Research
Hormonal
Hormonal markers, such as the testosterone/cortisol ratio, are not reliable for diagnosing Overtraining Syndrome because they reflect acute physiological strain rather than the syndrome itself, and no single hormonal test is generally accepted.
Do not rely on a single blood test, such as the testosterone/cortisol ratio, to diagnose overtraining. These markers reflect acute stress and vary widely. A comprehensive assessment including performance trends, mood, and exclusion of other health issues is required.
StrongRefutesHIGH confidence
This ratio decreases in relation to the intensity and duration of training and it is evident that this ratio indicates only the actual physiological strain of training and cannot be used for diagnosis of OR or OTS.
Why this rating
Consensus statement.
Source
Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the Overtraining Syndrome
Romain Meeusen et al. · European Journal of Sport Science · 2006
DOI 10.1080/17461390600617717
narrative_reviewCited 377×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) is diagnosed by excluding organic diseases and confounding factors (such as caloric restriction, iron deficiency, or infections) rather than by a single positive diagnostic marker, as no current test meets all diagnostic criteria.Strong
- Functional Overreaching (FOR) is a normal part of training that leads to performance improvement after recovery, whereas Non-Functional Overreaching (NFOR) and Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) involve prolonged maladaptation and performance decrements that take weeks or months to resolve.Strong
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