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Re-charge your batteries -- What does it mean? (Read 131 times)

pedaling fool


    Notice when you start a w/o regimen, say running, but could be anything. You get sore muscles, so you know to take a break, but as your body strengthens it takes more and more running until you feel the effects of sore muscles/joints/connective tissue.

     

    I started running late in life, was mostly a cyclist before (still am), but I've been running long enough that I can go a while without feeling too much fatigue in my muscles/joints/connective tissue. However, I still can eaisly overtrain causing not so much pain, but simple weakness, as in overall body weakness, not sore, just weak. When we feel that way we normally say: "I need to re-charge my batteries...".

     

    What exactly is that? What part of me is weak? It's not like I'm emaciated; I still have fat reserves and I get enough food/water. So why are my "batteries" drained?

    Julia1971


      When I use that expression, I usually mean I need to get more rest.  Specifically, more sleep.  I don't know much about the science of recovery, but I think a lot of it happens when you're asleep.  If I'm not getting enough sleep, workouts really start becoming a chore and I stop enjoying them because I'm so tired.  A couple good night's sleep and/or some power naps and I'm good to go again.

      CanadianMeg


      #RunEveryDay

        I take a similar approach to that expression. If I'm drained, it's either that I'm physically tired and need more sleep or maybe I'm just mentally spent and need to do something to relax/worry less.

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          pedaling fool


            Notice when you start a w/o regimen, say running, but could be anything. You get sore muscles, so you know to take a break, but as your body strengthens it takes more and more running until you feel the effects of sore muscles/joints/connective tissue.

             

            I started running late in life, was mostly a cyclist before (still am), but I've been running long enough that I can go a while without feeling too much fatigue in my muscles/joints/connective tissue. However, I still can eaisly overtrain causing not so much pain, but simple weakness, as in overall body weakness, not sore, just weak. When we feel that way we normally say: "I need to re-charge my batteries...".

             

            What exactly is that? What part of me is weak? It's not like I'm emaciated; I still have fat reserves and I get enough food/water. So why are my "batteries" drained?

            When I typed that last paragraph I should have included sleep. In addition to nutrition/water, fat reserves...and even after a good night's sleep I still feel drained when I overtrain, despite not really being sore, just weak.

             

            What is it that is drained when one over-trains, even after a good sleep and well nurished and no sorenessConfused

            Julia1971


              When I typed that last paragraph I should have included sleep. In addition to nutrition/water, fat reserves...and even after a good night's sleep I still feel drained when I overtrain, despite not really being sore, just weak.

               

              What is it that is drained when one over-trains, even after a good sleep and well nurished and no sorenessConfused

               

              If a runner is drained despite getting good sleep and nutrition/hydration, I would go with running their miles too hard next.

               

              And, I think of over-training as different than needing to recharge your batteries.  I think of over-training as a "syndrome" that occurs over a long period of time and is characterized by things like general fatigue but also stagnant/declining paces, inability to sleep, irritability, injuries that refused to heal.  In a lot of cases, it means no running for a while... I think of  "Re-charging your batteries" as something short term.  More of a funk that can be resolved in a couple days or a week.

               

              We're talking hypotheticals, though.  If you want more specific feedback to your situation, maybe make you log public or details about what you're doing.

              bhearn


                Well the closest analogy to batteries is glycogen levels. Sure, you have plenty of fat reserves; glycogen, not so much. It takes a few days to fully recharge those "batteries" after they're completely drained.


                Feeling the growl again

                  Typically, the body reacts positively to training stresses to get stronger and fitter.  However, when stressed beyond a certain point (typically over a period of time) the responses become negative; you do not get stronger and adapt, each workout only digs you deeper in the hole.  This negative cycle is what is referred to as over-training and is not something that goes away with a couple days of rest.  The etiology is not well understood but it is thought to be an overload on the endocrine system, where stress hormones no longer produce positive responses.  It takes time for the body to get back in a normal cycle where the responses are positive.

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