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[[File:Supercompensation-continued-overtraining.png|right|thumb|400px|This chart shows how low life stresses allow for good recovery, resulting in [[Supercompensation]] and improved performance. The same training stresses combined with other life stresses increase the impact of training and reduce the recovery between exercise bouts.]]
While [[Overtraining Syndrome]] involves training stress, the real cause is lack of recovery. Often, [[Overtraining Syndrome]] involves other stresses that combine with training stress so that recovery is impaired. The non-training stresses add to the training stresses to compound the overall impact. However, these non-training stresses also impair the quality of rest, further reducing recovery. Stresses can be categorized as physiological, psychological and social in origin<ref name="OTAdjust"/>. This makes [[Overtraining Syndrome]] harder to diagnose and treat as the sporting community tends to ignore the non-biological aspects of training, and often stigmatizes psychosocial issues<ref name="OTAdjust"/>. Some causes are also symptoms and are highlighted in <span style='color:\#008F00'>green</span>. These causes are particularly problematic as they tend to be self-reinforcing, creating a positive feedback cycle.
* '''[[Training monotonyMonotony]]'''<ref name="OTEcssPos"/><ref name="OTDepression"/><ref name="OTMonotony"/>. [[Overtraining Syndrome]] is an imbalance between training and recovery which can be measured as [[Training Monotony]]. [[Training Monotony]] is simply a measure of similar each workout is. Having a mixture of hard workouts and easy days (or rest days) reduces monotony and allows for good recovery. It seems that athletes can train remarkably hard provided they have sufficient recovery. Therefore, training hard every day or even having easy days that are not sufficiently easy appears to be a primary cause of [[Overtraining Syndrome]].
* <span style='color:\#008F00'>Lack of sleep</span><ref name="OTEcssPos"/>. Most healing and recovery from training stress occurs while we [[Zeo Sleep Monitor|sleep]], so any reduction in the length or quality of sleep may have a disproportionately large impact on the overall stress levels. This can be a particular problem for athletes who have to choose between training and sleep.
** '''Sleep apnea.''' Not only to [[Zeo Sleep Monitor|sleep]] apnea reduce the overall quality of sleep, but the reduced oxygen flow will further harm recovery.
** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease Lyme disease].
* '''Work related stress'''<ref name="OTDepression"/>. Work can create direct stress and long hours can also impair sleep.
* '''[[Glycogen]] depletion'''<ref name="OTEcssPos"/><ref name="OTDepression"/>. It is much harder to train when our muscles a depleted of [[Glycogen]], and some authorities suspect the chronic glycogen [[Glycogen]] depletion adds to the overall stresses and could be a trigger for [[Overtraining Syndrome]].
* <span style='color:\#008F00'>Poor diet</span><ref name="OTEcssPos"/><ref name="OTDepression"/>. Reduced calorie intake also reduces our ability to recover and deal with stress, both training stress and non-training stress. A poor quality diet that is lacking in essential nutrients can also have a negative impact on recovery. To particular deficiencies to note are [[Magnesium]]<ref name="OTEcssPos"/> and Iron<ref name="OTEcssPos"/>. A symptom of [[Overtraining Syndrome]] is reduced appetite, making the quality of the diet worse.
* '''Environmental stress'''<ref name="OTEcssPos"/>. Training in the extremes of heat or cold and to the training stresses. Because the stresses affect all workouts they have a tendency to increase training monotony[[Training Monotony]]. [[Altitude Training]] also acts as an environmental stress and [[Intermittent Hypoxic Exposure]] has been shown to produce a short-term performance degradation. However living at a higher altitude than normal is an even greater stress as it impacts all the time and will impair sleep quality.
* '''Medication. ''' Many medications can cause stresses on body and, and especially antibiotics.
