Life After Sport: Fighting Post-Athlete Depression
Written by: Martin Ebner - Head PT and sports nutrition specialist at Ebylife
Lots of ex-athletes struggle with depression, body image, eating disorders, and missing the reward of winning when they exercise on their own. Whether you were an elite athlete, a professional athlete, a college athlete, a student athlete, or even an Olympic athlete, life after sports can be challenging with a host of mental health issues.
The field of sports medicine has begun to recognize that "retired" athletes often show symptoms of depression when they transition from training for their athletic career to training for their own well-being. As our society, in general, comes to terms with treating mental illness, athletic trainers and sports psychologists are becoming more concerned with mental health. From Olympians to high school kids, mental health professionals are beginning to offer mental health services to a variety of former athletes.
"Post Ath..."
A Google search for the term "post athlete depression" yields a surprisingly high number of results. In fact, in researching for this blog, I discovered that when typing in the Google search bar, I only got as far as typing "post ath" when "post athlete depression" appeared in the drop-down suggestion box. To be honest, I thought it would be a bit harder to find published research on the topic.
However, it's obviously a very serious topic that, thankfully, is garnering lots of attention. Even the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has taken notice with an article entitled "Susceptibility for Depression in Current and Retired Student Athletes." But if it's such a huge issue, why aren't we talking about it?
Stigma
Athletes are not usually instructed about what it feels like to quit their sport. From a young age, we are pressured to fight through mental challenges to win. Scenes of crazy kids' coaches screaming at their teams are all too common. A friend relates his experience on his high school's wrestling team whose coach would exhort them during extended conditioning drills, "Come on, don't feel sorry for yourselves!" My friend said he'd be ready to pass out during these drills, but kept going for fear of failing.
All this attention is at the expense of the athlete's mental health. Sports psychologists are hired by professional teams and Olympic squads to help with the mental health challenges of high-intensity training and competition. But our culture's avoidance of discussing anything remotely related to mental health challenges has led to a dearth of support for transitioning athletes to "only working out."
Since it's not talked about in our media, even in 2021, when someone has issues with self-esteem or depression, they feel like there’s something wrong with them. And since athletes are used to pushing through difficulties, they are even more likely to keep it to themselves. It would be wonderful if it was common knowledge that athletes can experience mental health issues at the beginning of their "retirement." The NIH study that was mentioned above found that NCAA students' incidence of depression eventually returned to the national average level after time.
Identity
The expression "Big Man on Campus" comes to mind when thinking about this topic. It is a huge part of one's identity to be an athlete. The prestige and the feeling of belonging to something larger than yourself is intoxicating. An athlete's career can end for many reasons, like graduating from school, injury, age, lifestyle changes like having kids or beginning a demanding career. As public recognition lessens and social media attention dwindles, however, a loss of identity can occur.
Grief counselors are well aware of the profound pain loss of identity can cause. As Litsa Williams says in I Don’t Know Who I Am Anymore: grief and loss of identity: "People who identify as athletes ... are often even more deeply connected to their physical selves. An illness, injury, and even aging can take a serious toll on the physical self, leading people to a physical loss of identity that can sometimes be accompanied by a loss of self-worth."
But I Didn't Think I Would Miss It THIS Much
Often, athletes are not prepared for how much they will actually miss the connection to their sport. This is especially true for those who purposefully transition off the team or hang up their boots. It's easy to think that continuing to work out will be enough to get through the loss of the positive aspects of being an athlete. They may be prepared for the loss of camaraderie or "the thrill of victory," but they are not prepared for the vague feelings of loss that often accompany not being an athlete anymore.
That's because the vague feelings of loss may be difficult to identify as they are often connected to things that are not positive or enjoyable. No one expects to miss the drama between teammates, the yelling of the coaches, the hours at practice, the icing of aching muscles, the abuse from disappointed fans and the other parents, or "the agony of defeat." It's difficult to grieve the loss of something that we are glad to have out of our lives. However, those things also became a part of an athlete's identity. And as mentioned above, this loss and the reluctance to discuss it can lead to a loss of self-worth.
But Endorphins!
It's tempting for athletes to replace their old routines with a renewed vigor for the gym. After all, the "runners' high" one gets from an intense workout is potent. According to Healthline.com, some of the benefits of endorphins are that they:
Alleviate depression
Reduce stress and anxiety
Boost self-esteem
Assist in weight loss
Reduce pain
Boost one's mood
Some mental health practitioners actually prescribe exercise for their patients who suffer from depression. If you are in a post-athlete situation and have the blues, a new workout routine may be just the thing you need. But be mindful of not overtraining. Consider consulting with a personal trainer, especially one familiar with sports medicine, for ideas and guidance that may be helpful. If you or a family member are concerned about your mental wellness, that you may be over-compensating/overdoing it, please consult your healthcare provider.
