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Objectives: Having psychometrically sound instruments is essential to the understanding of the determinants and consequences of athlete burnout. Therefore, this study examines the psychometric properties of a German version of the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) and its usefulness as a screening tool for the detection of clinically relevant burnout symptoms. Design: Prospective study. Method: 257 young elite athletes were recruited from Swiss Olympic Sport Classes (37% females; M = 16.8 years, SD = 1.4). 197 students were assessed a second time after six months. All students filled in a standardized questionnaire about domain-specific and domain-unspecific burnout symptoms, depressive symptoms, stress, and life satisfaction. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-factor structure of the ABQ. Moreover, all subscales had acceptable internal consistency. Support was also found for the convergent validity of the ABQ; all subscales were positively correlated with perceived stress, burnout and depression, whereas negative correlations existed with life satisfaction. By contrast, some ABQ subscales shared only limited variance, the three ABQ subscales did not predict each other across time, and none of the ABQ subscales was suitable for the screening of clinically relevant burnout symptoms. Conclusions: While the factor structure and internal consistency of the ABQ was supported, our study corroborates previous concerns about the psychometric properties and validity of the ABQ. While the ABQ has advanced research on athlete burnout, we hold that further debates about the most suitable way to assess burnout among elite athletes are urgently needed.

Purpose of the study The main objective of the present study was to examine the reciprocal relationships between off-job moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and vigor at work. Method 128 workers (60% females) from different companies, with a mean age of 39.40 years old, comprising lower supervisory and technical employees, intermediate occupations and professional and managerial workers, completed a questionnaire twice with an interval of two months, comprising measures of vigor at work (Shirom-Melamed Vigor Measure; Shirom, 2004), and self-rated levels of off-job MVPA (International Physical Activity Questionnaire; Craig et al., 2003). Results Structural equation modeling revealed that the level of vigor at T1 predicted the level of off-job MVPA at T2 (β = 0.22, p Conclusion The findings suggest that high vigor at work has the potential to prompt individuals to engage in off-job MVPA. Conversely, in the present study high levels of off-job MVPA were not linked to enhanced vigor at work. As a result, strategies designed to enhance vigor at work may result in higher levels of off-job MVPA and in the long term to the adoption of a healthy lifestyle beneficial for physical and mental health.

In training centers, the demonstration of high competence is essential and there is considerable emphasis placed on sporting achievement. Athlete burnout can be a consequence of such pressures and expectations. More information is needed regarding the social, environmental and individual differences in achievement-related characteristics which are relevant to the occurrence of burnout in this context. Objectives To examine the relationships among the coach-created climate, perceived competence, achievement goals and burnout in elite adolescent-age athletes. Design Prospective six-month-follow-up. Methods Data were collected from a sample of 309 young French handball players participating in elite training centers. Cluster analysis and structural equation modeling procedures were employed to evaluate the hypotheses. Results Comprised of differential scores on the dimensions of burnout, four distinct clusters were identified. Athletes in these cluster groups varied in perceptions of the motivational climate, goal orientations, and perceived competence. The structural model regarding the hypothesized relationships between perceived coach climate, perceived competence, achievement goals and athlete burnout, offered good fit to the data. Conclusions Findings indicated that young talented athletes perceiving an ego-involving climate and emphasizing mastery avoidance goals at the beginning of the season had a higher risk of experiencing burnout symptoms at the season's end. In contrast, players perceiving a high task-involving climate and emphasizing mastery approach goals at the beginning of the season had lower burnout scores when the season concluded. Moreover, players with high feelings of competence, who also report higher scores on performance approach and avoidance goals, higher scores on mastery approach goals and lower scores on mastery avoidance goals, are less likely to experience burnout.