Bodybuilder Overtraining

Overtraining is the name given to the occurrence of a bodybuilder allowing his/her workouts and caloric burn to exceed the rate at which the body is allowed to recover between workouts. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Most often, it is not intentional, as the results of overtraining can be counter productive to what the bodybuilder is trying to accomplish.

It is absolutely crucial to get enough rest between intense workouts to allow the body to recover completely before beginning a new workout. The reason is that the type of workouts done by bodybuilders is intended to push and strain the muscles to the point of micro tears forming in the muscle fibers. The rest periods serve the purpose of letting these micro tears heal completely before being torn again. This is the process that builds up muscle mass, as the muscle fibers grow by tearing and filling in the gaps repeatedly.

Overtraining by a bodybuilder can result in severe injuries and torn muscles that do not heal properly. The rest periods are required to allow the micro tears to heal in order to keep from simply tearing further with each workout. The result of a major muscle tear is generally atrophy of the other muscle groups that are not worked out while the body is recovering from the tear. This is completely counter to the aims of the bodybuilding regimen.

Poor nutrition can result in overtraining as well. The bodybuilder must eat a much higher calorie diet than the average person. It is also important to consider the source of the calories. Fats and sugars can contribute to a higher calorie count, but these calories have no value to the bodybuilder because they do not contribute to the increase in muscle mass or provide the long lasting energy needed to maintain a much faster metabolism to handle the type of physical workouts performed by most bodybuilders.

Protein is the primary form of food needed by bodybuilders to increase their muscle mass. Proteins break down into amino acids that can be recombined by the body to build muscle tissue to fill in the gaps caused by the micro tears in the muscle fibers from intense workouts. Bodybuilders who do not consume a high enough protein content in their diet do not replenish the building blocks their bodies need to add to the muscle mass. Bodybuilders are very strict in choosing the sources of their proteins as well. Meat proteins are considered to be better than soy protein for building up muscle mass.

Carbohydrates, particularly complex carbohydrates that take a longer time to digest and release their energy into the body at a more controlled rate are required to maintain the higher energy levels needed by bodybuilders to continue their workout regimen.

Overtraining is a negative effect of bodybuilding that occurs when the bodybuilder does not maintain the proper nutritional balance or allow the proper amount of dedicated rest for the body to recover completely between workouts. It is occasionally done deliberately right before a competition, but most cases of overtraining are accidental and detrimental to the goals of the bodybuilder.

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