Burnout in triathlon: What is it and how to avoid it
We cover all you need to know about athlete burnout, with practical advice on how to understand and combat it.
Feelings of burnout in triathlon is more common than you think, but absolutely should not be ignored. Burnout can be debilitating and difficult to overcome, the first steps is recognising what it is, how to manage it, and how to avoid it in the future.
It’s normal to struggle sometimes with fatigue, burnout, and lack of motivation. These are all signs that something bigger is at play though. It’s really key to recognise when you’re feeling burnout, which is why we’ve come up with a toolkit to deal with typical root causes of burnout and how you can deal with them.
If you or a loved one think that you may be struggling with burnout in triathlon or wider life, then take a read of this article and the topics covered, including:
- What is burnout?
- Burnout in triathlon
- The key dimensions of burnout
- Distinguishing triathlon burnout from overtraining
- Causes for burnout in sport: how to prevent and manage them
- Recognising the warning signs of burnout
What is burnout?
The feeling of burnout when it relates to sport and triathlon in particular refers to severe emotional and mental exhaustion. Often, burnout comes hand in hand with overtraining in triathlon.
While overtraining is primarily physical, it can lead to burnout. Being burnt-out can also affect your sense of general wellbeing and be linked to multiple aspects of your life. Far from simple fatigue, burnout is described in the Oxford dictionary as a ‘physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress’.
In science, burnout is the process in which a fuel or substance is reduced to nothing through combustion, or the failure of an electrical device through overheating.
Take both of these as metaphors for a burnt-out athlete. You’ve reduced your fuel stores to nil, and overdone it in training, life, and all the in-between, reaching combustion.
Burnout in triathlon
Burnout is more common than you may think in triathlon. Being three sports in one, a triathlon training schedule can sometimes feel demanding and requires lots of an athlete’s time. Thus, it can be difficult to strike the right balance between training, work, life, and keeping up with social events.
Burnout is particularly prevalent in endurance sports, leading to decreased performance, loss of enjoyment, and a negative impact on overall health and wellbeing. If you feel like you can relate to any of these, then it’s possible you’ve suffered from burnout before or are currently struggling to juggle it all.
Burnout in triathlon is a serious issue and conceived by a combination of factors, but it can be avoided or managed with the right strategies in place.
Understanding burnout: the three key dimensions
To truly understand burnout and whether this is what you’re suffering from, you need to understand its key dimensions as defined by social psychologist and professor Christina Maslach and researcher and professor Susan E. Jackson, PhD.
The two academics originally developed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) which is now a widely used assessment tool for measuring occupational burnout. It consists of 22 items which work to assess the three dimensions of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and personal accomplishment.
Though research has since developed further the original inventory, we can use the three key dimensions as a to better understand burnout in the contact of sport and triathlon. They include:
Emotional exhaustion – feeling depleted of energy and overwhelmed, or emotionally drained by the demands of both triathlon training and wider life
Cynicism and depersonalisation – Developing a negative and/or detached attitude to training and goals that you once found motivating and exciting. Loss of enjoyment when it comes to racing and even the sport itself, which has spread into other aspects of your life.
Reduced sense of personal accomplishment – Feeling a lack of progress and accomplishment in training and wider life, despite putting in effort. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy and failure, or even the beginnings of imposter syndrome.
Distinguishing triathlon burnout from overtraining
Burnout can manifest in triathletes of all levels, from beginner to elite. It may present with different characteristics from person to person as each person can deal with issues differently, but the core sticking points remain the same. As we mentioned at the start of this article, burnout and overtraining are highly linked, yet different issues.
Overtraining: Primarily physical, characterised by performance plateaus or decline, persistent muscle soreness, increased resting heart rate, sleep disturbances, and increased susceptibility to illness and injury.
Burnout: Primarily emotional and mental, characterised by emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced sense of accomplishment. Physical symptoms as seen in overtraining may be present, but the core issue is psychological. Burnout can occur with or without overtraining.
Causes for burnout in sport: how to prevent and manage them
Here are some contributing factors to look out for when it comes to the onset of burnout, one or a combination of many can make up the root cause of why you or a loved one are feeling the effects of burnout. Under each root cause, we’ve offered a suggestion on how to better manage and avoid the issue.
Training volume and intensity
An understandably difficult issue in a three-discipline sport like triathlon, excessive training with a lack of sufficient recovery can lead to burnout. It’s a tricky balance to strike.
How to manage: Avoid excessive training and doing too much intense sessions along with little rest. Use a training plan from an expert or coach that incorporates rest and recovery, and has the right training volume for what you’re used to and your lifestyle.
Performance pressure
Pressure from expectation to achieve specific race results or fitness level, either from yourself or externally, can be really difficult to manage. With it comes the fear of failure and letting others down.
How to manage: Set realistic goals and focus on progress rather than perfection. Celebrate small victories and enjoy the process, try to avoid an all-or-nothing mindset.
Lack of work-life balance
This is a biggie when it comes to reasons for burnout. In adult life, it’s really difficult to juggle the demands of triathlon training with work, family, and friends, let alone life admin like finances and medical check-ups.
How to manage: Maintain a healthy balance between training and other aspects of your life by setting clear boundaries. A training program can help you to separate different aspects of your life, and ensure that your time for you is fully for you and not focussed on other tasks.
It’s also worth sharing your struggles with those closest to you, so they can support you in making sure you’re taking breaks and upholding a healthy balance between work, life, and training.
Lack of enjoyment
A feeling of monotony can come from a lack of variety, which is down to repeating the same workouts without variation. Perhaps you’re limited with where and when you can train, or your surroundings aren’t super inspiring.
