Effect of practice hours on elite junior tennis players’ burnout: Gender differences

This study investigated the effect of training hours on elite junior tennis players’ burnout with attention to gender differences. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used in this research. A sample of 70 junior elite Tunisian tennis players (17.01 ± 0.81y) completed a demographic and the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire. Results showed that 64% ( n = 45) had a low risk, 14% ( n = 10) had a moderate risk, 13% ( n = 9) showed a high risk of burnout and 9% ( n = 6) had burnout with individual differences. Analysis of variance revealed that players who trained more than 12 h (high volume) reported significantly higher scores of the burnout dimensions: emotional and physical exhaustion ( p < 0.001; d = 2.18); sport devaluation ( p < 0.001; d = 2.36); reduced sense of accomplishment ( p < 0.001; d = 2.27); as well general burnout ( p < 0.01; d = 2.69), than players that trained less than 12 h (moderate volume and low volume). The effect of gender was observed in the variables of emotional and physical exhaustion (t = 2.17; p < 0.03), sport devaluation ( t = 2.23; p < 0.029), reduced sense of accomplishment ( t = 2.58; p < 0.012) and general burnout ( t = 2.41; p < 0.019) with female players showing higher scores in all of the burnout dimensions. It was concluded that the high volume of weekly training hours by junior players was associated with higher levels of the general burnout scores and that female players showed higher burnout scores than their male counterparts.

The Quantity and Quality of Anxiety Are Mediating Variables between Motivation, Burnout and Fear of Failing in Sport

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect mediated by self-determined motivation on an athlete’s burnout, anxiety and fear of failure. To this end, the sample group consisting of 235 semi-professional yachtsmen and women was asked to answer four questionnaires which set out to assess each of the study’s variables: Behavioural Regulation in Sport Questionnaire, Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory, Sport Anxiety Scale-2 and Athlete Burnout Questionnaire. The ex-post facto research was designed to analyse a single group based on structural equation modelling (SEM) between the constructs under analysis. The results illustrate that behavioural regulation could be used to positively predict burnout and fear of failure mediated by sport anxiety. Moreover, behavioural regulation has a significant, positive and moderate bearing on burnout and is wholly mediated by sport anxiety. It concludes by underscoring the point that there is no relationship either between behavioural regulation and burnout or between behavioural regulation and fear of failure, unless the athlete in question experiences anxiety.

Self-compassion mediates the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and athlete burnout among adolescent squash players in South Africa

Background: Dispositional mindfulness has been found to positively impact athlete burnout. Furthermore, self- compassion has been identified as a potential mechanism of action through which mindfulness is related to lower rates of athlete burnout. However, this interaction has yet to be investigated among adolescents. Objectives: To determine whether self-compassion mediates the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and athlete burnout among adolescent squash players in South Africa. Methods: Competitive adolescent squash players (n=158) from two provinces in South Africa completed measures of dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion and athlete burnout. Intercorrelations were calculated between the three variables. An ordinary least squares regression analysis was performed to test the indirect effect of self-compassion on the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and the three components of athlete burnout. Results: Both dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion were negatively related to athlete burnout, while displaying positive correlations with each other. Self-compassion was found to partially mediate the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and a sense of reduced accomplishment (b = -0.075; 95% CI [-0.037;-0.012]), as well as the association between dispositional mindfulness and sport devaluation (b = -0.056; 95% CI [-0.099;-0.022]). The relationship between dispositional mindfulness and exhaustion was, however, not mediated by self-compassion (b = -0.002; 95% CI [-0.052; 0.049]). Conclusion: The effect of dispositional mindfulness on certain components of athlete burnout is partially mediated by self- compassion among adolescent athletes. Based on the current findings, interventions aimed at increasing mindfulness among adolescent athletes appear to be a potential avenue by which to reduce certain aspects of burnout, partially through increasing self-compassion.

Perfectionism Moderates the Effects of Goal-Realization on Post-Competition Mood in Amateur Runners

Perfectionism impacts how athletes evaluate their performance. However, little is known about how perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns interplay with athletes’ anticipated and actual performance in predicting mood after the competition. Thus, we conducted a study with amateur runners [n = 152, (72 female, 80 male); Mean±SD age = 34.71 ± 9.57] taking part in a competitive 10-kilometer street run. Perfectionism was measured before the run, while the measurement of mood was taken during the post-competition week. Mood was operationalized in the 3D model of mood, distinguishing between energetic arousal, tense arousal, and hedonic tone. Regression analysis showed that specific patterns of associations between perfectionism and goal-realization explain 17-21% of variance in the dimensions of mood. Higher pleasure after the run was predicted by lower perfectionistic concerns and better conversion of anticipated performance into actual performance. In predicting energy and tension, moderating effects of perfectionistic strivings, perfectionistic concerns, and conversion rate were observed. Johnson-Neyman technique revealed that only athletes low in perfectionistic concerns were able to benefit from lower tension when they met or exceeded their goals for the run. The higher athletes’ perfectionistic strivings and conversion rate the more pronounced effects we observed for affect-energization. Results support the idea of perfectionistic reactivity, where the negative consequences of perfectionism can be observed in a lack of positive reactions to positive events. We also suggest that such a response to meeting or exceeding one’s goal may contribute to the development of athlete burnout and hinder the development athlete engagement.

