I Might Be Overtraining And Need Some Advice

[old] MarioTheSexy · Post by **[old] MarioTheSexy** » January 18th, 2006, 8:15 pm

Hi, My name is Mario...Im not really all THAT sexy, lol Anyways Im running into a bit of a wall right now in the sense that i don't know weather I should follow my original plans/instincts, my coach, or advice of other rowers. The problem is that my rowing coach who is also my swimming coach (I row for Kearny High...LTW4) believes I might be overtraining at this point. To be specific since the end of November I have been erging in the mornings before school. These trainings began with easy 30 minutes pieces , followed by 20 minute pieces, varying rate time pieces,etc. etc. however at this point Im picking it up with my other fellow rowers in preperation for crash b's. Essentially though Ive been getting a solid 30minutes to 1 hour of erging each morning. Now the kicker is that during the whole time I have been also swimming competitivelly for my high school since mid november. Im a distance swimmer as well as a breast stroker. The final piece in the equation is that my high school winter training (optional pre season training) has began last week and happens twice a week. So at this point Im looking at about 12-15 hours of swimming a week + about 4 hours total morning erging + about 1-2 hours of afternoon erging, coming to a total of about 10-12 workout sessions a week depending on how tired I am and weather Im capable of waking up in the morning. I personally have never felt as if I hit a plateu in erging as far as my times consistently dropping thorought the past seasons and this is the first year Ive done serious winter training during my swimming season, however I am worried that this might be too much and I might in fact be overtraining. I would love any advice and applogise for the ridicoulously long post...and occasoinally bad spelling.

[old] H_2O · Post by **[old] H_2O** » January 18th, 2006, 8:38 pm

From the volume alone we can't tell wether you are overtraining. Do you have any symptoms: Listlessness, sleeping disorder, low self esteem, depressed, poor performance in training...? You do train a lot but so do many elite athletes. If there are no symptoms you probably are not overtraining.

[old] FrancoisA · Post by **[old] FrancoisA** » January 18th, 2006, 8:49 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(MarioTheSexy @ Jan 19 2006, 12:15 AM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Hi, My name is Mario...Im not really all THAT sexy, lol Anyways Im running into a bit of a wall right now in the sense that i don't know weather I should follow my original plans/instincts, my coach, or advice of other rowers. The problem is that my rowing coach who is also my swimming coach (I row for Kearny High...LTW4) believes I might be overtraining at this point. To be specific since the end of November I have been erging in the mornings before school. These trainings began with easy 30 minutes pieces , followed by 20 minute pieces, varying rate time pieces,etc. etc. however at this point Im picking it up with my other fellow rowers in preperation for crash b's. Essentially though Ive been getting a solid 30minutes to 1 hour of erging each morning. Now the kicker is that during the whole time I have been also swimming competitivelly for my high school since mid november. Im a distance swimmer as well as a breast stroker. The final piece in the equation is that my high school winter training (optional pre season training) has began last week and happens twice a week. So at this point Im looking at about 12-15 hours of swimming a week + about 4 hours total morning erging + about 1-2 hours of afternoon erging, coming to a total of about 10-12 workout sessions a week depending on how tired I am and weather Im capable of waking up in the morning. I personally have never felt as if I hit a plateu in erging as far as my times consistently dropping thorought the past seasons and this is the first year Ive done serious winter training during my swimming season, however I am worried that this might be too much and I might in fact be overtraining. I would love any advice and applogise for the ridicoulously long post...and occasoinally bad spelling. </td></tr></table> Mario, There is a complete chapter on overtraining in Maglischo's Swimming fastest, which I highly recommend! Some of the symptoms of overtraining: Performance: Slower times during maximal effort; higher heart rate at submaximal speeds; increased stroke rates for submaximal and maximum efforts. Physical: Loss of weight; joint and muscle soreness; allergic reactions; loss of appetite; head colds and sinusitis; nausea; lack of energy. Emotional: Depression; irritability; insomnia; anxiety; withdrawal; difficulty concentrating; loss of confidence; lowered motivation You could also monitor your heart rate at wake up time; if it is higher than normal for several consecutive days, it could indicate overtraining. Personally, the first signs that I am overtraining are irritability, insomnia and a higher HR at rest. You should take a day of rest every week, and it could be a good idea to take a recovery week every 4 weeks, where volume and intensity are reduced. Francois

