How to tell if an athlete is really overtrained
Diagnosis of Overtraining Syndrome: Results of the Endocrine and Metabolic Responses on Overtraining Syndrome Study: EROS-DIAGNOSIS
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Some athletes train too much and don’t recover, getting weaker and tired for months. This is called overtraining syndrome (OTS). Doctors don’t have a simple test for it, so this study tried to make one using signs like mood, food, and hormone tests.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 535 / 44
Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Some athletes train too much and don’t recover, getting weaker and tired for months. This is called overtraining syndrome (OTS). Doctors don’t have a simple test for it, so this study tried to make one using signs like mood, food, and hormone tests.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 535 / 44
Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Publication
Authors
Cadegiani FA, da Silva PHL, Abrao TCP, Kater CE
Related Content
Claims (4)
There's no blood test or body signal that reliably shows when someone is overtrained — the best way to tell is by how long it takes their performance to bounce back.
When male athletes are overtrained, their body’s stress and growth hormone responses to low blood sugar don’t react as strongly—this could mean their brain’s hormone control center isn’t working right.
For male athletes who train hard, checking a mix of things like mood, diet, body fat, and hormone reactions might be a better way to spot overtraining than just looking at one blood test.
Nine simple check-ins about mood, eating, and how you're feeling during workouts can tell if a male athlete is overtrained — no blood tests or fancy machines needed.