Analysis of the Athletic Career and Retirement Depending on the Type of Sport: A Comparison between Individual and Team Sports

Abstract

The type of sport practiced may shape the athletic career, considered as the period in which an athlete is dedicated to obtaining their maximum performance in one or more sports. The aim of this study was to compare athletic careers and retirement in individual and team sports. Four hundred and ten former elite athletes (38.5 ± 7.6 years) answered an ad hoc questionnaire; 61.5% were men and 38.5% women; 45.1% were from individual sports, while 54.9% were from team sports. It emerged that the age of maximum sports performance and the retirement age occurred significantly later in team sports than in individual sports (U = 15,042 and U = 12,624.5, respectively p < 0.001). Team sports athletes combined their athletic career with work to a greater extent than those from individual sports (χ2 (3, N = 408) = 14.2; p = 0.003; Cv = 0.187). Individual sports athletes trained more hours per week (30.0 ± 11.7 h) than those involved in team sports (19.2 ± 10.7 h; U = 9682; p < 0.001). These athletes (team sports) were in a better economic and working situation at retirement transition (χ2 (3, N = 406) = 23.9; p < 0.001; Cv = 0.242). Individual sports athletes perform physical activity more frequently than team sports athletes (U = 16,267.5; p = 0.045), while team sports athletes participate more actively in veteran competitions (χ2 (1, N = 390) = 3.9; p = 0.047; Cv = 0.104) and more frequently attend events as spectators (χ2 (1, N = 390) = 8.4; p = 0.004; Cv = 0.151). dual career support providers should be aware that team sports athletes enjoy a longer athletic career, and they are in a better position to face the retirement transition than individual sports athletes.

Phase Angle Is a Marker of Muscle Quantity and Strength in Overweight/Obese Former Athletes

“…However, at the end of the athletic career, these parameters undergo a decline, a process that may also be accelerated if body fat becomes high, as observed in former elite athletes [ 4 , 20 , 21 ]. In addition, many athletes who retired from their sports careers do not sustain a regular exercise routine, contributing to a decrement in physical fitness [ 22 , 23 ]. An undesired weight gain among former athletes might be expected given the new lower energy requirements.…”

Spanish Pre-Olympic Athletes’ Motivations and Barriers to Pursuing Dual Career as a Function of Sociodemographic, Sport and Academic Variables

“…Considering sports modality, individual modality athletes showed more barriers than team modality athletes, which is similar to the results found in previous research, in which individual modality athletes received less support from academic staff ( Fuchs et al, 2016 ). A possible explanation for these findings could be that individual modality athletes train more hours per week and stay at sport gatherings for longer periods of time than team modality athletes ( De Subijana et al, 2020 ), which decreases their schedule flexibility and increases their perception of barriers in not being able to tend to the dual career demands. Another possible explanation could be that in team sports, the maximum performance and sport abandonment occur later, so the time available to develop the dual career is longer than in individual modalities, leaving them in a better position to face sports retirement and the transition to post-sport life ( De Subijana et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Considering the sports level, professional athletes experience greater difficulties in reconciling sports and academic life, and perceive their integration into the workplace more negatively than amateur athletes ( De Subijana et al, 2018 ). Regarding the sports modality, there is controversy in this area, and it is unknown whether it is individual or team athletes who have more difficulties ( Tekavc et al, 2015 ; Fuchs et al, 2016 ; Graczyk et al, 2017 ; Condello et al, 2019 ; De Subijana et al, 2020 ). Finally, with respect to perceived aid, the athletes who obtain a scholarship to study complete their studies to a greater extent than those who do not have any aid ( Coelho et al, 2021 ).…”

The role of age on neuromuscular performance decay induced by a maximal intensity sprint session in a group of competitive endurance athletes

“…Advances in human performance analysis and understanding biomechanical and physiological mechanisms and training adaptations brought a trend in career lengthening of competitive level athletes. [1][2][3][4] However, although the career length increases observed in the last two decades, maintaining high physical performance levels in later career phases remains a critical and ambitious goal for the athlete himself and his staff. [5][6][7] In this sense, many factors can be ascribed as possible determinants of the drop in performance across competitive athletes' careers.…”

“…[5][6][7] In this sense, many factors can be ascribed as possible determinants of the drop in performance across competitive athletes' careers. 2,5,8 Among them, age-related changes in the neuromuscular system functions may affect profoundly high-level exercise capacity across the competitive career and potentially determine its length and sustainability. 8,9 Indeed, ageing is accompanied by a consistent, progressive loss of motor units, changes to the morphology and properties of existing ones, and altered inputs from the peripheral, spinal, and supraspinal centre.…”