THE HEMATOLOGICAL, BIOCHEMICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL PROFILE OF ATHLETES SUFFERING FROM THE OVERTRAINING SYNDROME

To help clarify the overtraining syndrome (OTS), a combination of para meters were measured in ten athletes who were suffering from OTS. Bloo d samples were obtained at rest and a range of haematological, biochem ical and immunological tests were carried out on the samples. For each parameter, the mean value for the group was compared to an establishe d normal range amongst age-matched controls. The subjects were also as ked to complete a questionnaire to establish the severity of their con dition. The data indicated that the debilitating fatigue experienced b y the OTS sufferers was not related to any of the blood parameters tra ditionally associated with chronic exercise stress, since levels were normal in OTS. The only parameter measured which deviated significantl y from the normal range for both the sedentary controls and the athlet es was the plasma concentration of glutamine. Although the data in thi s study would suggest that plasma glutamine concentrations represented an objective, measurable difference between OTS subjects and normal c ontrols, it remains to be shown that there is any correlation between glutamine concentrations and other clinical symptoms of OTS such as ph ysical capability.