Overtraining can make your heart beat faster at rest, respond poorly during exercise, and thicken your blood, making it harder for oxygen to reach your muscles and making your legs feel heavy.
Evidence from Studies
No evidence studies found yet.
What Would Prove This
Per GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this claim, ordered from strongest to weakest.
Quantify the magnitude of hemorheological and cardiac changes in OTS.
A meta-analysis of 8+ studies measuring resting heart rate, exercise heart rate response, plasma viscosity, red cell aggregation, and erythrocyte deformability in athletes with OTS versus controls, with at least 400 participants.
Establish that hemorheological changes precede OTS diagnosis.
A 12-month prospective study of 200 endurance athletes, measuring hemorheology and cardiac parameters quarterly, tracking training load and OTS symptoms to identify early markers.
Compare cardiovascular and blood flow parameters between OTS and non-OTS athletes.
A cross-sectional study of 120 athletes (60 OTS, 60 controls), assessing resting and exercise heart rate, plasma viscosity, red cell aggregation, and erythrocyte deformability using standardized protocols.
Integrate findings into a comprehensive model of cardiovascular dysfunction in OTS.
A narrative review by sports cardiologists and hematology experts summarizing evidence on heart rate and blood flow changes in overtrained athletes.