How do I know if I'm overtraining?

You're probably overtraining if your performance keeps dropping for two weeks or more even though you're training hard and eating normally, and you also feel tired, irritable and sleep worse than usual. A few off days is just life. A pattern is the signal.

True overtraining syndrome is rare and takes weeks or months of too much training with too little recovery. What most people run into is the milder version, often called overreaching, and it clears up with a few easier days.

The signs I'd watch for

• Weights or paces you used to handle now feel heavy, and they're not coming back
• Resting heart rate is 5 to 10 beats higher than normal for several mornings in a row
• You wake up tired, or you can't fall asleep even though you're exhausted
• You dread workouts you normally like
• Mood is low or short-tempered for no clear reason
• Small aches keep piling up, or you keep catching colds

One of these on its own means very little. Three or four together for a couple of weeks means it's time to change something.

What to do about it

Take a few days of easy movement or full rest, then run a week at about half your usual volume (see what a deload week is). Eat enough, sleep more and see if things improve. Most people feel better within a week or two.

During the easy stretch, a walk or gentle ride from Apple Health still counts toward your League of Fitness match, so the habit carries on while you recover. A lost match costs a little rating, you can win it back, and it's a reason to come back after the rest, not to skip it.

Then check why it happened. Usually it's too many hard days in a row, a sudden jump in training, not enough food, or stress and poor sleep on top of the gym.

When to see a doctor

If you've rested and still feel exhausted after two or three weeks, or you have chest pain, fainting, a racing heart at rest or unexplained weight changes, see a doctor. Fatigue can have medical causes such as low iron, thyroid problems or low energy availability, and those need a proper check.