Lecture 9: Burnout and recovery

Question 1

Why do modern sports have high demands?

Answer 1

• there are higher performance standards
• train and compete more frequently
• greater internal and external pressure
• pushing physical and mental limits
• younger stars
• greater extrinsic rewards

Question 2

Overreaching

Answer 2

natural process when the end result is adaptation and improved performance; the supercompensation principle. Short term overtraining that is part of normal training

Question 3

Overtraining

Answer 3

An imbalance between training and recovery which is combined with training and non-training stressors. Life stress outside of sport can impact how athletes respond to intense training. Athlete trains beyond the level ideal for maximum benefit

Question 4

What does overreaching and overtraining lead to?

Answer 4

performance decrements that last > 2-3 months coupled with a mood disturbance

Question 5

Burnout

Answer 5

A multidimensional, cognitive-affective syndrome of exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishment, and sport devaluation

Question 6

Staleness

Answer 6

Failure of the body to adapt to training which results in a temporary plateau (= a precursor to burnout)

Question 7

What are the dimensions of burnout?

Answer 7

Emotional Exhaustion – Feeling emotionally worn-out and drained
Devaluation/Depersonalisation – Loss of interest and resentment
Reduced Accomplishment – Achieving below expectations and not meeting personal targets

Question 8

Burnout prevalence rate

Answer 8

Between 1% to 12% of athletes suffer from athlete burnout.
But: no consistent diagnostic criteria, so number may be skewed

Question 9

What are the negative impacts of burnout?

Answer 9

Performance decrements
Decreased motivation
Troubled social relations that negatively impact team climate
Health issues
Mental (anxiety, eating disorders)
Physical (illness susceptibility, substance abuse)
Not depression and not sport dropout as it can cause some athletes to quit but not all burned-out athletes will quit

Question 10

What are the factors associated with burnout?

Answer 10

Overtraining/staleness
Early specialization (longer seasons, training)
Personality
Motivation
Coach behaviour
Social and logistical issues (travel grind, time)

Question 11

Whare the physiological and psychological symptoms of burnout?

Answer 11

Physiological symptoms:
Increased resting and exercise heart rate
Increased blood pressure and cortisol
Increased muscle soreness and chronic muscle fatigue
Increased sleep disturbances
Increased colds and respiratory infections
Increased mood disturbance
Psychological symptoms:
Decreased appetite
Decreased self-esteem
Frustration
Negative change in the quality of personal interaction with others (cynicism, lack of empathy)

Question 12

How can burnout be perceived?

Answer 12

1) A reaction to chronic stress → explained within overtraining and psychosocial stress perspectives
- Smith’s Cognitive-Affective Model of Stress and Burnout
2) A motivational phenomenon → examined within self-determination and entrapment frameworks
- Investment Model of Burnout
- Empowerment Model of Burnout

Question 13

Smith’s cognitive-affective model of stress and burnout

Answer 13

The four stages of the stress process are paralleled by the four stages of the burnout process
In the final stage of the burnout process, coping resources are insufficient to counteract cognitive overload and negative physiological responses associated with stress (e.g., anxiety, fatigue, insomnia)
Burnout is likely to occur when athletes perceive an imbalance between sport demands and their ability to meet those demands

Question 14

What are the demands related to sports burnout?

Answer 14

Heavy training and performance demands
Pressure to perform at a high level
Intense competitive environment
Nagging injuries
Media and fan expectations
Playing position security
Anti-rest culture
Poor management relationships

Question 15

What are the most common sport-related demands in elite sport?

Answer 15

Performing physical activities in uncomfortable or impractical postures
Having to remember many thing simultaneously
A negative atmosphere within one’s group

Question 16

What are the most common sport-related resources?

Answer 16

Having the opportunity to decide what posture to use
Having the opportunity to determine training method(s)
Finding a listening ear in others

Question 17

How can athlete burnout be prevented?

Answer 17

By lowering sports-based demands but more importantly by increasing resources

Question 18

What is the investment model of burnout?

Answer 18

Continued sport participation is based upon an evaluation of rewards, costs, satisfaction, investment, and alternatives
-> Burnout occurs when the athlete perceives that the costs of commitment are greater than rewards
Commitment may be based upon enjoyment or perceived entrapment
-> If commitment is based upon enjoyment, the rewards outweigh the costs and the pursuit is worth it
-> If commitment is based upon entrapment, it is only a matter of time before burnout occurs

Question 19

What is the empowerment model of burnout?

Answer 19

Burnout is seen as a social and organizational problem caused by a controlling and constraining social structure.
Desire to develop identity separate from the sport not realized->
Desire to feel personal control over life’s decisions not realized->
Burnout-> withdrawal from sport

Question 20

What are the correlates of coach burnout?

Answer 20

Perceived stress (+)
Social support (-)
Commitment (-)
Age (-)
Coaching issues (+)
Role conflict (+)

Question 21

What are the guidelines to prevent overtraining/burnout?

Answer 21

1.Keep workouts interesting , with age appropriate games and training, to keep practice fun
2. Take time off from organized or structured sports participation 1 2 days per week to allow the body to rest or participate in other activities
3. Permit longer scheduled breaks from training and competition every 2 to 3 months while focusing on other activities and cross training to prevent loss of skill or level of
conditioning
4. Focus on wellness and teaching athletes to be in tune with their bodies for cues to slow down or alter their training methods

Question 22

How can burnout be treated and prevented?

Answer 22

Should be multi-faceted and should address antecedents like overtraining, psychosocial stress. Key factors: social support, mindset (optimism, hope, attribution), intrinsic motivation, stress management (relaxation, time off)

Question 23

Why is overtraining seen as under-recovery?

