food intake due to an irrational fear of being or becoming fat.
<http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/267432.php>
- Bulimia is another serious eating disorder caused by a mental illness called 'bulimia nervosa.' Those who struggle with the disease are constantly facing the battle between the desire to lose weight or stay thin and the overwhelming compulsion to binge eat.
<http://www.helpguide.org/mental/bulimia_signs_symptoms_causes_treatment.htm>
Facts About Overtraining and Eating Disorders
1) Apart from Bulimia Nervosa, those who suffer from this mental health disorder tend to have other mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety.
2) Some signs of bulimia include but are not limited to going to the bathroom all the time after eating, swollen cheeks or jaw area, and teeth that look clear.
3) Bulimia can affect pregnancy, causing miscarriage, stillbirth, and birth defect.
4) If you know someone that suffers from this mental condition, the best ways to help them would be to avoid conflict, not placing shame or guilt on them, and letting them know that you will always be there no matter what.
Anorexia:
1) Causes of Anorexia Nervosa include life changes or stressful events, personality traits, and bilogy.
2) Some signs of Anorexia are counting calories/weighing food, moving food around the plate instead of eating it, not eating or eating very little.
3) Like Bulimia, those who suffer from Anorexia tend to have other mental health conditions such as substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and obsessive behavior.
4) A major health problem for those who suffer from this disease is that when your body doesn't get the nutrients it needs, it will slow down causing serious internal problems.
Overtraining:
1) Symptoms of overtraining include chronic fatigue and declined performance despite continued training
2) Some health problems caused by OTS are insomnia, irritability, loss of weight and motivation, etc.
3) It is important to remember that more is better. This does not mean more exercise, actually the opposite. We need to give our bodies time to recover, so when you are feeling unusually sore after training, it is key to give your body lots of rest.
4) Quality over quantity- when training, it is important to take into account how well you are training, not how often you train.