"Don't overtrain," is advice often given to athletes. But to avoid overtraining, athletes must be aware of what it is.

Overtraining occurs when an individual exceeds his or her personal training limit, said G. Thomas Tait, associate director of exercise and sport science.

Academic and social pressures, as well as physical stress from exercise, can affect an athlete's performance, said Chet Fuhrman, strength and conditioning coach for the University football team.

"All the internal and external stresses placed on the body affect whether somebody is overtraining," Fuhrman said.

Some basic signs of overtraining are obvious fatigue for no apparent reason; a drop-off in competitive performance and possibly practice performance and weight loss, Tait said. A less obvious sign that coaches might miss is loss of sleep, he added.

It can be difficult to tell if athletes are fatigued from too many practices or not enough proper exercise, said Bruce Parkhill, coach of the men's basketball team.

When an athlete overtrains, it causes a reduction in performance, said William Kraemer, director of research at the Center for Sports Medicine. A performance reduction results from athletes becoming mentally stale due to a lack of motivation, he said.

Psychological overtraining is probably more common than physical overtraining, Kraemer said, adding that physical problems rarely occur.

"We're finding that it is difficult to (physically) overtrain a highly conditioned athlete," he said. "The physical aspects are rare because of the recovery ability of the young athlete."

Athletes cannot practice more than 20 hours a week during the season and no more than eight hours a week during the off season, said John Bove, compliance coordinator to the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There is no limit placed on the amount of time an athlete can spend exercising on his or her own, Bove said.

Jack Monick, athletic director and instructor of exercise and sport science, said college athletes do not get enough exercise because when they are not training, they stop exercising.

"Nobody can get too much (exercise)," Monick said.

Eric Carr, who plays on the University men's basketball team, said he keeps exercising during the off season.

"I make a conscious effort to," said Carr (junior-commercial recreation). "Maybe not at the same intensity."

To prevent overtraining, Kramer suggested using proper exercise techniques and following a correctly designed exercise program.

Correct nutrition, plenty of rest and good communication with a coach or trainer can also prevent overtraining, Tait said. Athletes also have to pay attention to their bodies and take care to prevent injury, he added.

A vacation from a rigorous exercise schedule is another way to alleviate overtraining, Tait said.

"If overtraining is the problem, meaning it's a physiological problem, a break -- either a full rest or an active rest -- will help the person bounce back," he said. "If the overtraining is extreme, then a major break is necessary for the person to recuperate and come back up the ladder."