IDENTIFYING (NON)FUNCTIONAL OVERREACH MARKERS IN RECREATIONALLY ACTIVE ADULTS DURING A 3-WEEK LAB-CONTROLLED OVERREACHING PROTOCOL

T. Gooding, P. Luu, H.C. Haverkamp Washington State University, Spokane, WA High-volume training followed by taper periods are frequently employed by athletes to improve performance. When the balance between training and recovery are not adequately addressed, non-functional overreach or overtraining syndrome may occur. There is an absence of sensitive diagnostic criteria to detect overtraining and previous research has focused almost exclusively on high-level male athletes. PURPOSE: To determine if a 3-week high intensity lab-controlled training protocol can cause overreach in recreationally active male and female adults. METHODS: Recreationally active adults (n=3, 2 females) underwent a 3-week lab-controlled training protocol exercising 6 days a week, followed by a 3-week recovery phase. Performance testing included a two-bout maximal incremental exercise test with exhaled gas collection, blood lactate measurement and continuous heart rate collection. The initial training visit was used as a reference point to determine % change in all variables throughout the protocol. RESULTS: During exercise testing, average peak oxygen uptake (VO2) in experimental subjects was lower post-training by -1.14±15.8%, with one subject’s VO2peak decreasing by 17.8%. However, at the end of the 3-week recovery period, VO2 peak increased by 10.2 ±3.6% from baseline. Experimental subjects’ average maximal lactate concentrations decreased 24.1±.6% following training (11.2±1.76 to 8.43±1.06) which remained lowered following recovery (-8.2±.14%). Experimental subjects’ average peak heart rate with maximal exercise decreased by 9.4±6.3% following training, which returned to near baseline levels (-1.8± 1.1%) following recovery. CONCLUSION: Both peak heart rate and aerobic capacity were decreased in experimental subjects following training. During recovery, peak heart rate returned to normal while a supercompensatory effect was shown for aerobic capacity. Decreased maximal lactate concentrations with maximal exercise following training suggests either improved lactate clearance or glycogen depletion among experimental subjects. These preliminary data support that physiological (mal)adaptations can occur in recreational athletes following an intense training protocol