Experiences Of Elite Athletes Research Articles

Athletic performance, sports experience, and exercise addiction: an association study on ANKK1 gene polymorphism rs1800497.

Exercise addiction is a phenomenon being able to affecting the athletic performance. The gene, ANKK1 and the polymorphism NM_178510.2:c.2137G > A (rs1800497) has been linked to the exercise addiction. However, further studies on diverse populations and sport branches are needed to totally explore the possible association of this polymorphism with the athletic performance. Thus, the present study aims to decipher any possible relations of the rs1800497 polymorphism with the athletic performance/personal best (PB) and sport experience of elite athletes. Sixty volunteer elite athletes (31 sprint/power and 29 endurance) and 20 control/sedentary participated in the study. The polymorphism was genotyped using whole exome sequencing approach and PB were determined according to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) score. Our results underlined that there were not any significance differences for both allele and genotype frequencies between the groups in terms of athletic performance, although the frequency of allele G was higher (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, sport experience significantly associated with the rs1800496 polymorphism (p < 0.05). In conclusion, genotype G/G could be inferred to be linked to the higher sport experience and athletic performance. Still, further studies with higher number of participants are needed to conclude the association of this polymorphism with athletic parameters.

Outdoor Sport in Extreme Heat: Capturing the Personal Experiences of Elite Athletes

Abstract Heat stress from the environment can be detrimental to athletes’ health and performance. No research, however, has explored how elite athletes conceptualize and experience heatwaves and climate change. Utilizing a qualitative approach, this study examined elite athletes’ perceptions, experiences, and responses to extreme heat in relation to climate change and explored the use of their platforms for climate activism. Fourteen elite athletes from the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Sweden, and Canada, who represented 10 different sports including race walking, netball, and cricket were recruited using snowball sampling. Data were collected using semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed four broad themes. The first theme reflected uncertainty surrounding the causes of heatwaves and the impact of heat on athlete health and performance. The second theme reflected care and concern for sport and society, including concern for the well-being of athletes and spectators, the impact of heat on facilities and participation at the grassroots level, and how the nature of sport may change in the future. The third theme referred to the implications of heatwave experience on athlete health and performance, and how experience affected individual and organizational preparedness. The fourth theme referred to enablers and barriers to successful climate change communication. This study contributes to the sport ecology literature by introducing the subjective heat experiences of elite athletes. Educating athletes and event organizers about the impacts of heat on sport participation is imperative to increase awareness and, it is hoped, to limit illness for those training and competing.

Biopsychosocial Experiences of Elite Athletes Retiring From Sport for Career-Ending Injuries: A Critically Appraised Topic

Injuries cause individuals varying amounts of time loss from participation, which may depend on injury and sport-specific factors such as level of participation. Athletes who never return to sport either choose or are forced to retire due to numerous factors. At elite levels of play, when an athlete chooses retirement, they have the opportunity to create and execute a retirement plan; however, if unexpected (eg,due to career-ending injury), athletes may struggle to transition out of sport effectively, impacting physical, mental, and social health. The biopsychosocial model looks at the relationship between biology, psychology, and socio-environmental factors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to better understand the biopsychosocial experiences elite athletes face after a career-ending injury so that sport stakeholders can develop and implement strategies to support a healthy transition. How does suffering a career-ending injury affect elite athletes' biopsychosocial experiences during retirement from sport? All studies found that a career-ending injury negatively impacted athlete's biopsychosocial health during the transition period. In addition, social support was identified as a positive coping mechanism and research highlighted the role of education in promoting successful transitions. Sport stakeholders should educate athletes regarding the importance of creating secondary plans. By creating a culture of athletic and nonathletic identity, athletes can feel empowered to navigate different phases of their life despite transition being forced upon them due to injury. Career-ending injuries negatively impact the biopsychosocial experiences of elite athletes as they transition out of sport. Athletes may face many transitional challenges including a loss of identity, a lack of external support, and/or mental health decline; those more closely identifying with their role as an athlete tend to have a harder transition. Therefore, it is important for all athletes to be adequately prepared for sport retirement, especially given the uncertainty about when and how retirement may occur. Collectively, the body of evidence included to answer the clinical question aligns with the strength of recommendation of C.