Paradoxical Relationships between Serum 25(OH)D and Ferritin with Body Composition and Burnout: Variation by Sex and Sports Team

Adequate serum vitamin D and iron levels are thought to influence physical training adaptations and mood positively. The primary purpose of this prospective, observational study was to investigate relationships between serum 25-OH vitamin D/25(OH)D and serum ferritin levels with body composition and athlete burnout symptoms. Seventy-three collegiate athletes (female: n = 49; male: n = 24) from indoor (swimming, basketball) and outdoor (soccer, cross-country) sports were tested pre-season and post-season for serum 25(OH)D and serum ferritin (nutrient biomarkers) via venipuncture; body composition (total lean mass, bone mineral density/BMD, and % body fat) via dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans; and athlete burnout symptoms (post-season) via the athlete burnout questionnaire (ABQ). When male and female cohorts were combined, significant correlations (Pearson’s r) were noted between pre-season serum 25(OH)D versus the change (∆: post-season minus pre-season) in both BMD (r = −0.34; p = 0.0003) and % body fat (r = −0.28; p = 0.015). Serum ferritin ∆ was significantly associated with lean mass ∆ (r = −0.34; p = 0.003). For burnout symptoms, serum 25(OH)D ∆ significantly explained 20.6% of the variance for devaluation of the sport in the male cohort only. Across time, serum 25(OH)D levels decreased while serum ferritin levels increased, non-significantly, in both males and females. Relationships between nutrient biomarkers and body composition were opposite of physiological expectations.

Associations Between C-Reactive Protein Levels, Exercise Addiction, and Athlete Burnout in Endurance Athletes

Regular physical activity can support long-term health maintenance, e.g., by reducing inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. However, excessive physical activity can promote the development of both mental and physical illness as well. From a psychological perspective, excessive exercise can lead to the development of exercise addiction (EA) and athlete burnout (AB). However, EA and AB have been rarely investigated so far and it is still unknown whether they are associated with risk factors for physical diseases such as increased CRP levels. In our study, we investigated whether EA and AB in endurance athletes are associated with CRP concentrations. Furthermore, sex differences and prevalence rates of EA were investigated. Ninety-five endurance athletes participated (54.7% female, mean age = 31.8 ± 15.02 years). CRP levels were assessed by means of Dried Blood Spots. For EA and AB assessment, the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI) and the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) were used. Exercise addiction was negatively associated with CRP in men. No associations were found for women. None of the ABQ subscales (physical and emotional exhaustion, devaluation of sports, and reduced sense of accomplishment) was associated with CRP levels or with EA. Prevalence of EA was 4.2%. More than 80% of the participants were at risk for EA development. Our results suggest that EA is not necessarily associated with a higher risk for physical diseases through inflammatory pathways. However, EA is a serious mental illness that is widespread in athletes, at least at a subclinical level.

Changes in Nutrient Biomarkers, Body Composition, and Burnout Symptoms in Collegiate Athletes across a Season

Adequate serum vitamin D and iron levels are thought to positively influence physical training adaptations and mood. The purpose of this prospective, observational, study was to investigate relationships between serum 25-OH vitamin D and serum ferritin levels with body composition and athlete burnout symptoms. Seventy-three collegiate athletes (49 female) from 7 indoor and outdoor sports were tested pre-season and post-season for: nutrient biomarkers (serum 25-OH vitamin D and serum ferritin) via venipuncture; body composition (total lean mass, bone mineral densi-ty/BMD, and % body fat) via dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans; and athlete burnout symptoms (post-season) via the athlete burnout questionnaire (ABQ). When male and female co-horts were combined, significant relationships were noted between pre-season serum 25-OH vit-amin D versus the change (∆: post-season minus pre-season) in both BMD (r=-0.34;p=0.0003) and % body fat (r=-0.28;p=0.015). Serum ferritin ∆ was significantly associated with lean mass ∆ (r=-0.34;p=0.003). For burnout symptoms, serum 25-OH vitamin D ∆ significantly explained 20.6% of the variance for devaluation of sport in the male cohort only. Across time, serum 25-OH vitamin D levels increased while serum ferritin levels decreased, non-significantly, in both males and fe-males. Relationships between nutrient biomarkers and body composition were opposite of physio-logical expectations.

The Effect of Social Support on Athlete Burnout in Weightlifters: The Mediation Effect of Mental Toughness and Sports Motivation

Objectives: Athlete burnout is a crucial concern affecting the development and athletic performance of young weightlifters. To reduce or relieve the prevalence of athlete burnout, this study examined the relationship across social support, sports motivation, mental toughness, and athlete burnout in weightlifters.Methods: A total of 315 weightlifters aged 17–28 years old (151 males, 164 females; Mage = 18.89 years, SD = 3.66) from Sichuan, Chongqing, and Shanxi in China participated in this survey. The Perceived Available Support in Sport Questionnaire (PASS-Q), Sports Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ), Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ), and Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) were used in this study. SPSS Statistics 19.0, AMOS 21.0, and PROCESS 3.0 macro were used to analyze the collected data.Results: The results indicated that weightlifters’ social support could negatively significantly affect athlete burnout [beta = −0.398; 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.3699, −0.2184; P &lt; 0.05) via mental toughness and sports motivation. The mediation analysis revealed that they had partial mediating effect, including three paths: First, social support had a direct effect on athlete burnout (beta = −0.150; 95% CI: −0.1824, −0.0397; P &lt; 0.05); second, sport mental toughness had a mediating effect on athlete burnout (beta = −0.113; 95% CI: −0.1703, −0.0631; P &lt; 0.05); and finally, sports motivation had a mediating effect on athlete burnout (beta = −0.124; 95% CI: −0.1751, −0.0793; P &lt; 0.05).Conclusion: The findings revealed that social support could inhibit or prevent athlete burnout via mental toughness and sports motivation; thus, to decrease or relieve the prevalence of burnout in weightlifters, it is an important solution to enhance their social support.