What happens to your body if you run too much

Overrunning Explained: What Happens to Your Body If You Run

More mileage often equals more fitness—until the curve bends. Push volume past your body’s
remodeling capacity and the very systems running once strengthened begin to fray. Chronic calf
tightness, elevated resting heart rate, irritability, even recurring colds can trace back to the
same culprit: too much pavement, not enough recovery.

This 800‑word introduction dissects what ‘too much’ looks like on a cellular and systemic level.
We’ll explore how excessive mileage drains glycogen stores faster than you can replenish them,
spiking cortisol and sabotaging anabolic hormones. You’ll learn why iron levels plummet, why bone
micro‑cracks accumulate, and why the immune system waves a white flag after consecutive 100 km
weeks.

Finally, we’ll preview the metrics—heart‑rate variability, menstrual function, mood
questionnaires—that flag over‑reach before it hardens into full over‑training syndrome. Armed with
these, you’ll stop glorifying exhaustion and start celebrating strategic rest.

Physiology in Overdrive: Hormones, Muscle & Immune System

Running is a potent stressor. In moderation it raises growth hormone, testosterone and mitochondrial
density. In excess it drives cortisol skyward, suppressing immune cells and blocking muscle protein
synthesis. Studies in *Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise* found that athletes exceeding 150 %
of habitual weekly volume for three weeks suffered a 20 percent drop in natural killer‑cell
activity, doubling infection risk.

Muscle breakdown outpaces repair. Without glycogen, the body cannibalises amino acids for fuel,
shrinking fast‑twitch fibres. Blood panels reveal elevated creatine kinase and low ferritin—red
flags for catabolic state. Bone suffers silently: each stride under‑recovered stimulates
micro‑damage that, unchecked, snowballs into stress fractures.

Hormonal chaos spills into mood. Low serotonin and dopamine paired with high cortisol leave runners
edgy, insomniac and demotivated. The mind writes it off as burnout, but physiology wrote the memo
first.

Pull‑Back Protocol: Rest, Deload & Smart Rebuild

Subjective signs: persistent muscle soreness, heavy legs and loss of pacing gears. Objective signs: resting heart‑rate elevated ≥7 bpm above baseline for three mornings; heart‑rate variability down 10 percent persisting 48 hours. Mood questionnaires such as POMS (Profile of Mood States) show spikes in fatigue and tension sub‑scores. Performance metrics tank. Interval splits slow despite maximal effort; lactate rises sooner, ventilation feels laboured. Blood tests reveal low ferritin (<30 ng/mL) and elevated cortisol‑to‑testosterone ratios. For a medical rundown on over‑training symptoms and when to seek professional help, review WebMD.

**Step 1: Full Stop or Deload** – Reduce volume by 50–70 percent for 7–14 days. Swap impact for cycling or swim aerobics. Sleep nine hours; nap 20 minutes midday. **Step 2: Rehab Nutrition** – Raise calories by 10 percent above maintenance; aim 1.8 g/kg protein and 6 g/kg carbs. Supplement with 300 mg magnesium and omega‑3 to quell inflammation. **Step 3: Strength & Mobility Reset** – Two sessions of compound lifts (deadlifts, squats) restore hormonal balance and bone density. Mobility flow unglues stiff ankles and hips. **Step 4: Gradual Reload** – Follow a 2‑on, 1‑off run cadence, adding no more than 10 percent weekly. Monitor HRV and mood. If metrics dive, halt progression. Link cadence efficiency tips from how often should i run a week to keep impact low as volume returns. The Endurance App auto‑calculates acute‑to‑chronic load, nudging reductions before physiology screams. Over‑running erodes gains, but with data‑driven awareness and disciplined deloads you can flip the script—turning every kilometre into a deposit, not a withdrawal.