Answer 23

Too much sport engagement is an important predictor of burnout. But no direct relationship between training volume and burnout-> importance of recovery in development of burnout

Question 24

What is recovery?

Answer 24

A (pro)active inter- and intra-individual multilevel process in time to re-establish psychological and physiological resources. Adequate recovery depends on a break, reduction or change in stress/demands. Complete recovery is when physical and mental systems that were activate during effort were replenished

Question 25

What is considered recovery experiences?

Answer 25

Relaxation (mental rest, low effort)
Sleep (quality, quantity)
Autonomy (me-time and choice)
Mastery (creativity and hobbies)
Meaning (purpose and personal growth)
Affiliation (family/friends and groups)
Detachment (distraction and switching off)

Question 26

Detachment

Answer 26

Recharging energy by switching off from sports
- shaking off physical tiredness (physical detachment)
- focus thoughts on things other than sport (cognitive detachment)
- put aside sport-related negative emotions (emotional detachment)
- provides a ‘break’ of mental and physiological activation
- motivational aspect to expend new effort on new things

Question 27

How can stress buffer the role of detachment?

Answer 27

Emotional recovery was lower for high emotional demands compared to low emotional demands for high emotional detachment. For low emotional detachment, the emotional recovery stayed consistent for low and high emotional demands

Question 28

Why is recovery important for coaches too?

Answer 28

Coach wellbeing important predictor of interpersonal style. Negative influence of stress/fatigue on training experiences (less instruction and social support, reduced confidence and increased perceived pressure). Lack of recovery is linked to high stress levels and poor health of elite coaches. Can experience difficulties in distancing from work

Question 29

How to give yourself mental rest/relaxation?

Answer 29

Involves giving brain a break from thinking hard. So involves low-effort and fun activities, which can benefit sleep. Sleep also considered a form of rest

Question 30

What are the forms of sleep deprivation?

Answer 30

Total sleep deprivation so being awake for more than 24 hours. Or partial sleep deprivation for less than 6 hours of sleep.

Question 31

How does sleep deprivation affect performance?

Answer 31

Reduced:
- focus and vigilance
- determination, processing and logical thinking.
Both forms reduce the transmission speed of impulses from the brain to the muscles

Question 32

What is sleep deprivation linked to?

Answer 32

• mood problems, reduced physical and mental performance
• increased biomarkers of muscle damage which increases injury risk
• strong link between later bedtime and lower GPA
• extending sleep to 10hrs for 6-7 weeks from normal sleep durations improved on specific measures of basketball performance (but no control group included)
• bedtime procrastination as number 1 factor for irregular sleeping habits

Question 33

What are the training factors that can interfere with sleep?

Answer 33

Training times: Early-morning sessions, as seen in studies of athletes like rowers, restrict sleep duration, reducing it to below the recommended amount (e.g., 5.5 hours)​
Training forms: High-intensity intermittent training (HIIT) decreases sleep efficiency, requiring more recovery time than strength training
Overtraining: Excessive training without enough recovery can lead to sleep disturbances, including reduced sleep efficiency​
External factors: Evening competitions or using caffeine for performance may disrupt sleep patterns​

Question 34

What are the behavioural strategies that can promote sleep?

Answer 34

Adjust training schedules: Postponing early-morning training to align with athletes’ chronotypes can help improve sleep duration
Sleep hygiene: Creating an environment conducive to sleep (e.g., dark, quiet, cool room) and establishing consistent pre-sleep routines are important
Daytime naps: Naps can reduce sleep debt but should be timed carefully to avoid affecting nighttime sleep
Sleep education: Providing athletes with education on good sleep habits and individualized sleep-wake rhythms is beneficial​

Question 35

What are the functions of rest?

Answer 35

Recovery: Rest is essential for physical recovery after training and competition
Learning: Rest helps consolidate memory, especially for novel technical and tactical skills​
Expertise development: Long-term engagement in deliberate practice requires rest to facilitate complete recovery
Rest is not only physical but also mental, requiring both high-quality sleep and wakeful resting​

Question 36

What are the differences between micro-level recovery and macro-level recovery?

Answer 36

Micro-level recovery refers to the short-term physiological processes that restore balance and undo fatigue or damage caused by training or competition. It focuses on immediate or short-term recovery between efforts, training sets, or sessions. This level is concerned with cellular repair, restoring fluid balance, and replenishing energy stores. Key strategies include rest between training sets and immediate post-exercise interventions such as hydration, stretching, or compression garments​
Macro-level recovery, on the other hand, is concerned with long-term recovery strategies that span days, weeks, or even months, especially when accounting for seasonal training loads. It aims to restore overall biopsychosocial balance and prevent overtraining. This form of recovery includes tapering periods, offseason recovery, and interventions for prolonged fatigue and stress

Question 37

What are the common relaxation strategies for performance enhancement?

Answer 37

Strategies work by optimizing performance by regulating arousal strategies and managing stress
Breathing Techniques: Deep, controlled breathing (such as the 4-7-8 method) helps lower heart rate and reduce anxiety, making it a common relaxation technique before or during competition
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR): This involves tensing and relaxing different muscle groups, helping athletes become more aware of physical tension and releasing it​
Autogenic Training: A method where athletes focus on sensations such as warmth and heaviness in the body, promoting relaxation through self-suggestion​
Imagery/Visualization: Visualizing calm environments or successful performance outcomes can improve focus and reduce performance anxiety​
Mindfulness and Meditation: These techniques encourage present-moment awareness, which helps in managing performance-related stress and enhancing focus​