We're not Superhuman, We're Human: A Qualitative Description of Elite Athletes' Experiences of Return to Sport After Childbirth.

BackgroundA growing number of athletes return to elite sport following childbirth. Yet, they face significant barriers to do so safely and successfully. The experiences of elite athletes returning to sport following delivery are necessary to support evidence-informed policy.ObjectiveThe purpose of this qualitative description was to describe the experiences of elite athletes as they returned to sport following childbirth, and to identify actionable steps for research, policy and culture-change to support elite athlete mothers.MethodsEighteen elite athletes, primarily from North America, who had returned to sport following childbirth in the last 5 years were interviewed. Data were generated via one-on-one semi-structured interviews that were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed through a process of content analysis.ResultsThe findings of this study are represented by one overarching theme: Need for More Time, and five main themes: (a) Training “New Bodies” Postpartum, (b) Injuries and Safe Return to Sport, (c) Breastfeeding While Training, (d) Critical Supports for Return to Sport, (e) Navigating Motherhood and Sport. The athletes identified the urgent need to develop best-practice policies and funding to support return to sport, as well as develop evidence-based return-to-sport protocols to support a safe and injury-free return.ConclusionAthletes shared detailed stories highlighting the challenges, barriers and successes elite athletes experience returning to elite-level sport following childbirth. Participants provided clear recommendations for policy and research to better support the next generation of elite athlete mothers.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40279-022-01730-y.

Sports experiences of elite athletes with intellectual disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorders

Few sociological surveys have focused on the experiences of elite athletes with intellectual disabilities (ID) and/or autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, more and more ID and/or ASD athletes are practicing elite sport. In this article, we seek to explore the mixed contacts of elite ID and/or ASD athletes with non-disabled people, resulting from their practicing both in sports contexts organized for disabled people (specific context) and non-disabled people (mainstream context). Fifteen semi-structured interviews and eight days of ethnographic observations were carried out with 7 elite table tennis players and 8 elite track-and-field athletes. The results analysis highlights the heterogeneity of the experiences - positive and negative - of elite ID and/or ASD athletes, both in specific and mainstream sports contexts. This heterogeneity of experiences invites favoring institutional arrangements that make the modalities of sport participation flexible for people with ID and/or ASD.

Pushing for change: a qualitative study of the experiences of elite athletes during pregnancy

ObjectivesAthletes train and compete at the elite level during their reproductive years, yet sport policies that support pregnant athletes are lacking. The experiences of elite athletes during pregnancy are vastly...

Stress-Related Growth in Elite Sport Performers: Qualitative Differentiators in Psychosocial Mechanisms

The purpose of this study was to explore growth following the experience of stressors and compare the experiences of elite athletes who exhibit higher and lower levels of growth. Six elite athletes (five female and one male) participated in a semi-structured interview. Three athletes reported experiencing higher levels, and three athletes reported experiencing lower levels of growth. Interpretative phenomenological analysis revealed that understanding of self, development in athletic identity, and social support are key psychological mechanisms, which differentiate elite athletes who reported experiencing higher and lower levels of growth. Athletes higher in reported growth showed greater association with meaningful behavioral actions, ultimately reflecting the modification of previously held beliefs into a new worldview. Athletes lower in reported growth reflected an attempt to maintain beliefs into an already existing worldview, thus hindering growth. The findings show psychological mechanisms that accumulatively promote growth and provide a foundation for subsequent intervention studies.

Critical Pause: Athletes’ Stories of Lockdown During COVID-19

This study explored the experiences of elite athletes during the initial stages of lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The eight recruited participants (three females, five males) were asked to tell a story of their lockdown experience. Narrative analysis was used to explore the athletes’ stories. The athletes’ narrative is best represented in four distinct sections: (a) threat to goals, (b) ongoing consequences, (c) overcoming COVID-19, and (d) adapting to COVID-19. Four narrative themes were also coconstructed from the athletes’ stories: (a) factors athletes found challenging, (b) loss, (c) strategies that benefitted athletes psychologically, and (d) silver linings. Combined, these findings suggest that the initial stages of lockdown are best described as acritical pause. The authors present applied implications for athletes and sport psychology practitioners. The authors also recommend that future research investigate the longitudinal effect of prolonged lockdown on athletes’ lives and a potential return to sport.

