Training Load: Over Load, Adaptation and Recovery

The whole purpose of training is to stress the body in a controlled way so that it responds by becoming fitter and stronger. That controlled stress is the training load. The training process involves movement that leads to fatigue, and fatigue — the direct product of load — is actually essential for improving performance capacity. But load alone is not enough: the body must be able to adapt to it, and adaptation happens only if the athlete recovers properly. If load is pushed faster than the body can adapt or recover, it becomes over-load, which lowers performanc …