[old] MarioTheSexy · Post by **[old] MarioTheSexy** » January 18th, 2006, 11:54 pm

hey thanks guys , I appreciate the help. So far I haven't seen symptomes except for falling asleep once or twice in school, but thats just cuz statistics is boring . However for now I think ill just try and watch out for any excessive lack of energy and mood swings (haha can't believe id be looking for that in my own behavior). Mario

[old] DIESEL · Post by **[old] DIESEL** » January 19th, 2006, 1:23 am

the main reason for overtraining is not the volume of training but rather because you are not eating enough calories/ getting enough rest to fuel recovery. funny, how you are overtrained and olympic level rowers who do tons of volume never seen to overtrain. Why? They have coaches who monitor their food intake and recovery. Unfortunately, you don't have that luxury so you have to take it upon yourself to do that. Time management skills are a rower's best friend!! Seeing as you're a LW, you probably think you eat a lot. Chances are you don't. Try this: write down everything you eat I mean everything for a week go online to a nutritional calculator and figure out your daily calories. You should be eating your BMR PLUS what you are burning off in your workouts PLUS a little more to fuel recovery. Eat like an athlete and outside of illness, overtraining shouldn't be a problem anymore. In summation two things 1. Look to your food intake and amount of sleep you are getting each night it's probably not enough of either 2. Echoing what Francois said, you can't go full blast all the time, you have to "chill out" relatively speaking every 4-6 weeks, keep the volume up, just drop the intensity a bit. good luck , D

