A PREVALÊNCIA DA SÍNDROME DO OVERTRAINING EM PRATICANTES DE CROSSTRAINING

Introduction: Crosstraining is a training program known for its multi-joint movements constantly performed at high intensity, with athletes training in group classes and in some cases practicing after classes with training sessions made available by athletes and/or pages on social networks, involving the reach of a competitive audience, formed by sport.

Since this is a modality that works with absolute loads, disregarding body weight and individual routine, and has great competitive appeal, could participants in this sport have a higher prevalence of symptoms related to recovery from training load? Objective: to identify and quantify symptoms of greater recovery related to overtraining syndrome in Crosstraining practitioners. Methodology: The following variables were analyzed: sex, age group, weekly training frequency, practice time, type of monitoring and concomitant practice of other activities. The dependent variable was the classification of risk for OTS obtained through the score on the Clinical Symptoms of Overtraining Questionnaire. The sample consisted of 380 practitioners of crosstraining. The chi-square test (χ²) was used, the correlations verified with the Pearson test, and the significance level of p ≤ 0.05. Results: The results of this study reveal a prevalence of 10% of increased risk for Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) in crosstraining practitioners in Brazil. There was no significant association between OTS risk and variables such as sex and age group. However, variables directly related to training load such as weekly frequency and practice time showed statistically significant associations with greater risk for higher volume (8 hours or more per week) and 24 months of practice in the sport. Conclusion: The present study suggests the existence of a “critical point” or zone of adaptive vulnerability, in which the athlete is no longer a beginner, but has not yet structured strategic self-regulation or recovery strategies, and highlights the importance of preventive interventions, especially through the education of coaches and practitioners about the warning signs of OTS.