Overtraining Athletes

by Richardson, Sean

• ISBN13: 9780736067874
• ISBN10: 0736067876
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-04-18
• Publisher: Human Kinetics

Summary

Overtraining Athletes: Personal Journeys in Sportseeks to communicate the complex subject of overtraining to help athletes, coaches, parents, and sport science professionals understand the dangers of overtraining and take steps toward prevention. Using history and research, current experts'perspectives, and athletes'personal experiences, Overtraining Athletesidentifies forces that push athletes to overtrain by sharing the struggles of those athletes and the sport professionals who seek to help them.The text employs a nonlinear structure, allowing the flexibility to sample chapters from each of its four parts based on interest and level of knowledge about the topic. By presenting the phenomenon of overtraining from a variety of perspectives and with varying degrees of technicality, the book engages a wide range of readers while presenting significant research and studies in the area. Each of the four parts of the text displays a distinct method for discovering how overtraining affects athletes, coaches, parents, and professionals.Part Ibegins with a review of research examining aspects of overtraining, including prevalence, physiological and psychological manifestations, and outcomes. It concludes by discussing risk factors that increase the probability of overtraining. In part IIcoaches'and sport scientists'views on overtraining risk factors are presented. The authors interviewed 14 experts from major sport organizations in Australia to glean their perspectives on the possible variables associated with overtraining. With the perspectives of these experts, readers may identify the characteristics, behaviors, and experiences of susceptible athletes, as well as the situations, factors, sport cultures, and people that both pressure athletes to increase their training and affect athletes'needs for recovery.In part IIIthe focus turns to the experiences of the athletes. Drawing on interviews from 13 athletes with identified histories of chronic overtraining, the authors present three aggregate case studies:-A professional footballer influenced by economic forces, internalized cliched slogans, tough sport cultures, and traditional abusive practices-A triathlete obsessed with the pursuit of the Olympic gold-A young gymnast-turned-cyclist pressured by abusive coaches and an overinvolved parent These three narratives, in addition to a description of Richardson's own overtraining experience, create a rich, detailed account of athletes'struggles with overtraining. Part III concludes with observations and reflections on these four overtraining narratives to further explain how readers can learn from these athletes.In part IV, the authors introduce a comprehensive model of overtraining risks and outcomes. This model is examined in relation to other overtraining models, thus accentuating its importance as a useful, fluid tool for identifying athletes who might be at risk as well as environments and cultures that increase vulnerability to overtraining. Part IV concludes with a discussion of future directions for research and professional practice and suggestions for further study. Overtraining Athletesuncovers both the personal and interpersonal struggles encountered by athletes who overtrain. Its qualitative focus, current research, and future directions encourage readers to learn about the topic and take action in the treatment and prevention of overtraining. The authors hope the book will also encourage others to tell their stories, gather new data, and continue to unravel the question of why athletes become damaged through their participation in sport.

Author Biography

Mark B. Andersen is a professor in the School of Human Movement, Recreation and Performance at Victoria University (Melbourne, Australia).

