Signs of overload after an intensified training.

This study investigated eff ects of a 9-week inten- sifi ed aerobic training and 3-weeks of recovery on signs of overload in 9 healthy active young males. Blood and saliva samples were collected and psychological questionnaires were admin- istered during baseline (T1), intermediate load (T2), maximal load (T3), and recovery (T4) peri- ods. Maximal oxygen uptake increased and blood lactate concentration decreased in T3, while run- ning time in a 3 000 m track fi eld test was sig- nifi cantly shorter. No signifi cant changes were found in hematocrit, haemoglobin concentration, white blood cell count, lactate dehydrogenase, transaminases, interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor- α , myeloperoxidase and markers of oxida- tive stress in plasma, or salivary cortisol and tes- tosterone. Increases in diff erent negative aff ect scales and in the total mood disturbance score of the Profi le of Mood States were observed during T3. Scores in the stress scales of the Recovery- Stress Questionnaire for Athletes and in the State Anxiety Scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inven- tory also showed signifi cant increases during T3. The lack of eff ects in biomarkers together with the changes observed in psychological assess- ment indicates that an intensifi ed training can produce psychological disturbances prone to early overreaching development. Additionally, it seems that psychological parameters are sensi- tive markers to detect stress produced by load increases.