Overtraining symptoms: how to know when training is no longer helping

There is a point in training where effort stops translating into progress. You are still running. You are still following the plan. Yet workouts feel heavier, recovery takes longer, and motivation quietly fades. Many runners respond by pushing harder, assuming discipline will fix it. This is often when overtraining symptoms begin to show up.

Overtraining rarely happens suddenly. It develops when training stress, life stress, and recovery fall out of balance. The earlier you recognize the signs, the easier it is to correct course.

Before we go further, some context. I am Coach Kari, founder of BeFit Runners. BeFit was created as a space where runners can work with online running coaches and learn how to balance training stress with recovery instead of constantly overriding warning signs. We also support runners through personalized and data-driven online marathon coaching, where load management is treated as a core part of performance, not an afterthought.

Overtraining is not about weakness. It is about imbalance.

Types of overtraining

Sympathetic vs parasympathetic overtraining

Overtraining does not look the same for everyone. In more advanced training loads, especially for athletes running six or more days per week, two distinct patterns can appear.

Sympathetic overtraining is more common in runners pushing intensity or volume aggressively. It is characterized by elevated resting heart rate, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, irritability, and a constant feeling of being wired but tired.

Parasympathetic overtraining presents differently. Instead of feeling wired, runners feel deeply fatigued.

Mood is low, motivation drops, heart rate may be unusually low, and recovery feels slow no matter how much rest is taken.

How to tell the difference between normal fatigue and overtraining

There are a few signals that help distinguish normal training fatigue from early overtraining. A consistently elevated resting heart rate can indicate accumulated stress. Suppressed heart rate variability often reflects reduced recovery capacity. Perceived exertion rising despite unchanged pace is another common clue. Sleep quality also matters. Difficulty falling asleep, restless nights, or waking unrefreshed suggest the nervous system is struggling to downshift.

Normal training fatigue usually includes

• Tired legs that recover within a day or two
• Soreness that improves with rest
• Motivation returning after easier days

Symptoms of overtraining syndrome often include

• Persistent muscle soreness that does not resolve
• Heavy legs even on easy runs
• Declining performance despite consistent training
• Longer recovery times after workouts
• Loss of enthusiasm for running

Training related warning signs

Overtraining often shows up first in how training feels.

Common training related symptoms include:
• Inability to handle workloads that were previously manageable
• Feeling flat or weak during most runs
• Performance plateaus or sudden drops
• Frequent thoughts of skipping workouts

How do I know if I am overtraining?

Ask yourself:

• Has performance declined for more than two weeks?
• Do easy runs consistently feel hard?
• Does rest fail to restore energy?
• Has motivation dropped despite discipline?

Mental and emotional symptoms of overtraining

Overtraining does not only affect the body. It affects the nervous system and emotional state.

Mental and emotional symptoms may include:
• Irritability or mood swings
• Difficulty concentrating
• Loss of enjoyment in training

The hidden side of overtraining anxiety and high heart rate

One of the less discussed overtraining symptoms is the combination of anxiety and high heart rate. Runners may notice feeling unusually on edge, restless, or mentally wired, even on rest days. Resting heart rate creeps up, and it becomes harder to relax or sleep.

This pattern is driven by autonomic imbalance. When training stress exceeds recovery, the sympathetic nervous system stays activated. Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline remain elevated, keeping the body in a constant state of alert.

In this state, the body struggles to shift into recovery mode. Anxiety increases, heart rate stays elevated, and even light training can feel overwhelming. 



Can overtraining make you sick?

Yes, it can. When stress outweighs recovery, the immune system becomes compromised. This often shows up as:
• Frequent colds or infections
• Lingering illnesses
• Digestive discomfort
• Appetite changes

How overtraining can be prevented and what to do when symptoms appear

Overtraining is rarely the result of a single bad decision. It usually emerges from weeks or months of training that lack clear structure, honest feedback, or space for recovery. Prevention does not come from being tougher or more disciplined. It comes from building a system that allows stress and recovery to work together instead of competing.

One of the most effective protective factors is intentional alternation between hard and easy days. Training adaptations happen when stress is followed by recovery, not when stress accumulates unchecked. When every run carries a sense of effort or urgency, the nervous system never fully resets. Easy days are not placeholders. They are what allow hard days to actually work.

Scheduling at least one full rest day per week is another key element. This is not just about muscles recovering. It is about allowing the nervous system to downshift, hormones to rebalance, and mental load to ease. Runners who skip rest often believe they are gaining consistency, but over time they lose resilience.

Awareness plays a central role in prevention. Tracking mood, sleep quality, and daily energy provides information that pace and mileage alone cannot. Subtle shifts, such as irritability, restless sleep, or a lack of enthusiasm for training, often appear before physical breakdown. These signals are not distractions from training. They are part of it.

Fueling adequately is also foundational. Many cases of overtraining are not driven by excessive mileage alone, but by a mismatch between energy intake and training demand. When the body is consistently underfueled, even moderate training loads become stressful. Adequate nutrition supports recovery, hormonal stability, and the ability to adapt to training rather than resist it.

Finally, prevention requires adjusting training during periods of high life stress. Work pressure, emotional strain, poor sleep, and travel all add load to the same system that training stresses. Ignoring this context often leads runners to unknowingly exceed their recovery capacity. Training plans must flex with life, not exist in opposition to it.

Overtraining as feedback, not failure

Overtraining symptoms are not a sign that you lack discipline. They are feedback that something in the system needs adjustment.

When training is responsive instead of rigid, runners progress without breaking down.

This is why load management is built into personalized and data-driven online marathon coaching, where recovery and performance are treated as equally important.



Training works best when the body is allowed to adapt.