The ability to improve your fitness depends on proper training. Specifically you must manipulate the frequency, intensity, time and recovery periods properly or you risk over training or inadequate recovery syndrome (IRS).
Frequency refers to the number of training sessions per week. As the frequency increases, so does your risk for musculoskeletal injury if you do not have adequate conditioning.
Intensity refers to the exertion level of a given workout. Higher intensity training creates stress that we want the body to adapt to which results in improved cardiovascular and muscular efficiency. For runners this means the ability to run longer, faster or both.
Time is simply how long your workouts are, usually measured in minutes.
Recovery is the rest taken between workouts, and is essential since it allows the body to rebuild and repair itself between workouts.
The factors of frequency, time and recovery are quite easy to monitor and control. Intensity is not readily measurable.
For most people, intensity is a subjective element in their training program. Either they feel good or bad during a workout or they can or cannot hold a given pace.
In most cases intensity is misjudged by training at too great a level for the body to handle without breaking down. The cumulative effect of this is often the cause of failure in many training programs since it leads to inadequate recovery syndrome (IRS).
Signs and symptoms of IRS: increased resting pulse rate, overuse injuries, decreased performance, anorexia, fatigue, insomnia, weight loss, frequent infections, depression, mood disturbances.
Here’s what I recommend to prevent IRS:
- get a heart rate monitor and get a VO2 max test; this will give you the proper heart rate ranges to train in and it makes setting up a proper program EASY!
- monitor your heart rate first thing in the morning and keep a log of it in your training diary or calendar; if you see an increase of around 10 beats per minute from your average you have IRS
- do not train hard on back-to-back days
- do not increase the volume of your training by more than 15% per week
If you do end up with IRS take the entire next week off of training and get plenty of rest; then resume training at approximately 50% of your previous level until your heart rate drops to a normal range.