överreaching

Overreaching, denoted överreaching in Swedish, refers to a short-term, intentional increase in training load that temporarily exceeds an athlete’s capacity to adapt, resulting in a transient decline in performance. In sport science, it is categorized as functional overreaching (FOR) when the performance decrease is followed by a supercompensation and improvement after a brief period of rest; non-functional overreaching (NFOR) when the performance decrement persists or worsens despite rest.

If not properly managed, extended or repeated overreaching can contribute to the development of overtraining syndrome (OTS), a more persistent condition characterized by prolonged fatigue, performance plateaus or losses, mood disturbances, and immune dysfunction.

Causes and risk factors include sustained high training volume or intensity, insufficient recovery, poor sleep, inadequate nutrition, life stress, and infections. It often reflects misalignment between training load and an athlete’s adaptive capacity.

Signs and symptoms vary but commonly include a noticeable drop in performance, persistent fatigue, generalized muscle soreness, slower recovery, disrupted sleep, irritability or depression, and changes in resting heart rate or mood.

Diagnosis relies on clinical assessment rather than a single test, using performance trends, self-reported well-being, sleep, mood, and training-load data. Monitoring approaches include tracking acute-to-chronic workload ratios and regular wellness questionnaires.

Management emphasizes reducing training load, increasing recovery, maintaining nutrition and hydration, and ensuring adequate sleep. Functional overreaching typically resolves within days to weeks; non-functional overreaching or OTS may require weeks to months of rest and guided reconditioning. Prevention focuses on periodization, gradual progression, individualized load monitoring, and attention to signs of excessive fatigue.