Air Force Airman 1st Class Dakota Alston, physical therapy tech, places kinesiology therapeutic tape on Airman 1st Class Devonte Brown, medical logistic technician, June 24, 2021, in the Medical Clinic at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. KT Tape is utilized to help stabilize Brown’s dislocated shoulder (U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Faith Iris MacIlvaine).
Repetitive workouts, lack of proper recovery period, and poor caloric and hydration intake, can contribute to overtraining and injuries as a result.
"You will notice overtraining occurring if you have persistent injuries and body aches, decline in performance, affected mood and sleep," she said.
Rest and recovery are important for optimal performance. This doesn't necessarily mean days of no activity, but of a less intense form of exercise, called "active rest," Wielert said.
"We are capable of putting our bodies through tremendous feats of strength, endurance, and flexibility," he said. "However, over time, these things can put a toll on our bodies. Incorporating rest and recovery will enable us to continue to build our bodies to adjust or accommodate to the stresses we place on it."
Likewise, our body has an amazing way to adapt to the stresses we place on it, he added. "But if we place the same stresses day in and day out, then that decreases the overall variability of movement - our bodies do not grow stronger, but rather, grow weaker."
That's why it's important to mix up exercise routines – they allow more muscle groups in our bodies to adapt. This also prevents boredom and overuse in a single muscle group.
"Providing more variation in activities, whether it is the type, duration, intensity of the activity, will give the greatest chances for our body to constantly improve and deter complacency," he said.
Diebal-Lee added that repetitive workouts without adequate recovery may also lead to overreaching or, in severe cases, overtraining syndrome.
"Functional overreaching is associated with a short-term reduction in performance that improves in a few days to weeks," she said. "This can progress to nonfunctional overreaching - which can take weeks to months to recover from - if functional overreaching continues over time without adequate recovery."
Prevention
To prevent injuries, especially as we age, it's key for service members and active people to listen to their bodies.
"Just as with taking your vehicle in for routine maintenance, the same thing applies with the human body," said Wielert. "As the vehicle gains mileage, more care is needed to ensure it continues to operate."
He recommends checking in with your primary musculoskeletal provider regularly to ensure you're performing activities safely and get recommendations of when and how to change things up.
As we age, warmups, cool downs, and flexibility are of vital importance, he said. For example, warming up with dynamic stretching translates to safer and more efficient movement than static stretches.
Dynamic stretches – such as high kicks, walking lunges, and torso twists - comprise active movements where joints and muscles go through a full range of motion to increase tissue extensibility throughout multiple muscle groups. They prepare your body for activity and promote blood flow, prevent injury, and improve your workout, said Alferos.
Static stretches, on the other hand, involve stretching a muscle or set of muscles to an end point, such as calf or hamstring stretches, and holding it for some time.
"It has been shown that static stretching prior to physical activities increases the likelihood of injuries (sprains, strains, etc.)," said Wielert. These are better after an exercise session to cool down, recover, and assist in clearing lactic acid buildup.
Despite the risks of potential injury, "exercise is medicine," said Alferos. "We recommend avoiding sedentary lifestyles to reduce the effects of arthritic changes and keep you in the fight."
Research in the Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy shows that osteoarthritis in the knees and hips affects about 3.5 percent of recreational runners, but among people with a sedentary lifestyle, the development of osteoarthritis in knees and hips is about 10.2% higher.
"The latest data we have reflects that 82% of MSKIs reported across the Department of Defense were due to inflammation and/or pain (overuse)," she added.
In the active-duty population, lower extremity overuse injuries are the most common, said Diebal-Lee. But generally, knee, ankle, shoulder, lower back, and neck pain are the most common types of MSKIs the physical therapists see.
However, the injuries from overuse are the ones that we can prevent, she said.
"The most common cause of future injury is previous injury; therefore, injury prevention is the key," she concluded.
For more information on overreaching and overtraining, Diebal-Lee recommends the National Strength and Conditioning Association's "Essentials of Strength and Conditioning" book and the Army's IgnitED app, which offers educational opportunities.
The experts also recommend resources available at each military medical facility, including the physical therapy clinic, fitness center staff, and health promotions staff.