Can You Tell If You Are Overtraining or Under Eating?
Can you tell if you're overtraining or under-eating? Often you can't at a glance: the two share so many overlapping symptoms—persistent fatigue, stalled performance, and changes in mood and sleep—that they're easily confused. Research on Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) shows just how closely connected the two problems can be.
Key Takeaways
- Overtraining and under-eating produce many of the same warning signs, which is why they're so often mistaken for one another.
- This episode covers a study on the shared pathways between Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S).
- Because the symptoms overlap, the fix often involves examining both your training load and your fueling, not just one.
- The coaches also recap their top three studies of 2021 and break down the Zone 2 MURPH Meet Yourself Saturday workout.
Episode 129 of The Garage Gym Athlete Podcast is up!
Can You Tell If You Are Overtraining or Under Eating?
This week, we have our fabulous four back on the podcast. The coaches dive into a study that looks at overtraining, under eating, and the affects the two can have! The crew give their takeaway and lessons learned with this one. For this week's topic the coaches recap last year's podcast by going over their top 3 studies of 2021. Each coach goes over why they liked each study and how the science proved some pretty cool things for them last year. Lastly, the Meet Yourself Saturday workout is Zone 2 MURPH. This one can be very mental so make sure to listen up for some good tips on how to tackle it!
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IN THIS 59-MINUTE EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
- Overtraining
- Zone 2 MURPH
- Top 3 Studies of 2021
- Under Eating
- New Year
- Tips For MYS
- Updates and Announcements
- And A LOT MORE!!
Diving Deeper…
If you want to go a little bit deeper on this episode, here are some links for you:
Study of the Week
Garage Gym Athlete Workout of the Week
Be sure to listen to this week’s episode:
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Thanks for listening to the podcast, and if you have any questions be sure to add it to the comments below!
To becoming better!
Jerred
What the research says
The study featured this week, "Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S): Shared Pathways, Symptoms and Complexities," explores why these two conditions are so easy to mix up. OTS results from training stress that outpaces recovery, while RED-S stems from not eating enough to support your training and daily energy needs. The researchers highlight that the two share overlapping pathways and symptoms, which is exactly what makes diagnosis complex.
The practical lesson for everyday athletes is that when performance stalls and fatigue lingers, the cause may be too much training, too little food, or a combination of both. Rather than only backing off training or only adding food, it's worth honestly assessing both your training load and your energy intake before deciding what to change.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I'm overtraining or under-eating?
It can be genuinely hard to tell because the symptoms overlap. Look at both sides of the equation: whether your training volume and intensity have outpaced your recovery, and whether you're eating enough to fuel that training. The research on OTS and RED-S shows the two are closely linked.
What is RED-S?
RED-S stands for Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. It describes the consequences of not taking in enough energy (calories) to support both training and the body's basic functions.
What is the Zone 2 MURPH workout?
Zone 2 MURPH is this week's Meet Yourself Saturday workout—a version of MURPH performed at a controlled Zone 2 effort. It's as much a mental challenge as a physical one, so pacing matters.
Related reading from Garage Gym Athlete
- What Is The Goldilocks Zone To Exercising?
- Are You Properly Fueling For Your Workout?
- Why Breaks From Training INCREASE Your Gains
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