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Take a break from fatigue
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Chronic fatigue should be dealt with seriously
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Many athletes go through phases of fatigue that last for weeks if not months. This is not the loss of “hunger to win” after a career peak. Rather, the weariness is bone-deep. Richie Richardson, the former West Indies captain suffered from
chronic fatigue syndrome, one among many causes of chronic fatigue, and required a six-month break.
In nearly 40 per cent of cases, chronic fatigue has a clear cause, and every athlete deserves a search for it.
Overtraining, infections and depression are the major known causes. Recurrent injuries, amenorrhoea, frequent colds, muscle aches, depression, insomnia and loss of libido are valuable clues to overtraining. Rest is the only cure. Some need a few months of it for complete recovery.
Infections: Any chronic infection can cause chronic fatigue. Young athletes tend to have an active sex life and are prone to sexually transmitted diseases. Hepatitis, HIV, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes, Chlamydia and Gonoccoccal infections are common and often unrecognised causes.
Drugs: Excessive alcohol intake can cause fatigue. Diuretics, often abused to lose weight and to mask other drugs, can decrease blood levels of potassium, sodium and calcium.
These metabolic abnormalities can cause fatigue. Lipid-lowering drugs like lovastatin, gemfibrozil, and clofibrates can cause muscle fatigue and pain. Glucocorticoids, used to treat inflamed joints, can weaken muscles and cause fatigue.
Hormonal abnormalities like hypothyroidism can cause physical and mental weariness, and are often unsuspected in otherwise healthy athletes.
Depression affects up to a quarter of athletes with chronic fatigue: it is a cause as well as an effect. Medication, psychotherapy and rest are effective remedies. Every depressed athlete needs the care of a psychiatrist. Although depression co-exists in many cases, and untreated depression is a major cause of chronic fatigue, organic causes should be looked for in every case.
Irrespective of the cause, all affected athletes need prolonged rest. Often, the underlying cause eludes discovery, and symptoms can frustratingly recur.
Coaches and the public tend to look down on a player who complains of tiredness, and this prevents many athletes from seeking help.
Nevertheless, chronic fatigue is as real as a broken bone, and takes longer for recovery. Athletes need rest, counselling and support, not ridicule, when fighting this problem.
R.M.
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