ISSN : 1598-2939
Although many, likely most, athletes will not experience burnout in any meaningful degree in their sport endeavors, it can be an important concern for the psychological health and well-being of some athletes choosing to invest intensely in highly demanding competitive sport environments. This aversive chronic experiential state is of interest to clinicians and researchers alike because of its impact on athletes experiencing its characterizing symptoms. The phenomenon of burnout has been discussed and investigated in broader professional environments since the early 1970s (Freudenberg, 1974), but has only been a construct of interest among sport scientists, professionals and participants for about the last 25-30 years (see Smith, 1986; Dale & Weinberg, 1990 for early discussions of athlete burnout). After approximately a quarter century of examination, it is appropriate to take stock of the accumulated research on the athlete burnout construct at large. The purpose of the current review is threefold in nature. We start by remembering the important, groundbreaking athlete burnout research of the past but, guided by the prose of Walt Whitman, move on to outline potential future directions as “much unseen” remains relative to the understanding, conceptualization, and intervention/prevention of athlete burnout. Finally, we consider suggestions for how to unearth future burnout knowledge and/or implement the potential interventions outlined herein. So, while important conceptualizations and empirical studies in the area are reviewed, much of this information is delimited by reference to already available excellent reviews of athlete burnout research; although, some research immerging in the interim is also considered. Our goal is to take stock of the conceptual understanding and extant research on athlete burnout and to spark future research and practice as described herein by other researchers and clinicians. An endeavor of that sort inherently requires provision of some initial commentary on the construct and its development.
The purpose of this investigation was to examine the potential associations of motivational fluctuations during a full season with football players from one Premier Division team in Europe. Using correlational analyses we examined whether such motivational changes would mirror changes in stress perceptions (media and organizational) and performance anxiety levels. We used Achievement Goal Theory and Cognitive Activation Theory of Stress in the examination. In the elite sport setting, the endorsement of mastery involvement is recommended in order to avoid unnecessary stress and performance anxiety among athletes. 27 players (18-31 years old, Mage = 22.26 years, SD = 4.21) answered the questionnaires monthly over a season. We found that the athletes’ scores fluctuated over the season with interesting variations in the variables at time 2 (before season start) and time 7 (after the summer break) with a combination of high task orientation, high mastery climate perceptions and higher anxiety scores. The present findings revealed that stress may occur when there is a discrepancy between set values (what usually is) and actual value (what is). If the athletes are more accustomed to being evaluated normatively for the team roster, a sudden emphasis on personal improvement and maximum effort is very different – and may simply stress athletes even in a mastery environment.
To date, research has rarely focused how a summer camp influences at-risk boys’ motivation and physical activity through a self-determination theory. This study examined changes of motivational and physical measures among at-risk boys participating in a summer sports camp. One hundred at-risk boys, aged 10-13 years, participated in a three week camp session. Two questionnaires and an endurance activity were completed by the boys as pre and post-tests. Results revealed amotivation increased and intrinsic regulation decreased across the camp session. Also, the boys’ endurance performance did not significantly change across the camp period. Findings suggest programs allowing more camper-centered choices and de-emphasizing competition may promote increased motivation and physical performance of at-risk boys.
This study investigates the effects from a 12-weeks mindfulness intervention on perceived stress, perceived performance in school and sports, and athlete burnout among junior elite athletes in sports. In the present investigation 50 Norwegian junior athletes from two different schools for elite sports participated in an experiment with a pre-test, post-test control group design. Twenty three of them were in the experiment group whereas 27 were in the control group. The athletes were from different sports such as cross country skiing, biathlon, shooting and track and field. As hypothesized, we found significant effects from the mindfulness intervention on athlete burnout. There were no significant effects found on perceived stress, perceived performance in school and sports. These findings are discussed in regard of applied implications and possible future research.
The purpose of this study is to verify the accuracy of energy consumption per wearing location (waist, wrist, ankle) of uniaxial accelerometer (GT1M) during horse-riding exercise (normal-walking, fast-walking, running). The study subjects were conveniently sampled from 11 males in their 20s from S horse-riding course who have over 3 years of experience in horse-riding and are licensed as leisure sports instructors (horse-riding), and the following conclusion was drawn. For normal-walking, there was no significant difference of standard energy consumption among waist, wrist, and ankle, and all three locations showed confidence interval with small deviation in Bland-Altman Plot. On the other hand, for fast-walking and running, only wrist showed no significant difference, where only wrist location showed low-deviation confidence interval in Bland-Altman Plot. According to such results, the accuracy was relatively high for wrist-wearing when predicting horse-riding activity energy consumption using accelerometer. Therefore, the wearing location must be considered when predicting horse-riding activity energy consumption with accelerometer on site.
The aims of this systematic review were to analyze the risks of renal injury during various sports and to recommend appropriate management with particular reference to individuals with a solitary kidney. The Ovid/Medline data-base was searched from 1996 to August 2015. The terms sports/sports medicine, athletes or physical activity were combined with the terms wounds and injuries/kidneys to yield 27 citations relevant to the review. This data base was supplemented extensively from journal reference lists and the author's personal files to provide a total of 56 citations. Review articles suggest that many physicians are still very cautious in recommending some forms of sport to children with single kidneys, while permitting other more dangerous activities. The absolute risks of renal injury are very low but not non-existent for most sports; for instance, there are 2.6 incidents per million exposures in male soccer players. Many renal injuries are minor, and only a small minority require nephrectomy. Contact sports account for perhaps a fifth of physical activity-related renal trauma, but the operation of all-terrain vehicles, cycling, Alpine sports and horse-back riding are all more common sources of injury. Possible factors modifying inherent risks include parental supervision, the wearing of protective equipment, initial renal health, and the individual's age (children being more vulnerable than adults). Minor renal injuries may require only 2-6 weeks of restricted activity; often, there are no long-term consequences, but subcapsular haematomas can cause a pressure necrosis of renal tissue, with later risks of hypertension, proteinuria and renal insufficiency. Sports physicians must communicate the objective level of risk to the parents of children with a single kidney, emphasizing that sport carries greater dangers for the head than the kidneys, and that serious renal injury is more likely from motor traffic than from sport participation. Moreover, they must underline the importance of continued regular physical activity to the overall health and development of the child. Nevertheless, they should also underline the need to take all reasonable precautions to reduce risk, including the avoidance of activities likely to involve collisions and blunt trauma.