[old] judgedread · Post by **[old] judgedread** » January 19th, 2006, 5:26 pm

I am quite interested in the area of of over training and found this page from a cycle physiologist good background...just modify for erging CYCLING PERFORMANCE TIPS Fatigue Overtraining, Overreaching, and Chronic Fatigue Fatigue with trining refers to the tiredness one feels after riding. It is part of the training process in that physiologic over load with exercise, or gradually increasing work load, is the stimulus which leads to adaptation and performance improvement. Fatigue lets us know that we are pushing our physical limits. However, in certain circumstances, fatigue can be a warning that we are pushing too hard (that there is an imbalance between exercise and recovery), and indicate the need to back off or risk an actual deterioration in our performance. This is a common dilemma in a personal training program: Hard work makes us faster, but how much is too much? Let's be alittle more specific and talk about 5 types of fatigue. The bonk (fatigue resulting from muscle glycogen depletion) usually develops 1 to 2 hours into a ride. It is a particular problem if "on the bike" glucose supplements are not used to extend internal muscle glycogen stores. Post ride fatigue is a normal response to several hours of vigorous exercise and indicates we are pushing our training limits. It leads to improved performance the next time out. Overreaching is the next step up - the fatigue we feel at the end of a particularly hard week of riding. It blends with #2, and will, with recovery, make us faster and stronger. It is also a warning that we are flirting with overtraining. Overtraining is the debilitating and often long term (lasting weeks to months) fatigue which limits rather than stimulates improvement in performance. Pathologic fatigue related to illness A regular rider needs to routinely assess his or her level of post ride fatigue, trying to walk the fine line separating post exercise fatigue (necessary if one is pushing themself) and overtraining (which can only hinder future performance). This is made even more complicated in that: inadequate sleep international travel personal life stresses can all increase the level of your fatigue with exercise or training. Although it may seem paradoxical, structured rest is a key component of all training programs and may be one of the toughest training choices you'll have to make. To minimize the risk of overtraining, you should include at least one and occasionally two rest days per week along with a day of easy spinning. Over reaching is a normal part of the training cycle. It may require several extra (and unplanned) recovery days. But if you find that your performance is not improving with several extra recovery days, it's time to take a break from riding and switch to alternative aerobic activities (at 70% maximum heart rate to maintain your cardiovascular fitness). To push ahead is to risk a level of overtraining which may require a month or two off the bike to recover. Be particularly sensitive to overtraining as your signal of pushing too hard if you have made a sudden or dramatic change in: your training intensity your training frequency your training duration (the hours per week) decreased the recovery time between sessions BACKGROUND/PHYSIOLOGY Fiercer competition between athletes and a wider knowledge of optimal training regimens have dramatically influenced current training methods. A single training bout per day was previously considered sufficient, whereas today’s athletes regularly train twice a day or more. Consequently, the number of athletes who are overtraining and have insufficient rest is increasing. The positive result of training in any sport is adaptation and improved performance: the supercompensation principle - which includes the breakdown process (training) followed by the recovery process (rest). Overtraining results from an imbalance between training and recovery, exercise and exercise capacity, stress and stress tolerance. Elite sports require large numbers of training hours per week. It is assumed that the relationship between training and improved performance is an inverted U-shape. Overreaching (short term overtraining) is most likely associated with insufficient recovery in the muscle with a decline in ATP levels. Overtraining is a more complicated physiologic problem, perhaps related to failure of the hypothalamus to cope with the total amount of stress. Overreaching lasts from a few days to 2 weeks and is associated with fatigue, reduction of maximum performance capacity, and a brief interval of decreased personal performance. Recovery is achieved with a reduction in training or a few extra days of rest. Overtraining (overtraining syndrome, staleness, systemic overtraining) is the result of many weeks of exceeding the athlete’s physiologic limits and can result in weeks or months of diminished performance - symptoms normally resolve in 6-12 weeks but may continue much longer or recur if athletes return to hard training too soon. It involves mood disturbances, muscle soreness/stiffness, and changes in blood chemistry values, hormone levels, and nocturnal urinary catecholamine excretion. Stress factors such as the monotony of a training program and an acute increase in training program intensity lasting more than a few days increase the risk of development of overtraining. On the other hand, heavy training loads appear to be tolerated for extensive periods of time if athletes take a rest day every week, and alternate hard and easy days of training. Pathologic fatigue is deined as fatigue and tiredness that cannot be explained by the volume of training. These are generally medical conditions such as infection, neoplasia, disorders of the blood, cardiovascular, or endocrine systems, and psychologic/psychiatric disorders. Included in this grouping are the side effects of medications and "chronic fatigue syndrome" - an ill defined medical condition. A recent article has muddied the water even further by describing muscle changes from years of high volume exercise training that may be related to this entity. Another controversial possibility is iron deficiency without anemia - although this is much more common in endurance runners than cyclists. For those of you interested in the basic physiology of overtraining, the underlying pathology is speculated to be related to an autonomic nervous system imbalance and/or a problem with the endocrine system. Several findings support this thesis. During heavy endurance training or overreaching periods, the majority of studies indicate a reduced adrenal responsiveness to ACTH which is compensated by an increased pituitary ACTH release. In early overtraining syndrome, despite increased pituitary ACTH release, adrenal responsiveness continues and serum cortisol levels fall. In advanced stages of overtraining, pituitary ACTH release falls as well. In this stage, there is additional evidence of decreased intrinsic sympathetic activity and sensitivity of target organs to catecholamines - indicated by decreased catecholamine excretion during night rest, decreased beta-adrenoreceptor density, decreased beta-adrenoreceptor-mediated responses, and increased resting and exercise induced plasma norepinephrine levels. There is also a psychological toll from overtraining. For the most part, the competitive athlete is a well-adjusted individual who demonstrates less depression, anxiety, and fatigue than nonathletic counterparts. The well-trained athlete, however, may