The effects on performance due to overtraining are well documented. The signs and symptoms of aerobic overtraining are identifiable and can include physiolog- ical, psychological and biomechanical characteristics. If an athlete or coach does not recognize the symptoms of overtraining, the danger lies in mistakenly thinking that the athlete is not training hard enough. Often times, these athletes and coaches increase the training load in an attempt to improve performance, when in fact it should be reduced to let the body recover (See Overload/supercompensation illus- tration). Because many off-field factors (sleep, nutrition, relationships, school, work, etc.) can affect training, communication between the coach and athlete is critical to make a proper diagnosis of overtraining.

It also appears that combined psychological and physiological changes during high-intensity training are primarily of interest when monitoring training stress in relation to performance.

Coaches should carefully consider all aspects when determining the factors that may be contributing to overtraining. Below are just some of the symptoms of overtraining: