Tagged with 'mood-boosting'

There's nothing like a hard workout to boost your mood and make you feel great, inside and out. Unfortunately, hard training can be taken to the extreme. Hard training breaks your body down and makes you weaker. You must rest to become stronger. This recovery period allows your body’s systems (related to muscles, heart, and lungs) to develop more superiorly in order to compensate for the stress you applied during the strenuous exercise. The result is now you’re at a higher level of performance.

If sufficient rest is not included in a training program, regeneration cannot occur and performance plateaus. If this imbalance between excess training and inadequate rest persists, performance will decline.

What is Overtraining?

Overtraining is best described as the state where the athlete has been repeatedly stressed by training to the point where rest is no longer adequate to allow for recovery.

Overtraining Syndrome

“Overtraining syndrome" is the name given to the collection of emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms due to overtraining that has persisted for weeks to months. It’s different from the day to day variation in performance and post-exercise tiredness common in conditioned athletes. Overtraining is marked by cumulative exhaustion that persists even after recovery periods.

Signs of Overtraining

If you're experiencing two or more of these symptoms, take heed.

• Fatigue--the most common sign.  This may limit workouts or prematurely end workouts, and may even be present when resting.

• Unusually poor performance in training and competition. Athletes training with a heart rate monitor may notice they cannot sustain the workout at their usual "set point."

• Failure to improve performance despite diligent training.

• Inability to perform better in competition than during practice.

• Decreased appetite and weight loss.

• Insomnia or altered sleep patterns.

• Joint pain and muscle soreness that have no apparent cause.

• Increased incidence of injuries.

• Frequent colds or respiratory infections.

• Moody, easily irritated, or anxiety that may be accompanied by depression.

Effects of Overtraining Syndrome

Studies done on athletes with overtraining syndrome have shown decreased performance in exercise testing, decreased mood state, and, in some, increased cortisol levels—the body's "stress" hormone. A decrease in testosterone, altered immune status, and an increase in muscular break down products have also been identified. The body’s fine balance is disturbed and the body has a decreased ability to repair itself during rest. Additional stress in the form of stressful holidays, and difficulties at work or personal life also contribute.

How to Treat Overtraining Syndrome

The treatment for the overtraining syndrome is rest. The longer overtraining has occurred, the more rest is required, making early detection very important. If overtraining has only occurred for a short period of time (ie: 3-4 weeks) then interrupting training for 3-5 days is usually sufficient rest. After this, workouts can be resumed on an alternate day basis. The intensity of the training can be maintained but the total volume must be lower.

Preventing Overtraining Syndrome

As with almost everything else health related, prevention is the key. Well-balanced gradual increases in training are recommended. A training schedule design called periodization varies the training load in cycles with built in mandatory rest phases. During the high workload phase, the athlete alternates between high intensity interval work and low intensity endurance work. This approach is used by a number of elite athletes in many sports.

Eat a proper sports diet that provides adequate carbohydrates and protein. If a busy schedule doesn't leave much time for cooking, consider a quality protein powder and some sports bars.

Rest is also a vital part of any athlete's training. There is considerable evidence that reduced training (same intensity, lower volume) for up to 21 days will not decrease performance.

Bottom Line: Smart training is the path to faster times, improved strength, and good health.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

Reference:

1. Johnson, Mary Black, PhD, ATC and Thiese, Steven , MS. A Review of Overtraining Syndrome-Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms. J Athl Train. 1992; 27(4):352-354.

Plants are getting serious attention as the source of effective therapies for depression and may help to alleviate problems of anxiety, stress, agitation and sleeplessness that accompany low moods. 

Promising remedies for mood disorders:

St. John’s wort: 

Generally used for anxiety, mild to moderate depression, and seasonal affective disorder, St. John’s wort is an affordable antidepressant that some research suggests is as effective as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in treating mild to moderate clinical depression (5).  Most studies are short-term use of St. John’s wort (2).  Side effects, which are mild, include dizziness, headache, dry mouth, confusion and nausea.  Dosages range from 900 to 1,800 mg per day.  Caution:  St. John’s wort interacts with SSRI’s, anticoagulants, oral contraceptives and a number of other drugs (1, 5).  Just to be safe, do not take with ANY other medications.