This can be demotivating and lead to feeling burnt-out, low, and a failure to find enjoyment in activities that you were previously passionate about.
How to manage: It’s normal to have a dip in motivation and struggle to enjoy training from time to time. It can really help to incorporate more variety into your sessions, do this by changing up your normal routes and training locations.
If you typically train alone, perhaps consider joining a gym or triathlon (or swim, bike, or run club). It can do wonders to mix socialisation with training, expand your community and combat feelings of loneliness you may not know are lurking.
If your low mood and difficulty to find enjoyment persists, consider confining in a coach, therapist, or trusted loved one. You are not alone.
Nutritional deficiencies
Inadequate nutrition and fuelling can really exacerbate both overtraining and burnout. If you’re not getting in the right nutrients to remain healthy and strong, particularly over an extended period of time, then it’s inevitable that issues will arise.
How to manage: Triathlon training demands energy, so fuel yourself with the right foods to not only support your body, but provide the foundations for that increase in performance that you’re working towards by training.
Educate yourself on what a balanced diet looks like, and try your hand at cooking nutritious and restorative recipes. If takeout is more your thing, opt for the healthier options that have all the foods groups present. It’s okay to be unsure where to start – ask advice from a nutritionist or get bloodwork done to ascertain whether you’re not getting enough of certain vitamins and minerals.
For example, it’s more common than you think for female athletes to not be taking in enough iron. In fact, research indicates that 40% of US women don’t get enough of it (JAMA). This is especially an issue in athletes, non-meat eaters, and those with heavy periods. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia and can be a big reason why you’re failing to see performance improvements and are often tired.
Sleep deprivation
Some say that insufficient sleep is the root of all evil. Jokes aside, it’s really important to get enough, good-quality sleep to keep ticking along pretty much all the bodily processes. Insufficient sleep impairs recovery and contributes to serious physical and mental fatigue, not to mention makes you more vulnerable to both physical and mental illnesses.
How to manage: Sleep is tricky, especially if you’re already doing all the right things and are still struggling.
Things you can do right away to help improve your sleep include: keep the same bedtime and waketime, don’t eat or exercise right before bed, avoid bright screens an hour before bed, keep good sleep hygiene with your room at the right temperature and your bed ergonomic, don’t go to bed hungry as an empty stomach can keep you up, unwind ahead of bedtime by writing down your thoughts or getting lost in a book/podcast, doing regular light exercise so you’re actually tired come bedtime, and the list goes on.
If you feel like you need extra help in this area, consider reaching our to a specialist and take a look at our other sleep advice below.
- Why is sleep important for athletes?
- The tips you need to improve your sleep
- How to sleep better: Easy tips for athletes from Ross Edgley
- What’s the best time to train according to your circadian rhythm and sleep pattern?
Isolation
If you’re struggling with a training/work/friends balance in your life, then it could be that you’ve let certain aspects slip. Especially if you’re often tired or lacking motivation, you may be neglecting your social connections and as a result, are starting to feel isolated and even worse.
How to manage: We’re not suggesting you get your glad rags on and have a night on the town, but as humans we actually need social connections to feel completely fulfilled in life. The degree of this varies from person to person, introvert to extrovert, but the core solution remains the same.
Maintain your links with friends and loved ones, arrange regular calls to catch-up if they don’t live near, and book in time when you can visit each other. If you feel your circle is too small in adulthood, or perhaps you’ve moved to a new area, be brave and reach out to join local groups and societies, or spend some time volunteering in your community.
On the training side of things, incorporate group and buddy training more into your schedule, or suggest a coffee and walk with sports friends, instead of only meeting for a session. You are not alone in how you feeling, give yourself some grace.
Injury or illness
Becoming injured or ill sucks, especially since it can really put a spanner in the works when it comes to following your training plan and being consistent. Being injured or ill is not only frustrating, but can also contribute to low moods and burnout.
How to manage: Prioritise recovery by getting enough sleep, eating enough, and including rest days in your training plan. It’s not a fool-proof plan, but don’t underestimate the importance of balance when it comes to getting in enough and the right foods, along with leaving your muscles enough time to rebuild and recover.
Be kind to yourself if you need to miss sessions due to injury or illness, and remember that you’ll be doing more damage than good if you were to push through with your training. Consider it an opportunity to rest-up and focus on other areas of your life.
Recognising the warning signs of burnout
It may feel difficult to distinguish exactly what you’re struiggling with, especially if it’s a mix of emotional and physical symptoms. It’s key to listen to your body and mind, keep track of any potential warning signs by keeping a diary of your mood, training load, and other relevant biometrics.
Here are some common signs to look out for when catching burnout:
Emotional: Increased irritability, anxiety, depression, loss of motivation, feeling overwhelmed, cynicism, detachment and distancing from loved ones.
Mental: Difficulty concentrating and making decisions, negative self-talk, lack of self-esteem and decreased self-confidence.
Physical: Fatigue, difficulty sleeping, changes in appetite, decline in sport performance, increased susceptibility to illness or injury.
Behavioural: Withdrawal from social settings and training, changes in eating habits and other habits, increased use of unhealthy substances to fill a percieved ‘void’.
If you or someone you know is struggling with any of the issues mentioned in this article, please reach out to a loved one or professional for support. It’s important to recognise and address burnout in triathlon and wider life. Burnout is not a sign of weakness, but rather a call for help and a common challenge that with the right help and knowledge, can be overcome.
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Kate Milsom
Freelance sports journalist 
