Overtraining and Burnout PDF

Overtraining and Burnout OVERTRAINING Overtraining: ○ A short cycle of training during which athletes expose themselves to excessive training loads that are near or at maximum capacity One athlete’s overtraining might be another athlete-s optimal training regimen O...

Overtraining and Burnout OVERTRAINING Overtraining: ○ A short cycle of training during which athletes expose themselves to excessive training loads that are near or at maximum capacity One athlete’s overtraining might be another athlete-s optimal training regimen Often the problem is lack of recovery SIGNS OF OVERTRAINING Apathy Lethargy Weight loss Mood changes Muscle pain Concentration loss Unique to the individual! STALENESS VS. BURNOUT Staleness: ○ The psychological state of overtraining in which the athlete has difficulty maintaining standard training regimens and can no longer achieve previous performance results Burnout: ○ A psychological response sure to frequent but generally ineffective efforts to meet excessive demands, involving a psychological, emotional, and sometimes physical withdrawal from an activity in response to excessive stress or dissatisfaction CHARACTERISTICS OF BURNOUT Exhaustion: ○ Physical and emotional ○ Loss of concern, energy, interest and trust Depersonalization: ○ Acting impersonal and unfeeling ○ In large part due to mental and physical exhaustion Mental health challengers: ○ Feeling of low personal accomplishment & low self-esteem ○ Feel like a failure ○ Depression Most athletes will admit to feeling overtrained, stale, or burnt out at some point in their athletic career MODEL OF BURNOUT 1. Cognitive-affective stress model ○ Situation demands, cognitive appraisal, physiological responses, behavioural responses  ○ Key point Nothing is inherently good or bad, it’s how it’s perceived People differ in how they respond to prolonged stress in sport 2. Negative-training stress response model ○ Focuses on physical training (but recognizes the importance of psychological factors) ○ Physical training stresses the athlete physically and psychologically and can have positive and negative effects ○ Positive adaptation is desirable ○ Negative adaptation is desirable (leads to overtraining, staleness, and burnout) 3. Unidimensional identity development and external control model ○ Stress is involved in burnout, but it is only a symptom ○ The real causes of burnout deal with faulty identity development and external control of young athletes ○ Identity foreclosure CAUSES OF IDENTITY FORECLOSURE ○ The structure of sport prevents young athletes from spending enough time with peers outside of sport ○ This causes a sole focus on identifying with athletic success, which can be unhealthy, especially when failure or injury occurs ○ The social worlds of young athletes are organized in such a way that their control and decision making are inhibited 4. Commitment and entrapment theory ○ Burnout is explained within the context of sport commitment ○ Burnout occurs when athletes become entrapped in sport and feel they must play even though they lose motivation for participation 5. Self-determination theory ○ People have three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness ○ Those who no not have these basic needs met will be more prone to burnout 6. Integrated model of athlete burnout ○ This model incorporates all the previous models to provide a complete picture ○ Includes: Antecedents (e.g., excessive training) Entrapment (e.g., athlete identity foreclosure) Early signs (e.g., low motivation) Personality, coping, and environment (e.g., perfectionism) ○ Which leads to burnout Physical and emotional exhaustion, reduced accomplishments, sport devaluation ○ Which leads to maladaptive consequences withdrawal SIGNS OF BURNOUT Low motivation  Lack of caring Lowered emotion Anxiety Emotional isolation Inverted mood profile Unique to the individual! FACTORS LEADING TO BURNOUT OF CHILDREN Athletes are starting to train at younger ages Training in many sports is virtually year-round FACTORS RELATED TO BURNOUT IN ALL ATHLETES Conflicting demands Excessive workloads Long duration of challenges Loss of hope Demands exceed resources SPECIFIC TREATMENT FOR PHYSICAL STRESSORS Overload source Recovery strategy Physical stressor Nutrition and hydration - Eat more carbohydrate - Stay hydrated Rest - No physical activity - Passive rest - Get sufficient sleep SPECIFIC TREATMENT FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL/SOCIAL STRESSORS Overload source Recovery strategy Psychological or social stressor Relaxation and emotional support - Flotation tanks, massage, sauna - Time-out - Progressive muscle relaxation - Visualization Minimize non training stressors - (e.g., limit work hours) Thought management strategies - Dissociation (e.g., watch movies) - Negative thought replacement OVERTRAINING, BURNOUT AND INJURY Overtraining and burnout can be issues/endpoints on their own or lead to injury Overtraining → burnout → injury BOTTOM LINE Stressors are a part of life! Develop effective coping strategies that work for you ***time management is key*** Practice self-care Be kind to yourself “Athletes/students are not overtrained. They are under-recovered.”