Overtraining In Sports Essay

Did you know that by some estimates, up to 60 percent of competitive athletes overtrain at some point? A recent study conducted showed that over 15 percent of 200 elite British athletes tested met the criteria for being overtrained, and thus, felt the effects of a “burnout” (Reynolds 1). To understand the toll that overtraining can take on an athlete’s life, consider Whitney Myers, a world class swimmer at the University of Arizona. In 2006, Myers won the women’s N.C.A.A. title in the 200 and 400-yard individual medleys, while going on to win gold in the 200-meter individual medley at the Pan Pacific Championships. Less than a year later, however, she stumbled under pressure at the 2007 Long-Course Championships, making the finals in only one

Prior research has determined, according to Yelverton, that athletes are at an increased chance to burnout if they are participating in a sport for reasons other than sport attraction. In other words, if athletes are pushed to achieve at a high level in activities they present no interest in, burnouts to those individuals seem to increase by chance. The well known theory, and common definition proposed by numerous doctors to help describe stressors athletes face, is in fact, known as a “burnout,” or “a response by an athlete to chronic stress in which he or she ceases to participate in a previously enjoyable activity, withdrawing from the sport because they perceive it is not possible to meet the physical and psychological demands of the sport” (Lindsey Barton Straus, JD 1). Research has provided critical information on the stresses athletes endure on a daily basis. If an athlete is in a stressful situation, subsequently, their athletic performance will become affected (Mackenzie 3). There are various aspects of an athlete's life that can prompt stress at definite times. This may emerge due to commitments in the areas of study, sport or family/social life. Finding the healthy balance is the key, as without balance, variations within what is being prioritized only add