Physical fatigue in sports

Aim. The purpose of the article is to review domestic and foreign literature sources for obtaining the up-to-date data concerning fatigue and overfatigue in athletes and searching the priority markers for the up-to-date diagnosis of these conditions. Results. Currently there is no unified approach to the notion of “fatigue”. Many foreign researchers have attached importance to differentiating fatigue into: fatigue being the result of exceeding functional abilities, which contributes to supercompensation, and non-functional overfatigue leading to a consistent decrease in work performance. At present, the diagnostic criteria for recognizing these conditions have not been determined. It makes difficult to correct physical loads that may result in possible overtraining. The differential tests for fatigue and overtraining diagnostics have not also been developed. The modern diagnostics of athletes’ functional fitness is based on biochemical, physiological, and psychophysiological methods. The subjective self-assessment performed by an athlete has been considered as of great importance. It is impossible to increase physical activity without fatigue so the further investigations to extend understanding of fatigue formation mechanisms have become extremely urgent. It will help to develop new diagnostic and rehabilitation technologies. Conclusion. The increasing intensity of physical loads in professional sports results in fatigue and overfatigue that reduce training effectiveness. The reliable diagnostic criteria and differential tests for the timely recognition of fatigue, overfatigue and overtraining have not been developed yet.