Kava: 

This mild sedative is made from roots of the kava kava tree.  Studies show it can relieve clinical anxiety, stress, insomnia and restlessness without causing drug dependency, and it has been suggested as a viable alternative to tranquilizers and sleeping pills (3).  Side effects are generally mild, and include fatigue, impaired reflexes, headache, stomach problems and tremor.  Serious liver problems, although rare, have also been reported.  Kava—which interacts with alcohol, sedatives, barbiturates and benzodiazepines—should be used with care, particularly among those with liver disease.  Dosage is 60 to 300 mg per day.

Valerian: 

This mild tranquilizer and sedative is made from the root of the valerian plant.  It helps relieve anxiety, sleep problems, and restlessness.  Side effects are mild, and include headaches and possible morning drowsiness.  Valerian’s effects are compounded when used with barbiturates, sleeping pills, tranquilizers or sedatives.  Take it 30 minutes before bedtime as a tea made of 1 tsp. dried root steeped in 1 cup boiling water, or as one 600 mg capsule containing 0.8% valerenic acid (4). 

S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe):  

A naturally occurring molecule present in all human cells.  People with depression have low levels of serum and cerebral spinal fluid SAMe, and supplementation raises levels of SAMe, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters in the brain.  SAMe is associated with a significant improvement in depression.  Although it's one of the more expensive supplements, it remains popular as a remedy for depression.  Typical daily dose are 800-1,600mg (2, 5).  Avoid if you suffer from bipolar.

Nutrition for Depression:  

The goal is to eat optimal amounts of essential nutrients while avoiding or minimizing intake of toxic substances. 

Here are some important Nutrition Tips:

--Promote stable blood sugar by eating foods with a low glycemic index such as proteins, complex carbohydrates, and other high fiber foods.

--Always eat breakfast and include protein to promote stable blood sugar throughout the day.

--Drink plenty of pure, filtered water.

--Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, beans & legumes, whole grains, and fish.

--If you eat dairy and meat, choose organic, locally raised products whenever possible.  

--Minimize the use of processed foods.

--Avoid sweetened beverages, processed foods, fatty foods, fried foods and junk food (6-9).

Before proceeding, caution is in order.  Botanicals are Drugs, too!

Many consumers view herbal supplements as “natural” and therefore harmless, but experts warn this is far from true.  Botanical remedies contain a variety of chemical ingredients that can cause unwanted side effects.  Just as with manufactured drugs, it is possible to overdose on herbal supplements.  They may also aggravate existing health problems or interact negatively with other drugs you are taking.  The long-term safety of many remedies is unknown and herbal supplements typically aren’t safe for pregnant or breastfeeding women.

More investigating needs to be done to learn who responds to botanicals, how effective and safe they are, and potential toxic reactions and interactions with other drugs.  For this reason, I do not recommend combining any botanicals or herbs with prescription anti-depressants! Use natural remedies at their recommended doses, and always talk to your health care provider before introducing a new supplement.

Bottom Line:

  If you haven't noticed, depression is hard to sort out.  Please do not try to on your own.  Talk to your health care provider about your interest in trying a natural remedy and start slowly.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RD

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

References:

1.  Rahimi R, Abdollahi M.  An update on the ability of St. John’s wort ot affect the metabolism of other drugs.  Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol.  2012 Jun;8(6):691-708.

2.  Nahas R.  Complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of major depressive disorder.  Canadian Family Physician.  2011 Jun;57(6):659-663.

3.  Lakhan S, Vieira K.  Nutritional and herbal supplements for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders: systematic review.  Nutr J. 2010;9:42

4.  Donath F, et al.  Critical evaluation of the effect of valerian extract on sleep structure and sleep quality.  Pharmacopsychiatry.  2000 Mar;33(2):47-53. 

5.  Kemper K.  CAM Therapies to Promote Healthy Moods.  Pediatr Clin North Am.  2007 Dec: 54(6): 901-x. 

6.  Ludwig DS. Clinical update: the low-glycaemic-index diet. Lancet. 2007 Mar 17;369(9565):890–892. 

7.  Kleinman RE, Hall S, Green H, et al. Diet, breakfast, and academic performance in children. Ann Nutr Metab. 2002;46 (Suppl 1):24–30.   

8.  Fulkerson JA, Sherwood NE, Perry CL, Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M. Depressive symptoms and adolescent eating and health behaviors: a multifaceted view in a population-based sample.  Prev Med. 2004 Jun;38(6):865–875.  

9.  Allgower A, Wardle J, Steptoe A.  Depressive symptoms, social support, and personal health behaviors in young men and women. Health Psychol. 2001 May;20(3):223–227.