6 The fine line between overreaching and overtraining

This figure has the same starting structure as Figure 6 in that it has two axes of a graph with the vertical axis depicting performance improvement at the top of the page, decline at the bottom and a steady ‘base level’ half way in between. The horizontal axis represents ‘time’ and this axis intersects the vertical one at the ‘base level’ point. Two different oscillating performance lines extend from the same starting point responding to training, recovery and supercompensation phases (from Figure 6) in different ways. One line, the oscillating line labelled ‘Normal periodisation of training’ gradually rises upwards after each completion of the three phases; it is depicting a gradual improvement in performance with each bout of training, recovery and supercompensation. The second line, labelled ‘Overreaching (quickly reversable symptoms)’ gradually falls ever lower in performance levels with a further label indicating exactly where in the oscillating path of the line ‘under recovery’ can be said to occur. There are two outcomes indicated for the overreaching path: one positive one which rebounds upwards labelled ‘quick recovery still possible with rest’, whilst the other outcome is more negative. A path labelled ‘overtraining syndrome (prolonged symptoms)’ falls ever lower with the text being coloured red to indicate danger. Another faint red horizontal line ‘labelled prolonged recovery needed below this line’ reinforces the risk of the overtraining path once it crosses a certain negative point.