Comparison of elite athletes\u2019 sexual violence experiences in and outside sport

BackgroundResearch on the prevalence of sexual violence in sport mostly focuses on incidents of sexual violence that happen in the context of sport, but few studies are available that systematically target the lifetime prevalence of sexual violence in the athletes (as persons), combining experiences in sport and outside the sport system. The aim of the current study was thus to compare sexual violence experiences of elite athletes in Germany in sport with those outside sport.MethodsThe study was carried out in cooperation with the German Olympic and Paralympic Committee who contacted their registered elite athletes. In total, 1529 elite athletes took part in an online survey and answered questions regarding their sexual violence experiences first in the context of sport and afterwards outside the sport context.ResultsResults show that 54.2% of the athletes had experienced some form of sexual violence during their lifetime, 20.6% even a severe incident of sexual violence. Incidents happened more often outside sport than in sport, but 48% of the victims were affected in both areas of life, indicating a high overlap of victimization experiences.ConclusionOne recommendation from our results is therefore to make even stronger efforts to protect young athletes from becoming a victim of sexual violence. In case a sport club has a person of trust in the club, it can be an important place for athletes with sexual violence experiences (no matter whether experienced inside or outside sport), so that they are being heard and helped.

The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on elite sportswomen

ABSTRACT Research question: The COVID-19 pandemic decimated elite level sport across the globe, although there were concerns that this impact affected women’s sport much more so than for men’s sport. This research considers the impact of the enforced global lockdown on elite women athletes, examining the immediate effect on their training practices, welfare and financial situation. Methods: A qualitative, online survey was used to collect anonymous data from 95 elite sportswomen. Data were coded to enable frequency analysis, and then analysed thematically. Results: Many sportswomen noted the positive support received from coaching networks regarding adapted, individualised training programmes and their mental well-being. A reduction in time spent training, and changes to types of training, was reported. However, many felt they had less access to equipment as women, and that men’s sport was a priority. Professional and semi-professional sportswomen, already operating in financially precarious circumstances, were also impacted through a reduction in match fees and/or sponsorship, or furlough. Implications: The findings provide empirical evidence of a gendered dimension to the experiences of elite athletes during lockdown. When elite sport re-builds post-COVID, there should be a greater awareness of the difficulties faced by sportswomen, and targeted action to tackle gender inequality in sport.

Applying the Technology Adoption Model (TAM) to Explore Consumers’ Perceptions of Wearable Technology: A Multiple Case Study of an Ironman Triathlon Community: A Narrative Literature Review

Nowadays, wearable technology has become a necessity to keep a winning edge, balance the training load, and track health. Athletes, coaches, and sports scientists recognize that wearable technology can contribute remarkably to athletes and has the potential to decrease or prevent injuries, improve performance, and extend athletes’ careers. Yet, these technologies are still in development, and their validity, accuracy, and reliability are debatable and uncertain. These disadvantages that suggest a lack of product maturity can often lead to mistrust and misunderstanding that eventually do not benefit athletes. Additionally, inaccurate marketing of wearable technologies to athletes by company manufacturers may result in harm to the individuals utilizing them. There are no regulatory standards for obtaining the data or assuring data validity, and there is no information sharing. The accuracy of wearable technologies is questionable, and most of their sensors are not “medical grade”. This integrative literature review comprised part of a broader qualitative study aiming to describe and document the experiences of elite athletes with wearable technologies and their recommendations to related company manufacturers for improving the technology to protect their health and safely develop their talent. The purpose of this case study was met by applying Davis’ technology acceptance model (TAM): to explore factors affecting participants’ attitudes and adoption of innovative technology.

Learning From Elite Athletes' Experience of Depression.

