Longevity doctor explains how overtraining can slow down fat loss: ‘Pushing harder is not always smarter’

Training too hard without giving oneself time to recover does not accelerate fat loss, but rather, slows it down. Dr Vass explains why.

When it comes to healthy fat loss, it is the everyday habits that matter. That includes following the right diet and exercising regularly. In both cases, consistency is the key, and going to any extreme is not likely to bear the desired result.

Taking to Instagram on July 4, Dr Vassily Eliopoulos, a longevity expert trained at Cornell University and co-founder and chief medical officer of Longevity Health, shared that working out too much might even slow down the fat-loss process.

He explained what “overtraining” actually means, how it affects the fat loss journey, and what one can do instead.

“Pushing harder is not always smarter,” noted Dr Vass. “You can't out-lift, out-run, or out-discipline your biology. If your body thinks it's under threat 24/7, it stops optimising and starts protecting.”

That effectively means:

• Fat loss stalls
• Testosterone drops
• Cortisol rises
• Recovery crashes

What is overtraining?

To understand what might go wrong, it is important to be clear about what overtraining really means. As Dr Vass explained, it does not simply mean “training a lot.”

“It's training with too much intensity or volume, without enough recovery,” defined the physician.

Common signs of overtraining include:

• Plateaued strength or fat loss
• Low libido or motivation
• Poor sleep
• Anxiety or irritability
• Elevated resting HR (heart rate) or delayed HR recovery

The effects of overtraining

1. Chronic cortisol spike

Cortisol is a catabolic (breakdown) hormone, explained Dr Vass. When the level of cortisol stays elevated for too long in the body, the following things take place:

• Muscle is broken down
• Belly fat increases
• Testosterone is suppressed
• Thyroid slows down

There is the risk of a hormone crash in the long term.

2. Hormonal shutdown

This happens when the stress of training adds to the stress of everyday life. According to Dr Vass, the nervous system does not separate emotional stress, physical stress, and work-life overload.

“They all hit the same hormonal pathways. More isn't better. Better is better,” he noted.

How to avoid overtraining?

Maintaining a healthy routine allows one to avoid the risk of overtraining. This involves:

• Lifting weights three to four times per week (focus on quality over quantity)
• Eating enough protein and total calories
• Prioritising sleep and circadian rhythm
• Taking care of recovery: walks, mobility, sauna, breathwork
• Testing for cortisol and hormones if you're stuck

It is better to let performance drop before your health does, noted Dr Vass.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.