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01253.txt
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1994-01-17
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$Unique_ID{BRK01253}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Is There Such a Thing as "Burnout" in Teenage Athletes?}
$Subject{burnout athletic teenager mental emotional conditions teenage
athletes fatigue tire over training condition behavior behaviors lifestyle
lifestyles burn out athletics athletes fatigued tiring tired over train over
trained }
$Volume{E-23}
$Log{}
Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
Is There Such a Thing as "Burnout" in Teenage Athletes?
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QUESTION: My son is definitely off his feed as far as his baseball is
concerned this year. His coach keeps using the term "burnout," but my son is
only 15 years old. Is there such a thing, and are there any treatments that
might help?
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ANSWER: Yes, there is such a thing as burnout in teenage athletes. If your
teenager frequently complains of chronic fatigue, and you notice that he is
not performing in athletics and/or studies as well as usual, medical attention
probably is needed to find out exactly what is occurring in that body. The
driving forces behind all exercise performance are exceedingly complex and
involve a great many heart/lung, blood and psychological factors. Therefore,
finding out what really is wrong with a person who suddenly seems to tire
easily, experiences frequent headaches, gains or loses considerable weight
rather rapidly, has chest pains, lightheadedness and other such symptoms, is a
matter for on-the-spot medical professionals to diagnose. An undetected
disease certainly might be impairing the teenager's athletic performance and
such a possibility should be explored immediately, even though the reason
might only be the normal fatigue seen after intense athletic activity. Among
conditions that frequently result in low energy for teenagers are heart
disease, anemia, emotional problems, excessive weight or anorexia nervosa,
certain medications taken for chronic conditions, and most important,
unrealistic expectations regarding one's athletic abilities. In addition
there are certain infrequent muscular diseases and exercise-induced
bronchospasms (coughing, a feeling of chest tightness, wheezing or shortness
of breath after a work out).
Now all of these symptoms sound like real illness, and can be, but the
fact is that they may also arise from prolonged stress and activity required
for sports. I am not trying to hedge your question, but "burnout", in anyone,
is poorly understood at this time.
Often it is blamed on over training. When such is the case, early
recognition and prevention are truly important since rest is the only
effective treatment and recovery may be slow.
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.