I keep seeing comments on Instagram and FaceBook about overtraining versus under-recovering, people often suggest that the term overtraining is used incorrectly, but not providing examples. A few days ago, I read one example that stuck with me.

“Just like overtraining is a word often (mis)used, because it should be “under-recovery.”

Is that really true? I kept wondering how you know the difference between overtraining and under-recovery. Here is how I have been thinking about it:

Overtraining. Exerting yourself at an intensity or volume from which your body cannot effectively recover while maintaining or improving your work capacity or level of performance. After you recover, your capacity is worse than before you trained.

Under recovery. Training at an intensity or volume from which your body should be able to recover, but you subsequently behave in a way that prevents effective recovery (e.g., stay up too late, train hard again too soon, eat too many donuts). The result – your body is worse off than before you trained.

Two different things with a similar result. Let’s look at some examples.

Training and Recovery

I go on my weekly 5-mile hike on Sunday, get sore for a couple of days, but I stay active walking Roli all week and the hike on the following Sunday feels a bit easier. I repeat for a couple of months and the hikes get easier to handle. (Specific adaptation to imposed demands.)

Overtraining

I get lost on my hike and end up doing 20 miles instead of my usual 5. I am completely exhausted and my ankles and knees ache for a couple of weeks afterwards due to repetitive use, muscle strain, etc. I am less fit than before the hike and need 2-3 months to get back to where I was before.

Under-recovery

I go on my weekly 5-mile hike on Sunday, wake up a little sore on Monday, but decide I need to get fitter so I run 3 miles. Still sore on Tuesday, I decide a run is the best way to work it out…On Wednesday I am wrecked, so I take it easy and hopefully I can bounce back by the weekend.

My Interpretation

Overtraining is when you go beyond the maximum effective dose. You require a deeper recovery than normal or maybe even a deep recovery followed by additional training to get you back to where you had been. Unless you have a compelling reason, not a good idea.

Under-recovery is when the activity you performed was in the sweet spot, a challenging dose, but one that should make you better. Unfortunately, you did not give your body the resources it needed to recover (e.g., sleep, nutrition). In the short term, this might not be much of a problem. The longer you head down this road, though, the longer your journey back.

Context

In the end, maybe it is a distinction without a difference. What you really need to know is what is your maximum dose for today. If you exceed that dose and end up worse off, does it really matter why?