Training¿¿¿s Effect on Burnout Over Time
Undergraduate: Shelby Waldron
Faculty Advisor: J.D. DeFreese
Department: Exercise & Sport Science
Burnout, the multidimensional psychological syndrome of reduced sense of athletic accomplishment, sport devaluation, and physical and emotional exhaustion, has important implications for athletes¿¿¿ performance and well-being. Burnout may be a maladaptive psychophysiological response to high training demands that result in overtraining syndrome. However, recent research has found mixed results in regards to training¿¿¿s relationship with burnout. Therefore, this study examined associations between training (combination of hours and perceived intensity) and burnout, using a longitudinal design. UNC women¿¿¿s club cheer athletes (N = 11) completed online self-report assessments of demographic information and study variables, four times (biweekly) over a six week period. Repeated measures ANOVAs showed that individuals¿¿¿ burnout scores remained relatively stable over the six weeks, as there was not a significant main effect of time, F(3, 21) = .65, p > .05. However, there was a significant interaction effect on burnout between time at four weeks and training at two weeks, F(1, 7) = 5.42, p =.05, as well as six weeks, F(1, 7) = 6.30, p < .05. Athletes who reported more training, tended to report higher burnout scores at four weeks. This pilot study serves to fill the gap in knowledge about changes in individuals¿¿¿ burnout over time; subsequently, affirming the utility of future, large-scale longitudinal studies.