CHAPTER 21
Burnout and Overtraining
Session Outline
 The Prevalence of Burnout and Overtraining
 Defining Periodized Training, Overtraining,
Staleness, and Burnout
 Frequency of Overtraining and Staleness
 Models of Burnout
 Factors Leading to Athlete Burnout
(continued)
Session Outline
 Symptoms of Overtraining and Burnout
 Measuring Burnout
 Burnout in Sport Professionals
 Treating and Preventing Burnout
The Prevalence of
Burnout and Overtraining
As the pressure to win increases, athletes and
coaches spend more time training and feel more
stress—which sometimes leads to overtraining
and burnout.
Periodized Training
Periodized Training
The deliberate strategy of exposing athletes to highvolume and high-intensity training loads that are
followed by a lower training load (a rest or taper)
Overtraining
Overtraining
A short cycle of training during which athletes expose
themselves to excessive training loads that are near
maximum capacity.
Overtraining
KEYS —
 One athlete’s overtraining might be another
athlete’s optimal training regime.
 The process of overtraining can result in
positive adaptation and improved performance
(positive overtraining) or maladaption and
decreased performance (negative overtraining).
The Overtraining Process
Staleness
Staleness
The physiological state of overtraining in which the
athlete has difficulty maintaining standard training
regimes and can no longer achieve previous
performance results
Burnout
Burnout
A psychophysiological response due 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, both physical and emotional, in
the form of lost concern, energy, interest, and
trust
 Depersonalization—acting impersonal and
unfeeling—in large part due to mental and
physical exhaustion
 Feeling of low personal accomplishment, low
self-esteem, failure, and depression—often
visible in low job productivity or a decreased
performance level
Frequency of Overtraining
and Staleness
 66% of ACC athletes experience some overtraining, on average twice a year.
 72% of the athletes reported some staleness
during their sport season.
 60% to 64% of runners experience some
staleness once a year.
 30% of sub-elite runners reported staleness.
(continued)
Frequency of Overtraining
and Staleness
 Of swimmers who reported staleness during
their freshman year, 90% became stale in one
or more subsequent seasons.
 Swedish athletes training at sport high schools
experienced staleness—both individual-sport
athletes (48%) and team-sport athletes (30%).
Models of Burnout
Cognitive-affective stress model
Negative-training stress response model
Unidimensional identity development and
external control model
Cognitive-Affective Stress Model
of Burnout (Smith, 1986)
Negative-Training Stress Response
Model (Silva, 1990)
 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 (normal overload) is
desirable.
 Negative adaptation is undesirable (leads to
overtraining, staleness, and burnout).
Unidimensional Identity Development
and External Control Model
(Coakley, 1992)
Stress is involved in burnout, but it is only a
symptom.
(continued)
Unidimensional Identity Development
and External Control Model
(Coakley, 1992)
The real causes of burnout (especially
in young athletes) are these:
1. The structure of highly competitive sport does
not allow young athletes to spend enough
time with peers outside of sport. This causes
young athletes to focus solely on identifying
with athletic success, which can be unhealthy,
especially when failure or injury occurs.
(continued)
Unidimensional Identity Development
and External Control Model
(Coakley, 1992)
The real causes of burnout (especially
in young athletes) are these:
2. The social worlds of young athletes are
organized in such a way that their control and
decision making are inhibited.
Key Factors Leading to
Athlete Burnout
 Athletes are starting to train at younger ages.
 Training in many sports is virtually year-round.
Causes of Burnout in
Junior Tennis Players
 Physical concerns—erratic play, injury, feeling
tired
 Logistical concerns—travel grind, time
demands
 Social or interpersonal concerns—negative
parental influence, negative team atmosphere
 Psychological concerns—inappropriate
expectations, feeling a lack of improvement,
coach and parental pressure
Strains in Junior Athletes
 Social-psychological strain
 Perfectionistic players, parental or coach
pressure
 Physically driven strain
Individual Differences in
Burnout Causes
Factors Related to Athlete Burnout
Several specific factors are linked to athlete
burnout, from conflicting demands to excessive
training loads
(See table 21.1 on p. 474 of text.)
