Participation in athletics has countless merits but some drawbacks, such as the possibility of burnout and overtraining, which could be deleterious. This paper investigates the adverse effects of participating in athletics, with a specific focus on overtraining and burnout, as well as its commonality, causes, and treatments. Furthermore, it compares athlete and coach burnout and provides a real-world example of a professional athlete experiencing burnout.
Driven by recurrent occupational stress, burnout is a dynamic state that causes severe fatigue, diminished professional efficacy, and interpersonal alienation or cynicism about one’s work (Hewitt et al., 2020). On the other hand, overtraining occurs when a sportsperson keeps training, disregarding warning indicators of overreaching, resulting in injuries, psychological distress, and a reduction in performance all emerge (Goolsby, n.d.).
According to research, overtraining and burnout frequently occur among athletes, and various factors influence their development, such as excessive training load, pressure to perform, poor training schedules, and inadequate rest. Treatment for overtraining and burnout is mainly resting; the athlete may be forced to reduce or stop training activities for a while the body is given time to heal and reenergize.in addition, adjusting the training load can also effectively treat burnout and overtraining.
Both athletes and coaches experience burnout, but they are not entirely similar, though they also have similarities. The similarities lie in the symptoms and underlying factors, such as pressure to succeed, lack of support, emotional exhaustion, and overwhelming workload. But there are contrasts: coaches may become burned out due to their managerial duties, clashes with athletes, and limited resources, whereas players may become burned out due to personal performance problems and stress from competition. This comparison shows how burnout manifests itself differently in different roles.
The highly decorated US gymnast Simon Biles temporarily withdrew from the Olympics because of burnout. Biles’s struggle to cope with the stress and pressure in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics made her end up pulling out of several contests. Her extreme pressure to perform flawlessly, her role as the face of Team USA, and the stress of competing during the COVID-19 pandemic all contributed to her burnout. Burnout showed up as fatigue, evident in her retreat from the events, her visibly emotional outbursts, and her willingness to give preference to her mental well-being over capturing more Olympic gold. (All That Glitters Is Not a Gold Medal: Putting Athletes’ Mental Health in the Spotlight, n.d.).
By researching burnout and overtraining, I better grasp the relevance of mental health in sports. It is clear that tackling burnout and overtraining in athletics requires a holistic approach. Providing psychological support, balancing training loads by using enough recovery, and importance of recognizing the signs of burnout should be done. Additionally, adopting a supportive sports culture that sees the value of athlete welfare over performance is essential.
In conclusion, Athletics burnout and overtraining require a comprehensive strategy that puts the welfare of players and coaches first. This ensures success and satisfaction in athletics while encouraging a healthier environment for all involved by addressing the above issues accordingly.
Reference
All that glitters is not a gold medal: Putting athletes’ mental health in the Spotlight. (n.d.). https://knowledge.essec.edu/en/society/athletes-mental-health-spotlight.html
Goolsby, M. A., MD. (n.d.). Overtraining: What it is, symptoms, and recovery. Hospital for Special Surgery. https://www.hss.edu/article_overtraining.asp
Hewitt, D. B., Ellis, R. J., Hu, Y., Cheung, E. O., Moskowitz, J. T., Agarwal, G., & Bilimoria, K. Y. (2020). Evaluating the association of multiple burnout definitions and thresholds with prevalence and outcomes. JAMA Surgery, 155(11), 1043. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamasurg.2020.3351
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