Athlete burnout: review and recommendations

Abstract

Highlights*Prevalence is unknown due to a lack of predefined criteria (i.e., diagnostic cut-offs).*Negative social experiences promote the risk of burnout. *Perfectionistic concerns are an important risk factor for athlete burnout. *Prevention research is lacking but findings from job burnout can provide guidelines. AbstractOver the last two decades, growing concerns regarding the negative implications of athlete burnout have spurred empirical research on the topic. In their citation network analysis of the burnout literature, Gustafsson, Hancock and Coté, cited well over 100 publications on the syndrome [1]. Despite considerable investigation into athlete burnout, there remain a number of unresolved questions and issues. Four main aims guide the current review. First, we highlight various models of athlete burnout. Second, we discuss the measurement of athlete burnout. Third, we describe the symptoms, antecedents, and consequences of athlete burnout with a focus on social perceptions and perfectionism. Finally, we provide suggestions for the prevention and treatment of athlete burnout via an illustration of links between theory and practice. It is our hope that this review can stimulate future research in order to help athletes avoid burnout and other severe forms of training maladaptation.

The co‐developmental dynamic of sport and school burnout among student‐athletes: The role of achievement goals

“…This was in line with our hypothesis (7) and with the previous studies indicating that those who are motivated by personal mastery may be less likely to experience symptoms of school‐related cynicism or inadequacy as a student. However, similarly to sport domain and previous findings on school domain, school mastery goals were not related to school‐related exhaustion, making room for ongoing discussion whether exhaustion should be investigated separately from cynicism and inadequacy . As anticipated (hypothesis 8) performance orientation in school was associated with school‐related cynicism.…”

“…This is interesting as exhaustion has been shown to be the central part of sport burnout . Recently, there have been arguments that exhaustion should be investigated separately from cynicism and inadequacy, as they do not measure the same construct . Whereas exhaustion is a physical state resulting from overtaxing in a domain, cynicism and inadequacy are attitudes toward the domain.…”

“…36,37 Recently, there have been arguments that exhaustion should be investigated separately from cynicism and inadequacy, as they do not measure the same construct. 10,36 Whereas exhaustion is a physical state resulting from overtaxing in a domain, cynicism and inadequacy are attitudes toward the domain. Hence, it is plausible that mastery goals, characterized by personal mastery and growth seeking would be negatively related to cynical attitude and feelings of inadequacy as an athlete, but not necessarily to exhaustion.…”

“…In most sports, during the age of 16‐18, athletes begin their critical transition from junior to senior sports, during which training and competitions intensify . For some athletes, the pressure to succeed may result in chronic stress and even burnout . Sport burnout has been defined as (a) sport‐related exhaustion (ie, chronic fatigue related to overtaxing in sport); (b) sport‐related cynicism (ie, indifferent or distal attitude toward sport); and (c) feelings of inadequacy as an athlete (ie, perception of not performing as well as one used to in sport) .…”

“…athletes, the pressure to succeed may result in chronic stress and even burnout. 10 Sport burnout has been defined as (a) sport-related exhaustion (ie, chronic fatigue related to overtaxing in sport); (b) sport-related cynicism (ie, indifferent or distal attitude toward sport); and (c) feelings of inadequacy as an athlete (ie, perception of not performing as well as one used to in sport). 11 Although it has been repeatedly argued that burnout is a condition that evolves over time, only few studies have investigated the development of sport burnout.…”