also have a personality that is somewhat rigid, strongly goal oriented, and perfectionist. It is not unrealistic to expect that when confronted with diminished performance or success, such an athlete may be compelled to drive himself or herself harder to succeed. This can express itself in the form of depression and accompanying chronic fatigue. Listed below are some of the physiologic and performance changes that have been documented with overtraining. A common thread is the inability to attain maximum energy output (aerobically as well as anaerobically) and the psychological consequences that go along with failing to do your best. a decrease in scores on a self assessment of well-being; mood swings noted by others sustained fatigue a failure to progress in a training program a decrease in the level of personal performance following a several day recovery period an increase in mild illnesses recorded in a training diary increased sleeping heart rate a decrease in maximal physical performance a decrease in maximal exercise induced heart rate, a rise in one's AM resting heart rate, or an increase in heart rate for an level of activity. a decrease in the ratio of blood lactate concentration to ratings of perceived exertion at maximal work loads a decrease in the clearance of blood lactic acid from min. 3 to min. 12 post maximal anaerobic activity a decreased intramuscular utilization of carbohydrates at maximal exercise levels a decrease in blood glucose, lactate, ammonia, glycerol, free fatty acids, albumin, LDL, VLDL cholesterol, hemoglobin level (transient), leukocytes absence of an increase of serum cortisol normally induced by 30 min. of acute exercise lowering of VO2max nocturnal catecholamine excretion decreased markedly contrary to exercise-related plasma catecholamine responses which increased more than expected. resting and exercise-related cortisol and aldosterone levels decreased. Several studies have suggested that overtraining may be associated with health issues above and beyond the immediate deterioration in physical performance. One study of Harvard alumni found a lower death rate (mortality) among men expending as few as 200 Calories per week in exercise versus those leading sedentary lifestyles, but when they regularly spent over 4000 Calories on exercise per week the death rate began to rise again. And two different studies have suggested a decrease in immune system competence with intense training (cycling 300 miles per week for 6 months or 2 intensive sessions of running per day for 6 days). But before you throw in the towel, there is overwhelming evidence that a moderate cycling program will actually stimulate and improve your immune system. The challenge for your personal training program is in finding your own limits, and avoiding that transition from overreaching to overtraining. WHO IS PRONE TO THE RISKS OF OVERTRAINING? Cyclists are one of the few groups of athletes capable of reaching the over trained level associated with prolonged fatigue. It has been speculated that this is due to the way cycling stresses the body with muscle activity concentrated in a single muscle group - the quadriceps. And it isn't necessary to undertake an extensive training program to be at risk. Even those working out sporadically (and with light training schedules) are at risk. While a professional cyclist might consider a 50 mile ride as part of a light recovery week, your 20 mile ride could produce all the symptoms of overtraining. CLUES TO OVERTRAINING How do YOU know when you are in danger of OT? The following are clues which might suggest that an extra day or two of rest is in order. Personality/Disposition - While your personal demeanor is difficult to quantify, it appears to be the most sensitive and earliest indicator of overtraining. Anger, depression, and a decrease in your sense of well being and vigor have all been reported as signs of OT. You won't need a psychologist to help you with this one. Your family and significant others are usually the first to point these symptoms out to you. Resting heart rate - A resting pulse rate is taken on awakening in the morning before getting out of bed. An increase of 10% or 10 beats per minute for several days in a row is accepted by most coaches as a sign to slow down. Remember, it is the trend of your resting heart rate, taken over a period of days, that is important, not a single day's reading. Performance - A short, standardized time trial every week is another helpful monitoring tool, and the changes will usually be in minutes, not seconds. If you see a deterioration, take some time off or consider switching to another aerobic activity (being careful to keep your exercising heart rate below 70% of maximum). A drop of 10 beats per minute in your time trial maximum heart rate has also been used as an indicator of overtraining. General fatigue - Ongoing daily lethargy is a clue that it's time to slow down. General physical complaints - Sore throat, sore muscles, and chronic diarrhea all may indicate the chronic stress of overtraining. An increase in minor illnesses has been reported as well. Disruption of the normal sleep cycle - Falling asleep easily, awakening abruptly, and then feeling like you need a nap at 10 AM can reflect a change in your normal sleep cycle associated with overtraining. Biochemical parameters - And of course there are a myriad of biochemical parameters that have been used by coaches to identify early overtraining. These include resting and exercise cortisol levels, norepinephrine levels, and lactic acid clearing after maximal exercise. But when it comes right down to it, you are how you feel, so to speak. Your sense of well being, sense of fatigue throughout the day, and sense of perceived effort as you take that weekly ride over your regular route all appear to be more sensitive than the most sophisticated laboratory study in identifying early overtraining. WHAT CAN YOU DO? In a nutshell, overtraining is the result of "doing too much, too quickly". The body likes regular, moderate changes, not upheaval, in a training program. So don't increase your mileage or training time by more than 10% per week. The most important aspect of preventing OT is realizing you are almost there. And a good training diary is the single most important tool you have at your immediate disposal to alert you to the risk. In addition to the usual training facts such as mileage and times, it should include a daily notation on: resting heart rate before getting out of bed mood self assessment self assessment of level of fatigue throughout the prior day ("heavy legs") minor illnesses - i.e. GI upset, diarrhea, sore throat, and runny nose performance (time) on a weekly standardized ride done at your perceived maximum. More scientific would be measurement of oxygen consumption (down), heart rate (up), and blood lactate levels (down). For professional coaches, there are some intriguing additional tools and literature available. J C Puffer and J M Shane in Clin Sports Med 1992 Apr. 11(2):327-38 reviewed the issue of chronic fatigue as it related to overtraining versus other medical diagnoses, and presented a diagnostic framework to assist in the assessment of the athlete who presents with such complaints. W Derman et al Journal of Sports Sciences 1997 15:341-351 also review the clinical approach to sorting out chronic fatigue in the athlete. G Kenatta and P Hassmen in Sports Med 1998 Jul 26(1):1-16 describe a methodology they call refer to as the total quality recovery (TQR) process. By