Overtraining or burnout : a training and psycho-behavioural case study

The aim of this article is to present case study data that challenges the popular conception that athlete burnout represents the ultimate outcome of overtraining. A young male triathlete (22 yrs) completed a comprehensive training diary, along with the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) and the Multi-component Training Distress Scale (MTDS) weekly from the commencement of pre-season training, until the end of the competitive season 45 weeks later. Results were analysed retrospectively upon completion of the season and followed up with semi-structured interviews with the coach and athlete. These longitudinal observations are the first to document an athlete who appears to have simultaneously become overtrained and developed athlete burnout as measured by the ABQ. Thus we are advocating a need for future research to clarify differences between these two training-stress syndromes, specifically in relation to their aetiology, to avoid misdiagnosis and to ensure appropriate treatment for athletes experiencing these conditions is provided

Factors affecting maritime pilots\u27 health and well-being : a systematic review

Background: Maritime pilotage is a demanding occupation where pilots are required to perform complex procedures in sometimes unfamiliar working environments. These psychological stressors, in addition tothe physical demands associated with the role (e.g., reduced sleep, boarding, and departing vessels), may over time have a damaging effect on pilots’ physical and mental health. Therefore the aim of this paper was to systematically review the existing literature on maritime pilots’ health and well-being.Materials and methods: The databases academic search complete, MEDLINE and MEDLINE complete, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, PubMed, and ScienceDirect were searched from the earliest available record until 1 May 2015. From an initial pool of 167 manuscripts retrieved, only 18 were peer-reviewed original research and discussed topics associated with maritime pilots’ health and well-being.Results: In total, 29 factors associated with maritime pilot health and well-being were identified. These were loosely categorised into physical (n = 14), psychosocial (n = 8), and workplace issues (n = 7). The most commonly investigated factors were blood pressure or heart rate, sleep or fatigue, smoking and alcohol consumption, perceived stress, and shift duration or cycle. Conclusions: Findings from the review suggest that the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and associated cardio-metabolic risk factors seems to be of paramount importance, with ample evidence indicating that modern-day pilots present as being overweight or obese. What remains unknown is whether these physical factors are associated with variations in psychosocial functioning. Therefore, it is recommended that future pilotage investigations adopt a multidisciplinary approach to better quantify the impact of maritimepilotage on long-term health and well-being

Symptoms of fatigue and coping strategies in maritime pilotage

Background: Little is known regarding the symptoms of fatigue that maritime pilots experience during shift work. Moreover, the strategies these individuals use to cope with the onset of fatigue are also unknown. The current study explored the symptoms of fatigue and coping strategies experienced by maritime pilots when on-shift. Material and methods: Fifty maritime pilots were recruited via an advertisement in the national association’s quarterly newsletter (Mage = 51.42; SD = 9.81). Participants responded to a modified version of the questionnaire used with aviation pilots that assessed overall fatigue, and the symptoms pilots associated with fatigue on duty. Methods pilots used to cope with fatigue before shift and when on the bridge were also assessed. Results: There were significant effects for pilot vitality on 4 categories of fatigue: cognitive dysfunction; emotional disturbance; mean physical effects; and sleepiness. There were no significant effects for vitality on any of the self-reported coping strategy factors. Conclusions: The findings indicated that maritime pilots experience a variety of physical, behavioural, and cognitive fatigue symptoms when on shift. Some of these symptoms are similar to those reported by aviation pilots. However, unlike aviation pilots, maritime pilots reported utilising self-sufficient coping strategies to deal with the experience of fatigue

Factors affecting maritime pilots’ health and well-being: a systematic review

Background: Maritime pilotage is a demanding occupation where pilots are required to perform complex procedures in sometimes unfamiliar working environments. These psychological stressors, in addition to the physical demands associated with the role (e.g., reduced sleep, boarding, and departing vessels), may over time have a damaging effect on pilots’ physical and mental health. Therefore the aim of this paper was to systematically review the existing literature on maritime pilots’ health and well-being. Materials and methods: The databases academic search complete, MEDLINE and MEDLINE complete, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, PubMed, and ScienceDirect were searched from the earliest available record until 1 May 2015. From an initial pool of 167 manuscripts retrieved, only 18 were peer-reviewed original research and discussed topics associated with maritime pilots’ health and well-being. Results: In total, 29 factors associated with maritime pilot health and well-being were identified. These were loosely categorised into physical (n = 14), psychosocial (n = 8), and workplace issues (n = 7). The most commonly investigated factors were blood pressure or heart rate, sleep or fatigue, smoking and alcohol consumption, perceived stress, and shift duration or cycle. Conclusions: Findings from the review suggest that the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and associated cardio-metabolic risk factors seems to be of paramount importance, with ample evidence indicating that modern-day pilots present as being overweight or obese. What remains unknown is whether these physical factors are associated with variations in psychosocial functioning. Therefore, it is recommended that future pilotage investigations adopt a multidisciplinary approach to better quantify the impact of maritime pilotage on long-term health and well-being.