Sport has become increasingly aware of the challenges associated with Mental Disorders and, to a greater extent, mental health issues (MHIs). This study sought to explore in depth the subjective experiences of elite athletes who suffered from a specific clinical MHI, namely depression. In addition, we explored their perceptions of the prevalence and stigma surrounding MHIs in elite sport environments. Data were collected from four elite athletes (1 female and 3 males; 2 team and 2 individual sports) using semi-structured interviews and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Participants described both sport and non-sport related triggers in regard to their depression (e.g., institutional mistreatment and bullying, injuries, previous MHI, and miscarriage), as well as a range of behaviour, performance (e.g., decline), and personality changes compared to their normal functioning. Although the participants stressed the widespread prevalence of MHIs in elite sport, they also acknowledged the stigma associated with MHIs in high-level sport environments and its detrimental role for athletes. This study has important practical and diagnostic implications, and highlights the need for further research to assess the extent and scope of clinical MHIs in sport as well as to inform the care for this unique population.

‘Adopt an athlete for Rio 2016’: the impact of austerity on the Greek elite sport system

ABSTRACTDrawing on the analysis of the experience of elite athletes in Greece during their 4-year preparation for competing in the 2016 Olympic Games, we report on the effects of the austerity measures on the country’s elite sport system and policies. The data set for this study consisted of 16 semi-structured interviews of which 13 were conducted with Greek elite athletes participating in the 2016 Olympic Games and 3 were conducted with staff members of the Greek Olympic Committee supporting the Olympic delegation. The interview questions were based on the four pillars composing the throughput stage of the Sports Policy Factors Leading to International Sporting Success conceptual framework for analysing sports policy leading to international sporting success. The results clearly indicated that significant factors of the elite sport system were negatively influenced by the austerity measures in Greece. Because of the significant cuts in public spending, Olympic facilities were abandoned, highly qualified coaches became part-time employees, elite athletes were left with almost no opportunities to take part in international sport events and paramedical support for elite athletes was reduced drastically. The programme of the Greek Olympic Committee ‘Adopt an athlete for Rio 2016’ appeared as the only means for Greek elite athletes to make it to Rio de Janeiro, where they earned six Olympic medals. This study concluded that austerity measures have pronounced effects on elite sport systems, but not necessarily on achieving Olympic success.

A meta-synthesis of elite athletes’ experiences in dual career development

AbstractDual career development of elite athletes has gained wide attention in the past two decades. The purpose of this study is to employ a qualitative meta-synthesis method to explore the literature on dual career experiences of elite athletes from 1996 to 2015. A total of nine studies were examined with regard to how elite athletes experience dual careers (combining athletic career with education or work). Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed during the process to produce a clear statement of applicability of this study. A thematic synthesis was performed and a map of constructs reflected that interpersonal issues played an inter-connected and essential role in influencing elite athletes to a large extent. Potential stakeholders, especially parents and peers, were considered significant targets in implementing support programmes in order to impact the perceptions and feelings of elite athletes towards a dual career. Further research is needed to apply the findings of this study as a concept...

“The ripples are big”: Storying the impact of doping in sport beyond the sanctioned athlete

ObjectiveThe purpose of this paper was to extend current doping research efforts by shifting the focus away from a doping-user perspective to examine the experiences of elite athletes that have been personally affected by other athletes' doping behaviours. DesignThis research works within the interpretive paradigm, adopting relativist ontology and transactional/subjectivist epistemology. MethodConversational interviews were conducted with ‘competitive’ (N = 2) and ‘retired’ (N = 2) elite Track and Field athletes from multiple countries. In order to communicate the findings in a way that captures the complexity of the issue, whilst also appealing to the athletes this issue affects, creative non-fiction stories were used to present the findings. ResultsTwo stories were created; one incorporating the ‘competitive’ athletes' experiences and one presenting the ‘retired’ athletes' accounts. The stories detail financial, emotional, and relational implications stemming from others' use of performance enhancing drugs. Critically, the impact is not ephemeral; the retired athletes detailed the long-term implications of their experiences. Meanwhile, the competitive athletes suggest that given the current state of sport, they regularly have to defend their status as ‘clean athletes’. Thus, the ripples of doping in sport appear to be far reaching and enduring. ConclusionsIncorporating a novel mode of knowledge production within the doping literature, the stories presented here demonstrate elite athletes' candid accounts of being impacted by others’ doping behaviours in sport. This study also emphasises the value of adopting novel and creative approaches to data collection and representation within the field of doping research.

