SPORTS BURNOUT

Dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and low fulfillment.

Burnout syndrome in sport is a psychophysiological response to chronic, interpersonal stress.

It is characterized by three dimensions: emotional and physical exhaustion (feeling drained and without energy), depersonalization or cynicism (negative and distant attitude towards sport and colleagues) and low personal accomplishment (feeling of incompetence and lack of achievement).

It does not happen overnight, but is an erosive process. To illustrate, imagine a captain of a handball team who has been carrying the responsibility of leadership and the demands of the club for years. He begins to feel that going to training is torture (burnout).

In the locker room, he becomes sarcastic and treats the rookies coldly, disconnecting emotionally to protect himself (depersonalization).

Finally, even if the team wins, he feels that his contribution is irrelevant and that he does not advance (low achievement).

This clinical picture indicates that his coping resources have been overwhelmed by the sustained demands.

Warning signs and differentiation from normal stress

Distinguishing burnout from transient stress is essential for prevention. While stress usually involves "too much" (too much pressure, too much urgency) and the athlete still tries to respond with hyperactivity, burnout involves "not enough" (lack of motivation, emotional emptiness) and leads to disengagement.

Warning signs include mood swings, sleep disturbances, increased anxiety and, paradoxically, a decline in performance despite maintaining or increasing effort.

A cautionary example would be to observe a promising young swimmer who suddenly stops enjoying victories and expresses a desire to quit the sport despite having talent.

If it is detected that her environment (parents and coaches) has created an atmosphere of constant pressure without periods of mental recovery, intervention should focus on reducing the burden, diversifying her identity outside the pool and restoring her autonomy over her career, before retirement becomes the only escape route to