Signs of Overtraining
 Apathy
 Lethargy
 Weight loss
 Mood changes
(See table 21.2 on p. 477 of text.)
Signs of Burnout
 Low motivation
 Lack of caring
 Lowered affect
 Anxiety
(See table 21.2 on p. 477 of text.)
Overtraining and Mood States
 Athletes experience increased mood
disturbance under especially heavy training
workloads. The heavier the workload, the
greater the mood disturbance.
 Successful athletes exhibit high levels of vigor
and low levels of negative mood states, an
optimal combination.
 Overtrained athletes show an inverted iceberg
profile, with negative states pronounced.
Overtraining and Performance
 Overtrained and stale athletes are at risk of
developing mood disturbances, which can
result in decreased performance levels and
dropout. More is not always better.
Measuring Burnout
The Maslach Burnout Inventory
 The Maslach Burnout Inventory—a reliable
instrument to measure burnout that has been
adapted and modified for use in sport and
exercise
 Maslach Burnout Inventory subscales
 Emotional exhaustion
 Depersonalization
 Personal accomplishments
Factors Related to Burnout
in Trainers and Officials
Athletic trainers
 Type A personality
 Role conflict and ambiguity
Officials
 Making bad calls
 Role conflict and ambiguity
Factors Related to Burnout in Coaches
Coaches
 Pressure to win
 Administrator-parent interference or indifference
 Disciplinary problems
 Multiple roles
 Extensive travel
 Intense personal involvement
Factors Related to Burnout in Coaches
Gender differences:
 None have yet been established
Age and experience differences:
 Younger coaches appear to have higher levels
of burnout (partly because older coaches have
already burned out).
Factors Related to Burnout in Coaches
Coaching style:
 Coaches who are more caring and peopleoriented appear to be more vulnerable to
burnout.
Social support:
 Greater social support is associated with lower
burnout.
Factors Related to Burnout
in Sport Professionals
Fitness instructors, administrators, and
physical education teachers
 Pressure from coaches or parents
 Hard training
 Competition over a long period of time
Treating and Preventing Burnout
1. Set short-term goals for competition and
practice.
2. Communicate your feelings to others.
3. Take relaxation (time-out) breaks.
4. Learn self-regulation skills (e.g., relaxation,
imagery, goal setting, self-talk).
(continued)
Treating and Preventing Burnout
5. Keep a positive outlook.
6. Manage postcompetition emotions.
7. Stay in good physical condition.
Treating and Preventing Burnout
KEY—
It’s Not How Hard You Train, It’s How You
Recover.
Treating and Preventing Burnout
OVERLOAD SOURCE
RECOVERY STRATEGY
Physical stressor
Nutrition and hydration
Eat more carbohydrates
Stay hydrated
Rest
No physical activity
Passive rest
Get sufficient sleep
(continued)
Treating and Preventing Burnout
OVERLOAD SOURCE
RECOVERY STRATEGY
Relaxation and emotional support
Psychological/
social stressor • Flotation tanks, massage sauna
• Time-out
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Visualization
Minimize nontraining stressors
(e.g., limit work hours)
Thought management strategies
• Dissociation (e.g., watch movies)
• Negative thought replacement
Reducing Burnout
in Young Tennis Players
Advice for other players
 Play for your own reason.
 Balance tennis and other things.
 Try to make it fun.
 Take time off and relax.
Reducing Burnout
in Young Tennis Players
Advice for parents
 Recognize what is an optimal amount of
“pushing.”
 Give support, show empathy, and reduce the
importance of outcome.
 Involve players in decision making.
 Lessen involvement.
Reducing Burnout
in Young Tennis Players
Advice for coaches
 Have two-way communication with players.
 Cultivate personal involvement with players.
 Utilize player input.
 Understand players’ feelings.