Understanding the Fatigue Factor

Your athlete is ‘bushed’ and lacks energy and motivation. Training and performance deteriorate. What could it be? Check out the potential fatigue factors that may influence well-being. Understanding the fatigue factor and its impact on training, performance, and quality of life in general is critical.

According to experts, an effective and dynamic Pre-training phase prepares athletes for the activity without causing fatigue. Medical disclosures indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased fear, emotional stress, and social isolation among all members of society. Athletes, already stressed out over the lack of training opportunities during that time, might experience a higher degree of anxiety, insecurity, and fear of failure that could result in mental breakdowns not only among lower level but also in Elite and Olympic athletes, which already has brought about suicides, according to statistics. Athletes may show up at the restart of the training program with signs of physical and emotional fatigue at various levels. This becomes problematic because coaches seem to be more comfortable dealing with physical stress than a psychological and mental breakdown or fatigue.

Types of Fatigue

• Physiological Fatigue

The body becomes overworked and cannot correctly handle metabolites produced through hard training, i.e., metabolic fatigue. The more waste accumulates in the body, the more muscle soreness emerges as a lack of adequate nutrient supply to tissues and organs causes weakness and tiredness of the limbs. Researchers found that a preferred posture (slouching) or any prolonged sports action performed in training affects this type of fatigue. Therefore, if needed, coaches must monitor deviations in posture and changes in athletes’ movement patterns throughout training sessions to adjust volume and intensity. Athletes should stretch to loosen up to prevent and relieve physiological fatigue. As mentioned, our program developed and administers a series of posture tests. Designed corrective posture exercises after analysis at the beginning of the season are incorporated into daily training routines.

Furthermore, athletes must be reminded to hydrate regularly during training and consume a snack in the post-training phase or immediately after that, as fatigue is a critical risk factor in athletic injuries. When athletes are tired, the body can’t respond to physical demands, which can lead to acute injuries as they walk a ‘fine line’ between a training load that creates a positive adaptation and one that leads to a physical breakdown. They must train hard on high-intensity days and recover hard on low-intensity days. According to the CAC, fatigue can be acute (sudden onset) or chronic (ongoing).

The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) identified two types of fatigue (2021):

• Metabolic Fatigue

When muscle fibers are less able to contract. This type of fatigue is linked to a shortage of fuel or an accumulation of metabolites that result from chemical reactions in the body, such as lactic acid), and the way the HR mainly affects endurance-type activities. Metabolic fatigue can be addressed through proper nutrition and rest.

• Neural Fatigue

Nerves cannot sustain a signal due to lack of rest. The effects of neural fatigue include reduced reaction time, which influences power and speed. It is a central nervous system fatigue or central fatigue associated with changes in the synaptic concentration of neurotransmitters within the central nervous system (CNS), including the brain and spinal cord), affecting exercise performance and muscle function. It cannot be explained by peripheral factors that affect muscle function. In healthy individuals, central fatigue can occur from prolonged exercise and is associated with neurochemical changes in the brain.

Recognizing And Identifying Signs – Symptoms Of Fatigue

The key to identifying over-training, also known as staleness or burnout, is to gather information about the athlete (signs) and the athlete (symptoms). Over-training happens when intense training is done without recovery from acute or chronic fatigue. Performance deteriorates instead of improving, even after an extended period of rest. Recognizing and interpreting signs and symptoms of fatigue is an ‘art.’ What is even more challenging is to be able to interpret them based on observation or the experience and knowledge of each athlete by the coach. One of the best ways to determine ‘overtraining’ is to observe several signs and symptoms.

Examples:

• Deteriorating performance

• Inability to maintain training load

• Chronic fatigue

• Depression

• Mood changes

• Decreased self-confidence

It is critical to have a well-planned conditioning regime that allows for proper recovery and regeneration. It is often more difficult to help swimmers recover from overtraining than to prevent them from overtraining in the first place.

Suggested Monitoring Tools and Field Tests

• Daily Heart Rate-based monitoring (Rusko Test)

• Taking the Pulse

  • Wrist

  • Neck

• Daily Questionnaires

• Rate of perceived exertion (RPE) monitoring

• Heavy legs Index

• Recovery-stress questionnaire for athlete

Our athletes, at the age of 8 years, were taught to take their pulse before, during, and after training. We made it FUN and educational and recorded and charted the readings and fitness scores. In our coaching philosophy, teaching lifetime skills such as learning to take the pulse is about health education and a holistic approach to coaching. Schools used to teach health courses and physical education but have discarded that in the curriculum for some time. Mental health and well-being need to be re-introduced as soon as possible because teaching these concepts at adolescence is far too late. Other cited tools can be used with older athletes since these tests are more complex.

