Find out if it's worth taking weekly breaks from the gym every now and then, and how you benefit from this approach. Exercising for the body is a powerful stress, and fatigue gradually builds up. This is especially true of the nervous system, which takes much longer to recover than muscles. This suggests that short breaks in training can be beneficial. Today we will talk about whether you need to take a break from sports.
In the course of scientific research, it has been proven that the abuse of sports can negatively affect the physical and psychological well-being. You shouldn't be equal to professional athletes. Their workouts are grueling, but they use different types of sports farm to accelerate recovery. In addition, do not forget about health, because you are doing for yourself, and not for the sake of records.
As we have already said, excessive enthusiasm for training negatively affects the work of the whole body. If you continue in the same spirit, then at some point you can find yourself in the state that specialists call overtraining syndrome. Let's talk in more detail about those negative moments that are possible in this state.
Why does sport need a break?
We have already answered the question whether it is necessary to take a break in sports, but now let's see what can happen to the body if we train intensively without pauses.
- You will start to get tired more and more quickly. Fatigue will gradually build up and over time your activities will no longer be as productive as they were before. With each workout, glycogen stores are depleted, and this substance is the main source of energy for the muscles. Scientists have shown that a decrease in the glycogen depot leads to a slowdown in the synthesis of lactic acid. This substance, in turn, is the carrier of energy in the body.
- The appearance of new fatty deposits on the body is possible. This may sound a little strange, because people train precisely in order to get rid of fat accumulations. However, it has been proven that if you exercise for a meringue break, then the body can begin to store fat rather than burn it. This is due to the fact that excessive exercise provokes the production of large amounts of cortisol and cortisone. These are stress hormones that can not only destroy muscle tissue, but also trigger lipogenesis. Scientists have proven that a high concentration of corticosteroid hormones in the body suppresses the performance of the immune system. As a result, you may not only have new fatty deposits on your body, but also increase the risk of developing infectious diseases and colds.
- The heart muscle wears out faster. Constant intense training leads to an increase in heart rate. Listen to your body and let it rest periodically. Remember that overuse can cause heart failure.
- The quality of training is falling. If your training program does not provide for pauses, then gradually you begin to make technical mistakes when performing movements. As you should be aware, any exercise can be beneficial only if all the technical aspects are followed. If this does not happen, then the training ceases to be effective. And at some point, you can start to lose muscle mass.
- The general state of health worsens. During the lesson, we inflict microdamage on the fibers of the muscle tissue. This is one of the prerequisites for gaining mass. However, in order to activate the processes of hypertrophy, the body must first resolve all these damages. Frequent exercise prevents the body from fully recovering, which leads to the development of inflammatory processes in the muscles. This fact has a negative effect on the entire body.
- Clarity of mind is lost. As we said at the beginning of the article, the nervous system takes much longer to recover. Fatigue gradually accumulates, and the work of the central nervous system is inhibited. Psychological changes appear later in comparison with physiological ones. As a result, you may become depressed, concentration will decrease, and you will feel lethargic.
It is quite obvious that only a persistent person can achieve great results in sports. However, everything must be done wisely so as not to harm the body. Taking long breaks from sports will also negatively affect your fitness. We talked about whether you need to take a break from sports. However, there is still the question of the length of the pauses. Agree that if you rest for a long time, you will begin to lose your shape.
How quickly do you lose fitness during a break in sports?
Each of the fitness lovers conducts workouts in their free time from everyday worries. However, life often makes adjustments to our schedule. Every athlete sometimes skips training, since there is no other way out. If these are isolated cases, then you will not lose shape, but only give the body extra time to recover. However, many fear that even missing one lesson will negatively affect their form.
We have already talked about whether it is necessary to take a break in sports and the answer to this question turned out to be in the affirmative. Thanks to short-term pauses, the body will be able to fully restore the performance of the nervous system, articular-ligamentous apparatus and muscles. However, excessively long rest will already be negative. Scientists identify two main factors that have the maximum effect on the rate of loss of shape - the length of the pause and the level of preparation before the pause.
How quickly do experienced athletes lose their shape?
The easiest way to get back in shape is for experienced athletes. If you have done three or four sessions a week for a year or more, then muscle memory and endurance are better preserved compared to beginners. However, there is one more thing to keep in mind - the type of load you are using.
In most cases, experienced athletes begin to lose strength indicators only 14-12 days after the last training session. However, this is possible if you are sick and the body is in a stressful situation. If you are completely healthy, then the strength parameters will be maintained throughout the month.
At the beginning of this century, studies were carried out in which scientists studied the rate of loss of strength indicators in athletes of strength and cyclic sports. In each group, athletes did not lose their shape even after one month from the moment they stopped training. However, this applies to the general indicator, but specific muscle fibers still lost strength.
Let's talk about the loss of aerobic capacity. Unlike strength indicators, endurance is lost faster. One study found that athletes with more than a year of training experienced a 50 percent decrease in endurance three months after completing training.
These results are confirmed by the second experiment, during which, after a 4-week pause, athletes' endurance decreased by 20 percent. However, do not worry, because it is known that this indicator recovers much faster in comparison with strength. Also, in the course of studies, it was proved that aerobic capacity after the resumption of training in a short time return to its original level.
How quickly do novice athletes lose their shape?
If you play sports for a short time, then try not to take long pauses. However, the strength of a beginner athlete after resuming training will recover faster in comparison with an experienced one. This is quite logical, because the further you have advanced from the entry level, the more difficult it is to maintain your shape.
A couple of years ago, a study was conducted in Japan in which novice athletes took part. They performed one power movement with the same intensity. However, in the first group, the training lasted 15 weeks without pauses, and the representatives of the second field had a rest for 1.5 months of training for three weeks. Then they started training again. At the end of the experiment, the performance of all participants did not differ.
But with endurance, the situation is different. Scientists have been actively investigating this issue. In one experiment, a group of volunteers trained for two months on stationary bikes. Before that, they all led a passive lifestyle. After two months of regular exercise, the study participants achieved good results. However, after an 8-week pause, all of their achievements were lost.
Is it possible to slow down the loss of shape during a break from sports?
You already know if you need to take a break from sports. However, if the pause was intentional, then you definitely will not rest for a long time and will not lose shape. It's another matter if life circumstances force you to skip workouts. Situations may be different and the pause may be longer. To slow down the loss of shape, we recommend using a few tips:
- Use light cardio - if you have the time and strength (you are not sick), then during the week, be sure to make several easy runs so that your endurance does not drop.
- Connect strength training - There can be many reasons for stopping classes, for example, trauma. However, you can easily pick up several exercises in which the damaged part of the body will not participate in the work. If you have a high fever, then it is definitely worth spending the time until your full recovery in pastels.
- Eat right - if you organize a competent nutrition program during the pause between workouts, you can minimize the loss of shape.
If you wanted to know whether you need to take a break from sports, then you can safely rest for one or two weeks to restore the body. This pause will not hurt athletes of all skill levels. Note that sometimes it is a break in training that helps to overcome the plateau.
If the pause turned out to be forced, then with a work experience of more than a year for one month, you, in principle, can not be afraid of anything. Thanks to good muscle memory, you will be able to regain your strength parameters, and endurance will recover quickly enough.
With novice athletes, the situation is somewhat different. As we already said, they will be able to quickly restore their strength, but with endurance everything is somewhat worse. However, the newcomers did not have time to get far in their progress and, in fact, they really have nothing to lose. We've told you how you can minimize your loss of fitness, and if necessary, be sure to use these tips.
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