Exploring the Physiological Consequences of Athlete Burnout: A Longitudinal N-of-1 Study

According to Smith’s cognitive-affect model of athlete burnout, burnout will lead to several physiological health consequences for athletes. This may include effects on the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, immune system, cardiovascular system, and anabolic activity. However, to date, few studies have examined such consequences. As such, the present study aims to explore the physiological health consequences of athlete burnout by examining a range of biomarkers involved in the proposed systems. The present study will examine whether athlete burnout predicts changes in acute (part A) and chronic (part B) biomarkers over time. Participants (n = 6) will be athletes who are competing in their sports at a regional level or higher. The present study will adopt an N-of-1 design where we measure athlete burnout, perceived stress, and a range of selected biomarkers over the course of an athletic season. unknown other