How to Prevent and Treat Burnout in Endurance Sports
Burnout and physical tiredness are caused by excessive training volume and intensity combined with insufficient rest and recuperation.
Burnout manifests itself in a variety of ways, including physical, psychological, emotional, and performance issues.
Consistent rest, adequate diet and hydration, a midway break, and cross-training are all good ways to prevent or cure burnout.
Athletes who participate in endurance sports such as running, bicycling, triathlons, swim races, cross-country skiing, mountain climbing, trekking, or any other activity aren’t typically known for being unwilling to put in the long hours of effort required to achieve their sometimes-awe-inspiring goals, and this is especially true for those who compete in multiple sports at the same time.
On the contrary, many ESAs are too driven, and it is often necessary to hold them back rather than pushing them ahead. Retaining dedicated ESAs, whether it’s yourself, a training partner, or someone you teach, may seem like a Sisyphean chore at the same time. The problem with continuing to “pedal to the metal” for an extended period of time is that it creates a condition that causes anxiety in the hearts of those very same ESAs: chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). What exactly am I talking about? (As chills go down my spine, I think of burnout.)
Typically, burnout is produced by an excessive amount of training volume and intensity combined with a lack of adequate rest and recuperation, with the end consequence being physical depletion. Moreover, psychological and emotional overinvestment (e.g., when your self-identity, self-esteem, and life goals related to endurance sports become overly central to who you are and how you feel about yourself) in endurance sports can lead to burnout, which is marked by mental and emotional exhaustion, as well as stress, unpleasantness, and interference with daily functioning.
Because it causes in us psychological, emotional, physical, and performance impacts that are diametrically opposed to the reasons for why we participate in endurance sports in the first place, burnout among ESAs is very anxiety-inducing.
Physical
Fatigue
Energy consumption is minimal.
Problems with sleep
Modifications in dietary habits
Fitness levels are slipping.
Heart rate that is elevated
Incidence of sickness has increased.
Injuries are becoming more frequent and recurrent.
Psychological
Motivation has waned.
Confidence is on the decline.
Negativity
Inability to concentrate
Resilience has been weakened.
Emotional distress resulting from a negative self-perception
a decrease in enthusiasm
Depression
Anxiety \Frustration
Hopelessness
Irritability
Oversensitivity
Performance
Passivity \Tension
Performances that are tentative
Giving up without a fight
Rather of being proactive, reactivity is preferred.
You may wonder why any ESA would put themselves in a position where they might suffer from burnout, given the very painful consequences of such a situation.
The basic truth is that, for the vast majority of ESAs, we are unable to prevent this. That is, we are unable to control our behavior until we reach a breaking point, at which point burnout strikes us in the face (apologies for the mixed metaphor). Usually, it is only after we have experienced the full symptoms of burnout that we are able to identify it for what it is and take proactive efforts to relieve ourselves of the load that burnout has placed upon our shoulders.
Burnout may be prevented and relieved in many ways.
When it comes to burnout, the best case scenario is prevention, which means approaching your training and racing in a manner that prevents burnout from raising its ugly head in the first place. Given the kind of individuals that participate in endurance sports, such a situation is exceedingly implausible. Nonetheless, Therefore, when burnout does occur, it is critical to respond in a good and healthy manner. Fortunately, most of the tactics employed in both prevention and treatment are the same, and they may be applied with similar success.
Physical
Training program that is well-balanced and offers variation to keep training exciting and new.
A consistent amount of rest (for example, one day off each week; three weeks of high volume/intensity, one week of low volume/intensity) is essential.
Pay attention to your body (it speaks very clearly; you have to hear and understand it)
Nutrition and hydration in moderation
Lots of sleep Don’t overdo it with the races Allow yourself time to recuperate after each race
Psychological
Take steps to ensure that your endurance sports have a positive impact on your life (it should be a part of a balanced life, not life itself)
Make certain that you are participating in endurance sports for health reasons (.e.g., to have fun, to live a healthy life, to push your limits, to share the challenges with others)
Have a variety of activities that provide you with significance, fulfillment, and enjoyment.
Concentrate less on the outcome and more on the process.
Take a break in the middle of the season.
Check in with your team or club to make sure you’re receiving (and offering) enough of support and encouragement from everyone there.
Off-season
Rather of taking a break from training, many ESAs use the so-called off-season to ramp up their efforts in order to be ready for the next racing season in the spring. Definitely not a good idea in my opinion! On the contrary, I would argue that the off-season, albeit not really “off,” is a time to recuperate from whatever burnout you may have collected during the previous season and to prepare yourself to avoid burnout during the following season.
If you want to avoid burnout, I have five suggestions that will put you in a better physical and psychological state as you approach the following season. 1. Exercise regularly.
The first and most apparent is to get plenty of rest, which means reducing the amount and, more importantly, the intensity of training during the off-season.
Second, give yourself a mental vacation by putting other elements of your life first, whether they be job, family, friends, or recreational activities.
Third, make use of cross-training. Doing diverse tasks stimulates your mind and body by introducing variety and freshness into your routine. Additionally, cross-training allows you to develop into a more well-rounded athlete, which will assist you in being a better ESA.
Fourth, let go of your training measures such as pace, distance, heart rate, power, and other variables. Instead, concentrate on just enjoying the experience of your endurance activities without worrying about your stats, fitness, or any potential improvements you may wish to achieve.
