Older article, but good one still on hormones and overtraining. Look to the Testosterone/Cortisol ratio. OTS will lead to decreased Testosterone and increased cortisol resulting in chronic catabolic state.
Alterations in the HPA and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axes with a resultant decrease in testosterone:cortisol ratios have been implicated in OTS. Proinflammatory cytokines are potent activators of the HPA system, which cause release of corticotropin-releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and cortisol. These cytokines suppress testosterone through central inhibition
Some have suggested that a decreased testosterone:cortisol ratio can be diagnostic of NFO and/or OTS. However, the ratio represents the physiologic strain of training rather than the athlete’s maladaption to that stress
Cortisol (catabolic and anti-inflammatory) is converted to inactive cortisone by 11β-HSD2
A prospective study found a clinically significant increase in overnight urinary cortisol:cortisone ratio during a high training load period in triathletes, who subsequently underperformed and reported fatigue
It is proposed that cytokines may inhibit 11β-HSD2 activity and result in relative increases in cortisol and, hence, catabolism
Interesting clinical report on what is termed the "female athlete triad": menstrual dysfunction i.e. loss of menses is not normal and is the result of reduced "energy availability"; sounds like overtraining syndrome.
Review of the evidence of OTS versus overreaching. Academic points about the difference really. This are both dysfunctional physiologies and they need to be approached the same.
At the age of 60, testosterone levels are typically only 40-50% of youthful levels and may be lower
Eurycoma contains a group of small peptides referred to as “eurypeptides” that are known to have effects in improving energy status and sex drive in studies of rodents
The effects of tongkat ali in restoring normal testosterone levels appears to be less due to actually “stimulating” testosterone synthesis, but rather by increasing the release rate of “free” testosterone from its binding hormone, sex-hormone-binding-globulin (SHBG)
The current study found that daily supplementation with tongkat ali root extract (200 mg/day) improves stress hormone profile (lower cortisol; higher testosterone) and certain mood state parameters (lower tension, anger, and confusion)
tongkat ali supplementation (100 mg/day) improved lean body mass, 1-RM strength, and arm circumference to a significantly greater degree compared to a placebo group.
In a recent 12-week trial [46] of Eurycoma longifolia supplementation (300 mg/day), men (30–55 years of age) showed significant improved compared to placebo in the Physical Functioning domain of the SF-36 quality of life survey
sexual libido was increased by 11%
In men with low testosterone levels (average age 51 years), one month of daily supplementation with tongkat ali extract (200 mg/day) resulted in a significant improvement in serum testosterone levels and quality-of-life parameters
rise in cortisol and drop in testosterone is an early signal of “overtraining”
Tongkat Ali, commonly known as long jack, is found to reduce stress and increase Testosterone. Stress is one of the common causes of low T in men. It appears that long Jack functions as an adaptogen.
Over training syndrome and its effects on cortisol, SHBG, and IGF-1; or as they authors call it overreaching. The study contrasted OR versus basic training.