Download PDF
Int J Sports Med 2001; 22(6): 460-465
DOI: 10.1055/s-2001-16250
Behavior

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Training Practices and Overtraining Syndrome in Swedish Age-Group Athletes

G. Kenttä1 , P. Hassmén1, 2 , J. S. Raglin3
  • 1Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Sweden
  • 2Stockholm University College of Physical Education and Sports, Sweden
  • 3Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University, USA
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
31 December 2001 (online)

Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Heavy training in combination with inadequate recovery actions can result in the overtraining/staleness syndrome and burnout. Even young and aspiring elite athletes develop staleness. The aim was therefore to determine the incidence and nature of staleness, and its association with training behavior and psychosocial stressors in young elite athletes. A sample of 272 individuals from 16 sports completed questionnaires on training, staleness, and psychosocial stress and 37 % reported being stale at least once. The incidence rate was higher for individual sports (48 %) compared with team (30 %) and less physically demanding sports (18 %). Stale athletes reported greater perceptual changes and negatively elevated mood scores in comparison to healthy athletes. Staleness was distinguished from burnout on the basis of motivational consequences; 41 % of the athletes lost their motivation for training, which in turn indicates a state of burnout. Further, 35 % of the athletes reported low satisfaction with time spent on important relationships, 29 % rated the relationship with their coach as ranging from very, very bad to only moderately good. The results indicate that staleness is a widespread problem among young athletes in a variety of sports, and is not solely related to physical training, but also to non-training stressors.

Key words:

Athletics, staleness, burnout, motivation, and psychosocial stress.

