5 surprising signs you’re over-exercising, according to experts

Hormonally, this can be due to increased cortisol levels. “Cortisol is the stress hormone that initiates the fight-or-flight response,” explains Kocsis. “Repeated high-intensity workouts or prolonged exercise increase the body’s production of cortisol. Persistently high cortisol hinders the thyroid’s workings, reducing levels of T3 and paving the way to stubborn weight gain, thinning hair, and brain fog,” he says.

Disrupted sleep

Exercise can help you sleep. Too much, though, and you may find it has the opposite effect. “You might notice that your sleep takes a hit, and you will either struggle to fall asleep or wake up a lot during the night, which can be linked to elevated stress hormones like cortisol staying too high for too long,” says Dr Alafifi.

“Excessive cortisol has a detrimental impact on sleep hygiene,” Kocsis concurs. “The stress hormone will ensure that a person takes longer to fall asleep, wakes up frequently throughout the night, and decreases the amount of REM sleep obtained. As a result, the body will not be able to recover from any exercise,” he says.

Irregular or absent periods

If your periods are all over the place, excess exercise could be responsible. “If women are training in excess, hold low body fat, and in a calorie deficit, the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis (a crucial part of the endocrine system that regulates reproduction and sexual development) is hindered,” says Kocsis. “As a result, a person may experience irregular or even absent periods. This is often referred to as exercise-induced amenorrhea,” he explains.

“Missing periods is a major red flag,” agrees Dr Alafifi. “This is your body’s way of telling you that it is under too much stress and it doesn’t have enough energy to support non-essential functions like reproduction,” she adds.

Lower sex drive, fatigue and depression

Your mood is one of the first things that can be sent out of whack when your body isn’t getting the rest it needs. “The most common early signs of over-exercising are constant fatigue, cramping, mood swings (feeling more irritable or emotionally low) and decreased immunity even after rest days,” says Dr Alafifi.

Once again, your hormones play a role. “Testosterone is vital for sexual health, mood, energy, and overall health for both men and women,” says Kocsis. “Overtraining potentially reduces the production of testosterone, seeing a person experience lower libido, muscle wasting, extreme fatigue, and depression,” he explains.

Increased illness or injuries

In light of all the other signs, it probably won’t surprise you that if you’re run-down from over-exercising, you’re more likely to be at risk of illness and injury, too. “Other symptoms can also include getting sick more often and picking up injuries like stress fractures or joint pain,” confirms Dr Alafifi.