Avoid Fitness Hangovers
What if your workout doesn't give you a boost? What if your workout leaves you feeling knackered instead of having that "head-in-the-clouds" feeling? A ‘fitness hangover’ is the term for this. Symptoms reported by fitness hangover sufferers include exhaustion/lethargy, nausea, weakness, and headaches. Many describe the feeling as being similar to an alcohol hangover, hence the name. These symptoms can last for up to 24 hours after a workout.
Major changes in lifestyle or fitness routine can throw one's system out of whack, and ceasing athletic training is a major change! It's not uncommon for former athletes to suffer the double-whammy of missing their sport and feeling let down by their workout. It's easy to see how this could lead to a vicious cycle, throwing more and more exercise at the problem.
So what happens when your workout leaves you feeling worse than when you started? During exercise, the glycogen stored by our muscles is depleted. This can cause a drop in blood sugar levels, leaving us feeling light-headed and tired. Additionally, sweating causes us to lose hydration and salts which may lead to a drop in blood pressure, adding to that light-headedness. Furthermore, during strenuous exercise, our muscles use oxygen faster than our circulatory system can deliver it. This causes lactic acid to build up in them which can cause nausea, weakness, cramps, and that familiar burning sensation in the muscles.
However, all these symptoms should be temporary! If they persist significantly after your workout has ended, you may be experiencing a "fitness ‘hangover." It could be a sign of overdoing it and/or getting sloppy with your self-care.
If these symptoms persist long after your workout:
Dizziness/light-headedness
Exhaustion
Lethargy
Weakness
Nausea
Headache
Cramps
Doing these things might help:
Dial back on your workout and expectations
Increase your warm-up time
Increase your cool-down time
Stay hydrated!
Eat a light carb-rich snack one to three hours before working out
Avoid a heavy meal before working out
Honor your post-workout: Replace electrolytes and rest!
Eat a light snack with protein and carbs within a half-hour of post-workout
Eat a high carbohydrate meal within 12 hours, but not too close to bedtime
Limit alcohol consumption
Get a solid 8 hours of sleep
Consult a personal trainer or sports medicine doctor
Remember, you don't have to prove anything to anybody or yourself. After years of programming to push yourself, it can feel like giving up to acknowledge new limitations and realities. It's not! Let yourself off the hook, because if you dread your workout, something needs to change.
Camaraderie
Humans are social creatures. Mental-health practitioners stress the importance of having a healthy "belonging group." For retired athletes facing life after sport, replacing teammates, coaches, and trainers with a new circle of belonging is crucial. Some things to consider:
Join a local running/cycling/hiking club.
Take part in group activities at the local gym: aerobics, Pilates, spin class, yoga, etc.
Volunteer/work as a coach, assistant coach, referee, program director, announcer, or commentator for a local kids' team or league.
Join a local league, if appropriate for your physical health, and not necessarily your primary sport. Taking up a new sport can be the extra challenge you're craving.
Find a workout buddy or two who understand and/or share your situation. You probably know a bunch of people who have retired from your sport and also need some social support.
Substance Abuse
Loss of identity, recognition, belonging group, and the "thrill of victory," can, unfortunately, lead to substance use. It is important to decrease the stressors in our lives and rely on our support system when we transition to life after sport to help us avoid the slippery slope of drugs and alcohol. This is especially true if the reason for our departure was an injury that causes us pain. The prevalence of retired athletes who self-medicate is sadly very high.
Please be aware that many resources, your own personal support system included, are on your side. Don't try to tough it out alone. Few get very far as an athlete without that fight-through-it attitude. Most of us have "played through the pain" at one point or another, so it's easy to build an unrealistic attitude that we don't need assistance. Let yourself off the hook. Confide in a friend or trusted professional if you're struggling.
You Can Do It!
You can transition to a life after sport and fight post-athlete depression.
Recognize your shift in identity
Don't be shy about your grief and feelings of loss
Retool your workout routine to match your new lifestyle and goals
Find new ways to connect with fitness-minded people
Find new ways to connect to your sport
Get a new sport!
Let yourself off the hook, a lot, and don't be shy about asking for guidance
It may take a while, but you will find new ways to channel your drive to win and the exquisite exhilaration of competition into equally satisfying avenues of expression. Putting that energy into new goals, including your own general well-being, will help you through those rough spots.
As you transition from the team setting to the personal training setting, you may miss that sense of esprit de corps. But you can find it again. Enjoy your workout at the gym, join clubs/groups/leagues, find something that brings that back to you. Everyone needs a sense of camaraderie in life, don’t let retirement take that away from you!
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