References

  • 1 Berglund B, Säfström H. Psychological monitoring and modulation of training load of world-class canoeists.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1994;  26 1036-1040
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Borg G. Perceived exertion as an indicator of somatic stress.  Scand J Rehab Med. 1970;  2 92-98
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Borg G. Borg’s scales of perceived exertion and pain. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 1998
    Google Scholar
  • 4 Brewer B, Van Raalte J, Linder D. Athletic identity: Hercules’ muscles or Achilles’ heel?.  Int J Sport Psych. 1993;  24 237-254
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Coakley J. Burnout among adolescent athletes: A personal failure or social problem?.  Sociology Sport J. 1992;  9 271-285
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Fry R W, Morton A R, Keast D. Overtraining in athletes: An update.  Sports Med. 1991;  12 32-65
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Hollander D B, Meyers M C, LeUnes A. Psychological factors associated with overtraining: Implications for youth sport coaches.  J Sport Behav. 1995;  18 3-20
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Hooper S L, MacKinnon L T, Gordon R D, Bachmann A W. Hormonal responses of elite swimmers to overtraining.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1993;  25 741-747
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Hooper S L, Mackinnon L T, Howard A, Gordon R D, Bachmann A W. Markers for monitoring overtraining and recovery.  Med Sci Sports Excerc. 1995;  27 106-112
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Kenttä G, Hassmén P. Over-training and recovery: A conceptual model.  Sports Med. 1998;  26 1-16
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Kenttä G, Hassmén P. Incidence of staleness and burnout in competitive athletes in relation to self-identity. In: Henschen K (ed) The Third World Congress on Mental Training. Salt Lake City, Utah; Salt Lake University 1999: 185-187
    Google Scholar
  • 12 Kenttä G, Hassmén P. Under-recovery and overtraining: A conceptual model. In: Kellmann M (ed) Optimal Recovery: Preventing Underperformance in Athletes. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics in press
    Google Scholar
  • 13 Kreider RB, Fry A C, O’Toole M L. Overtraining in sport. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 1998
    Google Scholar
  • 14 Kuipers H, Keizer H A. Overtraining in elite athletes: Review and directions for the future.  Sports Med. 1988;  6 248-252
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Lehmann M, Foster C, Keul J. Overtraining in endurance athletes: A brief review.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1993;  25 854-861
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Lehmann M, Schnee W, Scheu R, Stockhausen W, Bachl N. Decreased nocturnal catecholomine excretion: Parameter for an overtraining syndrome in athletes?.  Int J Sports Med. 1992;  13 236-242
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Mackinnon L T. The effect of overreaching and overtraining on immune function. In: Kreider RB, Fry AC, O’Toole ML (eds) Overtraining in Sport. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 1998: 219-241
    Google Scholar
  • 18 McNair D M, Lorr M, Droppleman L F. EDITS manual for the Profile of Mood States. San Diego, CA; Educational and Industrial Testing Service 1992
    Google Scholar
  • 19 Morgan W P, Brown D R, Raglin J S, O’Connor P J, Ellickson K A. Psychological monitoring of overtraining and staleness.  British J Sports Med. 1987;  21 107-114
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Morgan W P, O’Connor P J, Sparling P B, Pate R R. Psychological characterization of the elite female distance runner.  Int J Sports Med. 1987;  8 124-131
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Morgan W P, O’Connor P J, Ellickson K A, Bradley P W. Personality structure, mood states, and performance in elite male distance runners.  Int J Sport Psych. 1988;  19 247-263
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Morgan W P, Costill D L, Flynn M G, Raglin J S, O’Connor P J. Mood disturbance following increased training in swimmers.  Med Sci Sport Exerc. 1988;  20 408-414
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Nixon H L. Coaches’ views of risk, pain, and injury in sport, with special reference to gender differences.  Sociology Sport J. 1994;  11 79-87
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 O’Connor P J, Morgan W P, Raglin J S, Barksdale C M, Kalin N H. Mood state and salivary cortisol changes following overtraining in female swimmers.  Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1989;  14 303-310
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Raedeke T D. Is athlete burnout more than just stress? A sport commitment perspective.  J Sport Exerc Psych. 1997;  19 396-417
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Raglin J S. Overtraining and staleness: Psychometric monitoring of endurance athletes. In: Singer RN, Murphey M, Tennant LK (eds) Handbook of Research on Sport Psychology. New York; Macmillan 1993: 840-850
    Google Scholar
  • 27 Raglin J S, Morgan W P. Development of a scale for use in monitoring training-induced distress in athletes.  Int J Sports Med. 1994;  15 84-88
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Raglin J S, Hanin Y L. Competitive anxiety. In: Hanin YL (ed) Emotions in Sport. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 2000: 93-111
    Google Scholar
  • 29 Raglin J S, Wilson G. Overtraining and staleness in athletes. In: Hanin YL (ed) Emotions in Sports. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 2000: 191-207
    Google Scholar
  • 30 Raglin J S, Sawamura S, Alexiou S, Hassmén P, Kenttä G. Training practices and staleness in 13 - 18 year old swimmers: A cross-cultural study.  Pediatric Sports Med. 2000;  12 61-70
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Rowbottom D G, Keast D, Morton A R. Monitoring and preventing overreaching and overtraining in athletes. In: Kreider RB, Fry AC, O’Toole ML (eds) Overtraining in Sport. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 1998: 47-66
    Google Scholar
  • 32 Sarason I G, Sarason B R, Pierece G R. Social support, personality, and performance.  Appl Sport Psych. 1989;  2 117-127
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 33 Schmidt G W, Stein G L. Sport commitment: A model integrating enjoyment, dropout, and burnout.  J Sport Exerc Psych. 1991;  8 254-265
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Verma S K, Mahindroo S R, Kansal D K. Effects of four weeks of hard physical training on certain physiological and morphological parameters of basket-ball-players.  J Sports Med. 1978;  18 379-84
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 Weiss M R, Chaumeton N. Motivation orientations in sport. In: Horn T (ed) Advances in Sport Psychology. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 1992: 61-99
    Google Scholar

G. Kenttä

Department of Psychology Stockholm University

106 91 Stockholm
Sweden


Phone: +46 (8) 16 38 96

Fax: +46 (8) 15 93 42

Email: gka@psychology.su.se

      >