Participation in sports have primarily 3 objectives that should be maintained at all cost in synergy and harmony with each other.
What matters most
- The first is a healthy, fit, mobile and optimally functioning body.
- The second is the fulfilment of personal goals and raised ambitions as well as the sense of achieving more than would have been possible or expected.
- The third is maintaining a high sense of resilience, well managed emotions and a fighting spirit of note.
If any of these objectives are not in harmony with the other, athletes of all levels will start suffering. Most often it leads to shattered hopes and dreams.
Burnout diminishes an athlete
Emotional and physical exhaustion often lead to burnout, which has devastating effects. Prolonged chronic stress, loss of engagement and a loss of motivation is common. A study by Henrik Gustafsson (School of Health and Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Sweden) has shown a relationship between burnout and factors such as:
- Overtraining and training fatigue
- Lack of recovery
- High expectations
- High inner motivational drive
- A stressful lifestyle with multiple demands from sport, academic goals, career goals and social relationships.
Burnout and the drive for success
Early success often leads to high expectations of the individual self as well as their support group. If this is combined with a performance-based self-esteem, the drive for maintaining a high level of achievement and therefore a sense of self-worth, will most often lead to burn-out.
How does one avoid burnout?
It has been found that the weakest link in potential burn-out candidates is their lack of self-insight. It is very difficult (nearly impossible) for a highly motivated athlete to believe that they are driving towards the cliff of burn-out. Any obstacle, injury, aching body, sleepless night etc. – whatever might stand in their way of achieving their goals, will be overcome by a more determined, higher motivated, stringent training programme. The short message here is – you cannot trust yourself to know what you are doing.
Safety Nets
This is why there should be at least two safety nets in place.
The first is a well-documented, training and performance integrated program that includes detailed measurements and monitoring of results – of the training program as well as the performance / competition schedule. One cannot manage something you do not measure. One will most probably not identify the problems / trends as they are developing if the stats and reports of the measurements are not available.
The second is a recovery program that continuously maintain optimal performance. This recovery should address physiological AND psychological recovery.
Body repair
The body needs continuous attention and assisted recovery. Besides hydration, healthy eating habits and a well-maintained sleeping schedule are essential.
But this is not enough. The body has to be supported in recovery optimal functioning. One of the options unfortunately considered by many struggling or recovering athletes is chemical supplements. In selecting such an option, one is in essence making the body ‘lazy’. The body is capable of rebuilding its energy levels, but when undermined in this manner, it will slow down and eventually stop taking responsibility for its own recovery.
A much better and highly efficient rehabilitation treatment is regular myofascial therapy. Energy in the body is created by tissue (in muscles and fascia) sliding freely and smoothly over each other. When the tissue tightens up, dries out, develop knots or restrictions, energy production is compromised. Myofascial therapy not only releases body tightness and rehabilitates overtrained muscles, but assist in enhanced recovery of all body tissue.
Spiritual care
Complimentary to this, regular psychological therapy should be part of the athletes training program to assist in identifying and releasing of emotional stressors due to relationship issues, achievement frustrations and a loss of self-worth, but to name a few. In our practice it is evident that even trauma counselling is often most valuable to get under performing athletes back on track.
The aligning of the self-esteem of the individual with a realistic and achievable performance schedule with enough challenges to satisfy the drive for more, is something a sensitive therapist can assist with.
Burnout amongst high performing athletes has become more common than ever. Hopefully the above reflection on burn-out could make coaches, managers and athletes more aware of the imminent danger of burn-out. Let’s link up with professionals that can complement your sporting career and assist in making you successful – both in life and in sport.
OPTIMOVE is a physical therapy practice with both Myofascial therapy and Trauma therapy expertise to assist in achieving optimal results.