‘Greatness (un)channelled’: the role of sport in the life of an elite athlete who overcame multiple developmental risk factors

Within under-resourced urban communities, sport is a huge draw for many young males, with a commonly shared belief that sport can lead to a better life. However, there is a paucity of research examining the experience of elite athletes from under-resourced areas. Additionally, there has been insufficient research that examines the interrelated systems impacting youth development (e.g. individuals, families, neighbourhoods, schools), which is needed to understand talent development in sport and personal development through sport. In this article, a qualitative case study will be presented through narrative inquiry. Following a constructivist philosophical orientation, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with a former All-American athlete in one of the major USA sports, along with individuals identified by this athlete as influential during his developmental years (secondary participants). These interviews explored the athlete’s experiences growing up in an under-resourced, violent community, and the role of sport during his childhood and adolescence. While sport was a significant influence in the athlete’s life, his talent development and personal development would have suffered without his faith, family, education, and the influential individuals with whom he interacted during his developmental years.

Method-related principles of strength conditioning for attaining positive transfer of training

The aim of the current study was to analyse the method-related principles of applying different means of strength training and correspondence to attaining positive transfer of training. We applied a logical-analytical approach that is based on different concepts of strength conditioning, documented experience of elite athletes, and coaches and internationally published research data. Experience gained by top coaches and research prove that the development of strength abilities has to begin with developing muscle elasticity and inter-muscular coordination, followed by the influencing of intramuscular coordination, with the main focus on increasing the maximal muscle strength on account of hypertrophy or fast innervations. The logical sequences of developing strength abilities in annual training cycle recommended by different authors provide thought-provoking ideas for programming appropriate training patterns, bearing in mind the general principles of the transfer of training.

Olympism as education: analysing the learning experiences of elite athletes

Olympic athletes are potentially the most visible exponents of Olympic values. How athletes learn values, however, has not captured the attention of those responsible for Olympic documentation or pedagogues. This paper examines how aspects of Olympism became relevant for three former Olympians during their athletic careers. Interview material suggested that: (1) inconsistencies within official expressions of Olympism mirror tensions in athletic experiences; (2) some claims concerning sport made in the Olympic Charter are simplistic and translate poorly to Olympic experiences that are multidimensional and complex; and (3) universal ethical principles have limited influence on how athletes conduct themselves. The results imply that pedagogues working with elite athletes should make discursive discontinuities in sport explicit, reflect on traditional views of sport education while acknowledging implicit learning, and approach questions of ethics from a specific and practice-oriented standpoint rather than a universal and principle-based one.

A qualitative analysis of the experiences of elite athletes who have admitted to doping for performance enhancement

The purpose of this study was to provide an ecologically valid account of the experiences of ‘admitted dopers’. In-depth interviews were conducted with five elite athletes from the sports of road cycling, mountain biking and weightlifting. The athletes had either tested positive for banned substances or had admitted to prior drug use after their retirement from competitive sport. Thematic analysis was used to extract meaning from the interview data. Individual psychological factors and contextual influences on the athletes' doping decisions were identified. The conflicting responses of these athletes make the identification of a psychological profile of athletes most at-risk for doping difficult, but morality was consistently cited as an important consideration. The culture of the athletes' team or training group and ‘critical incidents’ during the athletes' careers were often influential in precipitating drug use. Doping deterrents were also discussed, of which guilt and shame were predominant. The athletes outlined their perceived personal and social consequences of doping. Their future outlook for reducing the problem of doping in sport was generally optimistic. The findings have significant implications for the design of anti-doping research and education, and the implementation of anti-doping policy.

Sporting autobiographies of illness and the role of metaphor

This article utilizes data provided by 12 published autobiographies to explore the role of metaphor in shaping the illness experience of elite athletes. First, a case is made for the use of published autobiographies as a resource in sports-related studies for examining vocabularies of self, and the centrality of metaphor in the performance of significant personal and social narrative work is highlighted. Following this, the selected autobiographies are analysed to reveal the manner in which three narrative types frame the use of specific metaphors, and attention is given to their impact on the ways in which illness is described and understood by elite athletes and others. Finally, the limitations and possibilities of the autobiographical stories are considered along with the need for future research in this area.