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?
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.
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.
