Burnout, Immune Function, and Illness Incidence in Athletes

Sport can be stressful, and when stress becomes chronic, athletes risk developing burnout (Smith, 1986). Sport burnout is a condition characterized by three symptoms: emotional and physical exhaustion, sport devaluation, and a reduced sense of accomplishment (Raedeke & Smith, 2001). Research suggests that these symptoms are increasing among athletes (Madigan et al., 2022). Much of the existing research has focused on the causes of burnout, but we know less about its consequences (Gustafsson, DeFreese & Madigan, 2017), despite extensive evidence outside of sport showing negative effects on both physical and mental health (Melamed et al., 2006).

The overall aim of this project is therefore to contribute to increased knowledge about the negative effects of burnout and to conduct cross-country comparisons between Sweden, the United Kingdom, and France.

Objectives

1. To examine the relationship between burnout and respiratory infections, as these are common among athletes and may be related to the degree of burnout.
2. To use objective indicators (biophysiological markers) to investigate possible mechanisms linking burnout and illness.
3. To analyze the consequences using direct indicators such as absence from sport, thereby making the results more objective.