Table of Contents

Preface: Reading This Book	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introduction	p. xv
What We Know So Far	p. 1
Introduction to Research and Terminology in Overtraining: Introduction to Overtraining	p. 3
Past Studies and Limitations in Overtraining Research	p. 3
Sorting Out the Terminology of Overtraining	p. 5
Why Language Is Important	p. 11
Stress and Recovery: Taking a Broader Viewpoint	p. 11
Conclusions	p. 12
How Big Is It? The Prevalence and Manifestation of Overtraining	p. 15
Prevalence Research and Data for Overtraining	p. 16
Markers of Overtraining	p. 18
Other Overtraining Outcomes	p. 27
Conclusions	p. 30
What Brings It On? Risk Factors for Overtraining	p. 33
Risk Factors for Overtraining	p. 34
Directions for Research on Overtraining Phenomena	p. 44
Conclusions	p. 44
What the Experts Have to Say	p. 47
Coaches' and Sport Scientists' Views on Risk Factors	p. 49
Characteristics, Behaviors, Attitudes, and Experiences of Susceptible Athletes	p. 49
People, Factors, and Situations That Pressure Athletes to Increase Training	p. 52
People, Factors, and Situations That Affect Athletes' Needs for Recovery	p. 56
Conclusions	p. 58
Burnt Cookies: Conversations With an Exercise Physiologist	p. 61
Introducing the Exercise Physiologist	p. 61
Studying Oneself	p. 61
Training as an Exercise Physiologist	p. 62
The Source of Fascination: Connecting Dave's Story With His Athletes	p. 64
Coaches and Overtraining	p. 66
Stories of Professional Elitism	p. 68
Exercise Physiologist as Lay Psychologist	p. 69
Burnt Cookies	p. 70
Further Conversation With David Martin	p. 71
Why Does Overtraining Keep Happening?	p. 72
The Exercise Physiologist-Athlete Relationship	p. 73
When Service Goes Pear-Shaped	p. 74
The Quality of Relationships Fuels Change	p. 74
Why Do I Do What I Do?	p. 75
Reflections on David	p. 76
Sport Systems Can Damage: Conversations With a Sport Psychologist	p. 79
Introducing Dr. Trisha Leahy	p. 79
Overtraining, Abuse, and Trauma	p. 80
Are You Uncomfortable Now?	p. 81
Exploring Perceived Risks	p. 82
The System Is the Problem	p. 84
Individual Risks Versus System Risks: False Dichotomies	p. 84
Psychosocial and Family Dynamics	p. 85
Harassment in Sport	p. 86
Silencing Men's Voices in Sport	p. 87
Five Years Later in Hong Kong: Overtraining and Trauma Revisited	p. 88
Duty of Care and Professional Bystanding	p. 89
You Have to Be Mentally Tough: Cultural Values That Justify Abuse	p. 92
Men in Sport Revisited	p. 92
The Power of Early Experiences	p. 94
Perfectionism and Idealism	p. 95
Reflections on Trisha	p. 96
A Closing Story for Part II	p. 97
What Can We Learn From Athletes?	p. 99
The Pathogenic World of Professional Sport: Steve's Tale	p. 101
Introducing Steve	p. 101
Early Ambivalence About Sport	p. 101
Love of the Game and Regret	p. 102
Playing for Pay	p. 103
Injury Mismanagement	p. 104
Coach and Medical Staff Pressures	p. 105
Going the Extra Mile	p. 107
Lessons Learned Early	p. 108
The Culture of Footy	p. 109
Living and Performing for Others	p. 112
Reflections on Steve	p. 112
A Case of Olympic Seduction: John's Tale	p. 115
Introducing John and His Seduction	p. 115
Olympic Gold as Love Object	p. 115
Early Successes	p. 117
Knowledge Versus the Human Heart	p. 118
The Devastation of Shattered Dreams	p. 120
Repeating Patterns	p. 121
Struggling to Understand	p. 124
Interpersonal Influences Driving Overtraining	p. 126
Reflections on John	p. 130
The Perfect Girl: Jane's Tale	p. 133
Introducing Jane	p. 133
I Am an Overtrainer!	p. 134
No One Can Stop Me	p. 135
Parental Influences	p. 136
Hiding Weaknesses and Battling Anxieties	p. 139
The Gravity of Weight	p. 139
Early Sport and Performance Lessons Learned	p. 141
Institutional Abuse	p. 145
The Good Coach Can't Fix Her	p. 146
Internal and Cultural Drivers of Overtraining	p. 148
Reflections on Jane	p. 151
The Perfect Boy: The Author's Tale	p. 153
Sean's Tale	p. 153
All Our Stories	p. 160
Athletes' Perspectives and Risk Factors for Overtraining	p. 160
Athletes' Stories Compared With Athletes' Experiences From the Literature	p. 162
Conclusions	p. 165
Past Models and Current Conceptions	p. 167
Models of Overtraining: Then and Now	p. 169
Synthesis of Experts' Perspectives and Athletes' Experiences	p. 169
The OT Risks and Outcomes Model	p. 170
OT Risks and Outcomes Model Compared With Other Models	p. 176
Conclusions	p. 181
Afterword: Where to From Here?	p. 183
Current Applications	p. 183
Future Directions	p. 184
Pipe Dreams	p. 187
Parting Glances	p. 187
Suggested Further Readings	p. 189
References	p. 191
Index	p. 198
About the Authors	p. 204
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