What Is Sports Burnout?

Sports burnout is a response to chronic stress after the continued demands of playing a sport or doing an activity without the necessary or proper recovery periods. This can happen to any athlete, but it’s most common in younger athletes. For all athletes, parents, and coaches, it’s important to be aware of the signs and phases of burnout.

There are three main stages of sports burnout. The first stage is a feeling of staleness; performance during this time is usually lacking in energy. The second stage is a period of overtraining, where performance begins to stagnate due to the lack of energy. The final stage of burnout is when the athlete has become exhausted and begins to withdraw from the sport or activity. 

There are a few ways to prevent or overcome burnout. One is to make sure that you or your athlete allows for recovery time after sports activities. It can also be helpful to engage in different sports and change up activities as well as exercises, workouts, and types of goals in the short and long term to provide more balance to daily life. 

For more information on sports burnout or if you or your athlete is experiencing a sports-related injury, request an appointment online with one of our sports medicine specialists at Southern Indiana Orthopedics or call (812) 376-9353.