6 ways to support your athlete without causing it
Part 1
Have you noticed a change in your athlete where once he or she was eager and ready to go to practice or a game and now they seem to have little or no interest in? Do they seem either moody, disruptive, always tired, retracted, or all the above? You scramble to find out, concerned that something may in fact be horribly wrong since as good parents, we might fear it might be. Or is it as simple of that transitional period between childhood and teenage-hood (it is such a wonderful time!!)? Could it be none of the above? Could it be us? All good questions indeed.
It might be both actually; us and them. We both might be too tired to know or think about it and they might not know exactly what is wrong or how to articulate it to you, themselves or anyone else. Is it fatigue or burnout (you might have heard about it)? What is it and what do we do about it? Let’s find out. Here we go.
What is Burnout or Burnout Syndrome?
Burnout or burnout syndrome is considered to be the "absence of positive emotions and the presence of negative ones”(1). In simpler terms, we do not feel good about doing what we used to do and do not see anything positive in doing it. It might easily resemble symptoms of depression albeit it lacks some of the depression criteria (2). Signs of burnout are persistent and unpredictable with recurring emotional indications such as mood swings, irritability and a loss of interest in their chosen activity. They might constantly complain of chronic pain and more frequent injuries and as such, a noted decrease in their performance.
In contrast, athletes experiencing normal exercise fatigue show slightly different signs. Their fatigue is usually short-lived and predictable as it improves after proper rest and recovery and the onset is normally after an intense workout or competition. Whereas if experiencing burnout, these symptoms persist despite adequate rest periods and may occur even without any physical activity. In addition, muscle aches and soreness resolve as well as their motivation and engagement remain once well rested versus those experiencing burnout syndrome (Table 1).
Table 1. Signs of Burnout vs. Normal Fatigue
| Burnout Syndrome | Fatigue | ||
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Now that we know, how did we get here? There might be a few factors that play a role in this situation.
Burnout Causes
This situation does not usually happen overnight. Burnout is commonly associated with an ongoing process that may overcome their coping capacity thus eventually expressed by the signs noted above. Some of the key factors associated with burnout include:
- Insufficient Sleep: Restorative, quality sleep is necessary for recovery. And this is vitally important to all of us, most importantly in athletes. Even more important if they are engaged in endurance sports. Too little sleep, (<6hrs) can effectively promote the onset of burnout syndrome
- Poor sleep quality: It is not only that you sleep but the quality of it as well. There is no use of going to bed at a reasonable time, but they are unable to fall asleep, are not able to remain asleep or their environment is not conducive to restful sleep.
- Parental Expectations: I know. I said it but it is true. Sometimes their fear of failure due to our expectations and their observed potential might just have the adverse effect to the one we hoped.
- Peer / Coaches Expectations: Just like the previous factor, a lot of time they do not want to fall behind as well as not wanting to disappoint their coaches despite their increasing demand on performance.
- Sports Specialization: Ongoing focus on a single sport without breaks, variety or exposure to other sports or activities.
All of these combine to exert the results noted on Table.1 and significantly affect not only their athletic performance but also their overall well-being. In Part 2 of this blog, I will discuss some of the preventive measures that we can all implement to help support our athletes (and ourselves as a matter of fact since we are not immune to this).
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Gaspar
ACTOS, Performance Innovation
*Dr. Gaspar A. Rosario is a seasoned healthcare expert with a Doctorate in Health Sciences and over a decade of clinical experience. His certifications in Weight Management, Performance Enhancement, and Exercise Therapy from the ISSA, coupled with his diverse medical background, position him as a trusted authority in the field.
References
1. https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/parenting/burnout-in-youth-sports-help-your-child-stay-in-the-game/
2. https://drdavidgeier.com/signs-child-youth-sports-burnout-kids/