Overtraining is a common issue of modern sport. Not only professional, but also recreational athletes face with overtraining. Despite its commonness it can be difficult to recognize it and give it a clear diagnosis. When overtraining is not diagnosed early enough it can cause physiological, physical and mental damage to the athlete. Prior to developing the overtraining syndrome, athlete`s physiological functions can already be damaged due to Relative Energy deficiency in Sport (RED-S) syndrome, which is similar to the syndrome of overtraining. One of the first symptoms of RED-S is drop in athlete`s productivity, which can be caused by several other factors as well. It is important to exclude other medical conditions before deciding whether the given symptoms in fact lead to RED-S diagnosis.
In this master thesis, a case study has been carried out in order to study the above explained syndrome. A 25-year old athlete (female) who developed all symptoms of the overtraining syndrome in Summer of 2018 has been studied. By carrying out a variety of measurements and analysis, the syndrome was soon confirmed. The thesis work presents the results of all examinations performed by the end of year 2019. Medical- and sport anamnesis of the athlete have been determined specifically by carrying out regular body structure measurements as well as several blood tests, bone density measurement, thyroid function test, abdominal ultrasound etc. Moreover, psychological DASS test has been performed, which provides clinical assessment of the athlete`s mental state. The athlete has also been examined by nutrition professionals. The thesis work shows approximate energy intake and consumption as well as given activities, which presumably led to the development of RED-S.
The athlete`s problem has been studied from several points of view on different areas, all of which brought about the common conclusion, indicating the RED-S syndrome. The development of the syndrome already continued into overtraining phase and caused several changes in the athlete. The syndrome`s bases of development have been overlooked and initially unprofessionally approached, because of which the solution cannot not be reached over-night and requires incredible patience. The athlete is still examined by several different professionals and is putting her best effort into returning to the normal levels in all areas of functionality. Despite the fact that the given case study is not fully completed, the thesis work provides a great contribution to the development of sport as a professional area as well as to science and is a valuable material for other athletes and their coaches.
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