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Subjects · Leaving Cert Physical Education

Leaving Cert Physical Education: Recovery & overtraining

How often Recovery & overtraining comes up on the Physical Education papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 3 of the last 5 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

OL Asked on 3 of the last 5 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2024. most years

Recovery & overtraining, Higher Level(7 marks)

Quick ones on Recovery & overtraining.

(a)Which is a sign of overtraining?
  1. Improving race times
  2. A raised resting heart rate
  3. Deeper, better sleep
(b)Light jogging after a match (active recovery) helps mainly by?
  1. Raising body temperature further
  2. Building maximum strength
  3. Keeping blood flow high to clear waste
(c)Which recovery strategy most supports tissue repair overnight?
  1. Enough good-quality sleep
  2. A late high-fat meal
  3. Static stretching before bed
Show the answers

(a) A raised resting heart rate

(b) Keeping blood flow high to clear waste

(c) Enough good-quality sleep

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Recovery & overtraining.

Higher Level

Asked on 3 of the last 5 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q18
2024Q15
2023Not asked
2022Not asked
2021Q13, Q15

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Recovery & overtraining questions

Recovery & overtraining, 2 marks

Overtraining is caused mainly by?

  1. Taking too many planned rest days
  2. Doing too much low-intensity skill work
  3. Too much training with too little recovery
Show the answer

Too much training with too little recovery

When load keeps rising with no time to recover, the body cannot adapt. Performance falls, and illness and injury become more likely.

Recovery & overtraining, 2 marks

Which is a psychological sign of overtraining?

  1. Better, deeper and longer sleep
  2. Loss of motivation and irritability
  3. Improved mood and sharper focus
Show the answer

Loss of motivation and irritability

Overtraining affects the mind as well as the body: low motivation, irritability, poor sleep and loss of enjoyment are common warning signs.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 3 of the last 5 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2024. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Not asked
2024Q13, Q16
2023Q2
2022Not asked
2021Q16

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Recovery & overtraining questions

Recovery & overtraining, 2 marks

Which is an active recovery method?

  1. An ice bath straight after the match
  2. Eight or nine hours of sleep that night
  3. A light jog or swim the day after a match
Show the answer

A light jog or swim the day after a match

Active recovery means gentle movement that keeps blood flowing to clear waste and ease stiffness. Ice baths and sleep are useful too, but they are passive methods.

Recovery & overtraining, 3 marks

Why is sleep important for recovery?

  1. It increases muscle tension overnight
  2. The body repairs muscle and restores energy
  3. It raises lactic acid levels in the muscles overnight
Show the answer

The body repairs muscle and restores energy

Training causes small damage to muscle. During sleep the body repairs it and grows stronger, and the brain recovers too. Poor sleep slows recovery and raises injury risk.

Recovery & overtraining, 2 marks

What does a cool-down help to do?

  1. Bring the heart rate down gradually
  2. Raise body temperature before exercise
  3. Increase lactic acid in the muscles
Show the answer

Bring the heart rate down gradually

Light jogging then stretching lets the heart rate and breathing return to normal slowly and helps remove waste products. Raising temperature is the job of a warm-up.

Other Physical Education topics

All of Leaving Cert Physical Education