Every runner has days when motivation is missing and the legs feel like wet cement. Most of the time, it’s just fatigue from training, work and life piling up. But occasionally that “off day” is something deeper—a sign you’re pushing too far. A recent study on recreational runners, published in the European Journal of Science and Sport, offers clues on how to tell the difference between ordinary tiredness and the early stages of overtraining.
The study behind the findings
Researchers followed 24 runners through three phases: three weeks of normal training, two weeks of heavy overload and one week of recovery. They tracked both heart-rate data (resting heart rate and heart-rate variability (HRV), recorded at night) and subjective measures, such as soreness, sleep quality and “readiness to train.”
When the intensity spiked by roughly 80 per cent, half the group adapted and got faster, while the rest hit a wall. Despite all the extra work, their 3-km time trials slowed slightly—a state known as functional overreaching. The combination of nighttime heart rate, HR-effort index and readiness-to-train scores correctly identified who was struggling with more than 90 per cent accuracy.
Elisabeth Scott, running coach and host of the podcast Running Explained, says: “The study shows that both heart data and how you feel are powerful indicators of fatigue. Neither alone gives the full picture—but together they can help you train smarter and avoid burnout.”
What happens when you overreach
The runners who faltered not only felt sore, but their bodies showed measurable stress. Average nighttime heart rate rose about three per cent, while heart-rate variability dropped. Sleep quality worsened and motivation plummeted. Others, however, thrived under the same load, showing lower heart rates and slightly improved HRV—proof that recovery capacity is highly individual.
“Fatigue is personal,” Scott explains. “Two runners can follow identical programs, and one will thrive while the other crashes. It’s not about toughness; it’s about how your system handles stress and recovery.”
Heart data meets real-world feelings
The heart doesn’t lie, but it can whisper instead of shout. A single elevated reading isn’t a reason to panic. What matters is the trend. If your resting heart rate climbs for several days or HRV keeps dropping, you’re likely not recovering fully. Low-tech signs are also important: heavy legs, poor sleep, irritability or a sense of dread before workouts. In the study, feelings of low readiness and high soreness were among the first red flags. Listening to those cues early can save weeks of frustration later.
“Your feelings are data. When motivation disappears or everything feels harder than it should, your body is sending you useful information,” says Scott.
Putting the research into practice
You don’t need a sports lab to apply these findings. Start by keeping a simple log that pairs your daily effort level with how you actually feel. Write down your mood, soreness and sleep, along with heart-rate or HRV data if you track them. Over time, patterns start to emerge: one tough day isn’t a problem, but when several stack up, it’s a sign to ease off.
Building recovery into your plan, such as an easy week every few cycles or rest days before fatigue forces them, helps you stay consistent. Pay attention to how your body responds to the same training load. If your pace is steady but your heart rate keeps climbing, that’s a cue you’re not bouncing back.
Scott reminds her athletes, “The goal isn’t to collect data—it’s to understand yourself well enough to know when to push and when to pull back.” A few mindful adjustments, guided by both numbers and intuition, can make the difference between steady progress and hitting the wall.
