Training load, progression, and overuse injury risk in endurance exercise

Objective: To examine how rapid training-load increases and inadequate recovery contribute to overuse injury in endurance athletes. This review integrated observational cohort data and sports medicine literature on running, cycling, and triathlon populations to identify predictors of injury risk. The strongest and most consistent signals involved abrupt changes in weekly volume, insufficient adaptation time, prior injury history, and low recovery capacity. The authors emphasized that overuse injury is rarely explained by a single variable and instead emerges from the interaction of load, tissue tolerance, biomechanics, and athlete history. Practical implications included gradual progression, monitoring of subjective fatigue, and individualized load management rather than rigid universal mileage rules. Because many studies relied on self-reported exposure and injury definitions varied, precise thresholds remain uncertain. Still, the review supports a common-sense conclusion: sustainable endurance training depends on respecting adaptation rate and recovery. The article remains useful for framing injury prevention around training structure rather than simply blaming participation volume.