Stressors, Recovery Processes, and Manifestations of Training Distress in Dance

Abstract Dancers are expected to maintain consistently high levels of performance capability and to perform on demand. To meet these expectations, they subject their bodies to long hours of intensive physical training. Such training regimens are often combined with tight rehearsal and performance schedules, which over time, can lead to persistent fatigue, psychological distress, performance decrements, and injury. A similar process has been observed as a consequence of high-intensity training in many different sports, and considerable sport-related research has been devoted to identifying the antecedents, the symptoms that are experienced, and the most cost-effective ways of monitoring symptom development. This paper presents a general heuristic framework for understanding this “training distress process” and discusses the framework with specific reference to dance

Monitoring athletes through self-report: factors influencing implementation

Monitoring athletic preparation facilitates the evaluation and adjustment of practices to optimize performance outcomes. Self-report measures such as questionnaires and diaries are suggested to be a simple and cost-effective approach to monitoring an athlete’s response to training, however their efficacy is dependent on how they are implemented and used. This study sought to identify the perceived factors influencing the implementation of athlete self-report measures (ASRM) in elite sport settings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with athletes, coaches and sports science and medicine staff at a national sporting institute (n = 30). Interviewees represented 20 different sports programs and had varying experience with ASRM. Purported factors influencing the implementation of ASRM related to the measure itself (e.g., accessibility, timing of completion), and the social environment (e.g., buy-in, reinforcement). Social environmental factors included individual, inter-personal and organizational levels which is consistent with a social ecological framework. An adaptation of this framework was combined with the factors associated with the measure to illustrate the inter-relations and influence upon compliance, data accuracy and athletic outcomes. To improve implementation of ASRM and ultimately athletic outcomes, a multi-factorial and multi-level approach is needed

The role of a self-report measure in athlete preparation

Athlete self-report measures (ASRM) are a common and cost-effective method of athlete monitoring. It is purported that ASRM be used to detect athletes at risk of overtraining, injury or illness, allowing intervention through training modification. However it is not known whether ASRM are actually being used for or are achieving these objectives in the applied sport setting. Therefore the aim of this study was to better understand how ASRM are being used in elite sports and their role in athletic preparation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted one-on-one with athletes, coaches and sports science and medicine staff (n=30) at a national sporting institute. Interview recordings were transcribed and analysed for emergent themes. Twelve day-to-day and seven longer-term practices were identified which contributed to a four-step process of ASRM use (record data, review data, contextualize, act). In addition to the purported uses, ASRM facilitated information disclosure and communication amongst athletes and staff and between staff, and improved the understanding and management of athlete preparation. These roles of ASRM are best achieved through engagement of athletes, coaches and support staff in the systematic, cyclic process

Relationship between inflammatory cytokines and self-report measures of training overload

It has been purported that inflammatory cytokines may be responsible for the aetiology of overtraining. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between self-reported measures of overtraining and inflammatory cytokines. Eight elite male rowers were monitored in their natural training environment for 8 weeks prior to the 2007 Rowing World Championships. During this period of intense endurance training, self-report measures of overtraining and inflammatory cytokines (Interleukin (IL)-1&beta;, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-) were assessed fortnightly. Consistent with previous findings, proinflammatory cytokines IL-1&beta; and TNF- were significantly associated (p &le; 0.05) with measures of depressed mood, sleep disturbances, and stress. Similarly, IL-6 was significantly associated (p &le; 0.01) with measures of depressed mood, sleep disturbances, and fatigue. These results are consistent with previous hypotheses describing how overtraining may be caused by excessive cytokine release, and lend further support for a cytokine hypothesis of overtraining. <br /

Athlete self-report measures in research and practice: considerations for the discerning reader and fastidious practitioner

Athlete self-report measures (ASRM) have the potential to provide valuable insight into the training response, however there exists a disconnect between research and practice which needs to be addressed. Namely, the measure or methods used in research are not always reflective of practice, or data primarily obtained from practice lacks empirical quality. This commentary reviews existing empirical measures, and the psychometric properties required to be considered acceptable for research and practice. This information will allow discerning readers to make a judgement on the quality of ASRM data being reported in research papers. Fastidious practitioners and researchers are also provided with explicit guidelines for selecting and implementing an ASRM, and reporting these details in research papers

The stress of fire fighting - implications for long term health outcomes

Fire and rescue staff routinely endure significant psychological and environmental stress exposure on the job. While much has been done to improve understanding of the physiological effects of exposure to these conditions, little has been done to quantify the inflammatory stress response that firefighters are exposed to during wildfire suppression. Therefore the aim of the present study was to explore whether firefighters experienced a change in inflammatory markers following one day, and across two days of wildfire suppression tasks. Twelve male fire-fighters participated in two consecutive days of live-fire prescribed burn operations in Ngarkat National Park, South Australia. Typical work tasks included lighting burns, patrolling containment lines, supressing spot fires, and operating vehicles. A number of the inflammatory markers changed significantly across the course of a shift and several presented with an attenuated response across the second day. This finding implies that there was a compounding effect of repeated exposure to these stressors which could have considerable implications for managing fire-fighters health and wellbeing over a multi-day campaign. Further research is required to see which fire ground stressor, or combination of stressors is causing these changes in the inflammatory markers across consecutive work shifts