using a TQR scale, structured around the scale developed for ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), they suggest that the recovery process can be monitored and matched against the breakdown (training) process (TQR versus RPE). The TQR scale emphasizes both the athlete's perception of recovery and the importance of active measures to improve the recovery process. Directing attention to psychophysiological cues serves the same purpose as in RPE, i.e. increasing self-awareness. They suggest that using this tool differentiates between the types of stress affecting an athlete's performance identifies factors influencing an athlete's ability to adapt to physical training structures the recovery process. From the laboratory or biochemical perspective, A C Snyder et al in Int J Sports Med 1993 Jan 14(1):29-32 proposed monitoring the ratio of blood lactate concentration to ratings of perceived exertion. They performed an incremental exercise test to maximal effort monitoring blood lactate concentration (HLa) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) for each workload. They found that at maximal workload all seven subjects had HLa:RPE ratios of less than 100 when over-reached and concluded that the ease and speed at which the HLa:RPE ratio can be determined may make it useful for coaches and athletes in monitoring intensive exercise training and recovery. P Pelayo et al in Eur J Appl Physiol 1996;74(1-2):107-13 reviewed measurements of blood lactate concentration both during and after a maximal anaerobic lactic test (MANLT). The percentage of mean blood lactate decrease (% [La-]recovery) between min. 3 and min. 12 of the passive recovery post-MANLT increased from week 2 to 10 with aerobic training and decreased from week 10 to 21. The lowest % [La-]recovery coincided with signs of OT, such as bad temper and increased sleeping heart rate. They concluded that the % [La-]recovery could be an efficient marker for avoiding OT in elite athletes. IN SUMMARY Overtraining refers to prolonged fatigue and reduced performance despite increased training. Its roots include muscle damage, cytokine actions, the acute phase response, improper nutrition, mood disturbances, and diverse consequences of stress hormone responses. The clinical features are varied, non-specific, anecdotal and legion. No single test is diagnostic. The best treatment is prevention, which means balancing training and rest monitoring mood, fatigue, symptoms and performance ensuring optimal nutrition, especially total energy and carbohydrate intake. Over reaching is a normal part of the training/recovery cycle, but if your performance is not improving after a few days of recovery, it's time to switch to other aerobic activities which will keep you at 70% of your maximum heart rate (to maintain your level of fitness) or risk entering the zone of OT which may take a month or two to recover. How long do you need to rest? If you have made a significant increase in your training schedule, and have been at it for 3 weeks or more, the chances are that you are entering that gray zone of overreaching. If so, recovery (and again this means keeping your general level of aerobic activity at 70% max. heart rate, not complete inactivity) takes at least 3 days and often up to several weeks as opposed to the normal recovery cycle of less than 3 days. The implication in that situation is that you may need more than 1 or 2 days of rest before a big event to perform at your personal best. In addition, you can structure your training program to decrease the risk of overtraining. It should include at least one (and sometimes two) rest days per week as well as a day or two of easy spinning. This reflects the practical experience of coaches who have had to deal with the results of pushing too hard for too long. Increasing variation (decreasing monotony) both in your training routine from week to week (long rides, intervals) as well within individual rides has been proven to minimize training stress and decrease the risk of OT. As in all aspects of personal training programs there is individual variability, so it is up to you to decide where to draw your own line. But remember that rest is a key part of any training program and may be the toughest training choice you'll have to make.And finally, don't forget to pay particular attention to post exercise carbohydrate replacement. Part of the fatigue of overtraining may be related to chronically inadequate muscle glycogen stores from poor post training ride dietary habits. A RIDER'S STORY I ran across this personal story on www.roadbikerider.com and thought it might tie it all together for a few of you. To quote from that article: "Question: I've been racing for four decades, averaging about 700 hours of training each year. But now I'm 59 and sometimes feel the motivation is just not there. I heard that a 67-year-old finished El Tour de Tucson (111 miles) in 4:51. He had significantly reduced his on-bike training to 4 days per week and lifts weights the other 3 days. Do you think I can cut back my training that way and still ride well? -- Bill S. Coach Fred Replies: That's a great question, Bill. And because I'm 59 like you, I can provide an answer based on experience. Sometimes it's been bitter experience! I think that 700 hours of training a year may be excessive if two conditions are present: First, consistent intensity. If much of your mileage is done at around 75-85% of your max, it's not surprising that you feel burned out and tired. Much better: Make some training days very intense and the rest very easy. Riding at a medium-hard pace all the time spawns a sense of drudgery and mediocre performances. Second, consistent activity. You may fall into overtraining if you don't have a real off-season. That's defined as exchanging time on the bike for other enjoyable aerobic activities (running, hiking, snowshoeing, swimming and so on). But the real signal that you're doing too much is your level of enthusiasm. If you plan to race but then don't feel like doing it when the time comes, this conflict is a sure sign that you're overdoing it. The best indicator of long-term overtraining is loss of motivation. In general, our ability to recover from exercise decreases as we age. But studies show that we can retain most of our aerobic power as long as our training is intense. In some cases, older cyclists who ride extremely well are doing more high-intensity workouts than they did in their 20s.That seems like a contradiction. How can we train intensely if we can't recover as well? But the answer is simple: Make more time for recovery between hard workouts. Hence the 4-days-per-week riding regimen of the Arizona roadie you mentioned. Weight training is important, too. Past age 55 we encounter sarcopenia, a fancy name for loss of muscle volume. Resistance training helps us retain enough muscle to propel us down the road later in life. If I were you, I'd hang up the bike for a while here in the off-season and concentrate on weight training and different aerobic activities like those mentioned above. Then when you begin riding again, limit the bike to 4 days per week. On 2 of those days, do hard work (intervals or hilly rides).Make the other 2 rides very easy. Lift 2 days per week. Take one day off to rest. Try this schedule for 6 weeks and see what happens. I bet you'll be faster and more enthused. Keep it up and you'll ride great in road races, 40K time trials and fast centuries." Return to CYCLING PERFORMANCE TIPS Homepage | Table of Contents

