What is the term for overworking the body to the point of exhaustion?

The term that accurately describes overworking the body to the point of exhaustion is overtraining. Overtraining occurs when an individual exercises beyond the body's capacity to recover, leading to decreased performance, fatigue, and can sometimes result in various physical and mental health issues. It is a common concern in athletic training, where the intensity and volume of exercise exceed the body's ability to adapt and recuperate.

Overexertion does imply excessive effort during physical activity, but it does not necessarily encompass the chronic implications of consistently operating at too high a level. Fatigue simply refers to a state of physical or mental weariness that can be influenced by a variety of factors, not strictly the result of overtraining. Muscle strain denotes an injury to a muscle that results from acute or sudden overstretching or overuse, which can occur during workouts but isn’t synonymous with the concept of being exhausted due to prolonged overtraining. Each of these terms describes different aspects of physical exertion and its effects on the body.