Fatigue may not mean one is tired, as researchers have identified five major causes and solutions. Many athletes attend high school or university, work part-time to cover their training expenses, and get little sleep. The occurrence of three meals a day at set times is increasingly rare. Various life pressures exhaust the body and mind, and issues like insomnia, anxiety, fear, and depression are increasingly common; in other words, it is fatigue. Dr. Wu Kuo-Pin, director of Taiwan Hsin Yi Tang Chinese Medicine Clinic, describes different types of fatigue athletes might encounter. It is essential as a coach to become aware of these possibilities.

“Mental Fatigue”

The leading cause is Prolonged Stress. According to Dr. Wu Kuo-Pin, rest or sleep is ineffective in relieving this type of fatigue because the symptom requires holistic solutions for both body and mind to release pressures or suppressed emotions. He says, “We must take the weight off our mind and thoroughly solve and let go of the disturbance to eliminate mental fatigue and restore health.”

“Brain Fatigue”

Long hours of focusing on something can generate the feeling of burnout (which could apply to intensive training).

“Excessive use of the brain causes the brain to consume a lot of oxygen, resulting in a lack of oxygen supply to the brain. Thus, carbon dioxide can not be metabolized smoothly. Brain fatigue occurs accompanied sometimes by dizziness, headache, nausea, memory loss, and other symptoms,” according to Dr. Wu (Refer to previous metabolic fatigue). He suggests breathing exercises when fatigue occurs: “Stand up and do chest-expanding deep breathing exercises to inhale a large amount of oxygen into the lungs, and slowly exhale.”

“Subjective Fatigue”

This type is described as ‘exhaustion,’ feeling powerless about oneself or anything else. Personal emotions usually cause it. For example, one may be very committed to training or work over time, but the efforts should be appreciated or recognized.

After some time, however, enthusiasm and motivation tend to wear off gradually, according to Dr. Wu. This differs from mental fatigue, which may be more about being overwhelmed because subjective fatigue results in more loss of personal motivation rather than experiencing an anxious state. “It is necessary to revive that enthusiasm and add that it is a time for learning the importance of ‘letting go’ of things (trying to be perfect!). Athletes should not worry too much about what others think; instead, they should follow their way of life.”

“Fatigue Caused by Imbalanced Diet”

This type is caused by a long-term preference for a particular type of food or not eating a certain kind of food, resulting in nutritional imbalance and health problems.

Many Americans today have nutritional deficiencies in many essential minerals and vitamins. The best way to monitor this type of fatigue is to create an eating log with daily entries monitored by the coach. Understanding the underlying concepts of fatigue and its potential impact on training and performance is imperative when designing program activities. Since fatigue is a crucial factor in the risk of injury, training methods, volume, and intensity must be carefully designed. After all, when athletes are tired, their bodies cannot respond to physical demands, leading to physical and mental fatigue, causing acute injuries.

Reference:

Coaching Association of Canada (CAC). NCCP Module: Prevention and Recovery Coach Workbook (2021), pp. 37-46. Learning Facilitator Guide (2021, pp. 47-52).

https://www.theepochtimes.com/fatigue-not-tired_4374198.html

Epoch Times/Health 1+1 and Kuo-Pin Wu, 2023, May 30. Fatigue might not mean you’re tired – five major causes and solutions.

Sample Self-Report Questionnaire Adapted to Adolescent Athletes

• Complete the Questionnaire on a scheduled and regular basis.

• Keep a log and compare the results from previous days and identify trends or changes.

• If significant changes are identified or an unexpected result is evident, address with appropriate and coach-discussed adjustments. For example, if sleep quality is poor, determine the cause, discuss it with the coach, and decide on proper adjustments.

Reference:

Coaching Association of Canada (CAC). NCCP Module: Prevention and Recovery. Coach Workbook, 2021, p. 41.

Schloder, M.E. (2025, to be released). E. P. P. T. Effective pre- and post-training for age group swimmers. Calgary, Alberta, Canada: www.coachingbest.com