[old] DIESEL · Post by **[old] DIESEL** » January 19th, 2006, 5:43 pm

that article is a lot of egghead talk but the basics are don't train too much too fast - and how to know you're overtrained, and even then it's vague. Whatever. His training is structured - remember he's on a school crew monitored by a coach. The problem is that he is in high school and most high schoolers eat absolute garbage and don't nearly as much sleep as they should. By addressing those two problems, and at this point, taking a few days off the erg, he should be OK.

[old] MarioTheSexy · Post by **[old] MarioTheSexy** » January 19th, 2006, 9:10 pm

thanks guys, great stuff and yea I completelly agree to the fact that I don't get enough rest..after a minute of reasesment it becomes kinda obvious to me. As far as the eating, I have just natural tendencies not to eat anything nasty or eat much at all (hence ltw) and after a nice chat with my coach I will be looking much deeper into my nutrition and especially into just how much I burn up compared to how much I eat (probably not enough). Mario

[old] NavigationHazard · Post by **[old] NavigationHazard** » January 19th, 2006, 9:17 pm

Mario's main problem is, he wants to own the Passaic both on and in the water, and doesn't want to lose to Belleville If you can handle the dual training load, great. If erging starts detracting from your swimming performance, are you prepared to give it up? Conversely, if you decide that swimming is detracting from your rowing prep, are you prepared to give that up? Finally, a LOT depends on what you're actually doing while training on the ergs. You might want to talk over the training program with your coach -- it's possible he can adjust it somewhat so that it doesn't overload you.

[old] ljwagner · Post by **[old] ljwagner** » January 22nd, 2006, 11:22 am

Mario: I ate 3 plates a meal in college, about 6,000 calories worth, and gained no weight. That was running 3 days, weights 3 days, and rowing 6 days. Eat healthy. I did have a problem with donuts. The heavyweights always took them off my cafeteria tray and threw them at me. 25 hours a week of training is a lot. With school, study, and training, don't shortchange yourself on sleep. Adequate sleep is part of training, too.

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