[daer0n]

You may be shocked to hear that there is an ugly side to extreme fitness. For women especially, the damage from overtraining can be permanent, and there are specific symptoms that can tell you when to alter your routine.
Osteoporosis can make your bones brittle. It usually occurs later in life, but women who train too hard and eat too little are much more likely to experience osteoporosis even in their twenties. Some women athletes in this age group have actually been found to have bone density similar to an eighty year old.
A common stereotype is the “gym rat”- the woman who focuses so much on weight loss and training that it causes a decline in estrogen levels. This decline is seen when menstruation stops or becomes irregular. The unfortunate thing is that too many women accept this as a sign of successful training, when quite the opposite is true. What is happening is permanent and has lasting repercussions on a woman’s health, making the ability to maintain the same level of activity in later years impossible. You are at risk if you believe “you can never be too thin”. The truth is that even obese women can be fit – and after all, the goal really needs to be health – as determined by you; not society’s perceived notion of the ideal woman.
That’s not to say that you cannot challenge yourself, or that the occasional training for a triathlon is a bad idea. Even when you are doing this, there’s no need to overdo it. It will only lead to poor performance and injuries. The secret is to do it for the right reasons – don’t obsess about appearance, eat right, and train regularly but not incessantly.

Here are some signs that you or someone you know may be overdoing it:

• Obsession with weight, manifested by frequent discussions about weight loss
  Low levels of self esteem
  Difficulty sleeping
  Frequent injuries and constant fatigue
  Feeling cold all the time
  Dissatisfaction and constant self criticism
  Refusal to take a day off from training even during inclement weather or during periods of illness
  Much ado over minor injuries
  Extreme or rapid weight loss
  Missed or irregular period
  Thin to the point of appearing unhealthy
  Rapid exercise training in succession

If you have any of these characteristics, or recognize these in a friend, you need to take action. If you have missed periods and think it may be the result of overtraining, first see your doctor. Change your diet to include a higher caloric intake. Learn to incorporate a good balance of exercise training and diet. If someone you know is at risk, suggest that she speak with the doctor about her symptoms.
Consider the following: You don’t have to hurry to lose weight –with exercise it will happen. If you are competing, get plenty of calcium and Vitamin D from dairy products and avoid soft drinks. If you experience injuries, fatigue, irregular or missed periods, or find yourself obsessing about your weight, please speak with your doctor – you will gain years of good health and activity. Fitness is a positive goal – it’s just important to know exactly where you are along the way.
“You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She’s 97 today and we don’t know where she is.” - Ellen DeGeneres
Kathleen Blanchard is a Registered Nurse with a background in preventative health and nutrition. Read more from Kathleen by visiting her blog.


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[Kookie-for-COCO]

Excellent article--I have experienced anorexia and bulemia in my family and they always overexercise with both. One ois as bad as the other.

[Karren]

I've been obsessed with weight loss too (amung my many obsessions. Lol).. My wife finally made me quit loosing weight because I was starting to look bad... So it can easily happen... Good post!!

[ColdDayInHell]

Thanks for this post. I'm a bit of a gym rat myself...I've had my struggles with anorexia. Another one with obsessive traits here.

[love2482]

Good info. Thanks for posting.