The human body is capable of remarkable physical effort, but even the strongest athletes have limits. In volleyball, multi-day tournaments can require athletes to compete for long hours with limited time between matches. While athletes may be able to maintain a high level of performance through intense stretches of competition, repeated physical and mental demands can eventually lead to performance declines, slower recovery and an increased risk of injury.
For Coaches, the challenge is knowing when an athlete needs to push forward and when they need to recover. For athletes and families, the takeaway is just as important: recovery is not separate from performance. It is a critical part of it.
Moderate athlete burnout among youth athletes is increasing, particularly among those who specialize in their sport at an early age (Giusti et al., 2020). Incidences of burnout also increase with age among athletes ages 7-17. The good news is that intentional training, nutrition, sleep and mental recovery strategies can help athletes manage the demands of competition and support long-term success.
The goal is not simply to get through a demanding tournament. It is to help athletes recover well enough to continue performing, developing and enjoying the sport over the long term.
Here are key strategies for helping athletes take care of their bodies and minds, reduce the risk of burnout and recover between periods of high-level competition:
Physiological Demands of Volleyball
On average, a volleyball athlete spends 30% of a match running and jumping (Coniglio et al., 2018). Additionally, the libero expends the most energy on the court during a volleyball match. Research shows that athletes lose lower-body strength and speed post-match but recover after three hours (Magalhães et al., 2011). A loss of lower-body strength can lead to improper jumping and landing mechanics, increasing the risk of injury.
Unfortunately, junior volleyball tournaments do not provide a three-hour window between matches. Therefore, athletes and parents need to consider ways to increase recovery during tournament play, such as proper hydration and nutrition throughout the day. The bioenergetic demands of indoor volleyball primarily derive from the anaerobic glycolysis system (Concu et al., 1992), which means athletes rely heavily on carbohydrates for energy. Therefore, athletes should have a healthy carbohydrate-rich snack or sports drink to support post-match recovery. Additionally, athletes and Coaches should consider ways to increase fitness levels. Elevated strength and cardiovascular endurance can help mitigate performance declines.
Increasing Fitness for Success in Volleyball
Volleyball athletes should consider playing a season of beach volleyball to help improve their indoor performance. Research shows that beach volleyball training significantly increases cardiovascular fitness and running economy (Balasas et al., 2013). Increasing fitness levels can lead to improved performance, while enhanced running economy can contribute to faster sprint speeds. Additionally, beach volleyball training increases lower-body muscle endurance, power and vertical jump height (Balasas et al., 2018). These performance benefits are likely due to the increased demands of beach volleyball, which requires 20-60% more energy than indoor volleyball (Lejeune et al., 1998).
Proper Rest & Recovery
Sleep is essential to the recovery process. Research shows that sleep quality and quantity decrease for two days post-competition (Vitale et al., 2019), particularly following evening matches. With this in mind, Coaches and parents should allow athletes more time to sleep than usual during multi-day tournaments and after competition.
To enhance recovery for volleyball athletes, Coaches should be mindful when scheduling training. An athlete’s training load should be planned out and include practices, practice intensity, competitions and other sports competitions for multi-sport athletes. Ideally, the Coach should aim to keep training intensity steady throughout the season (Debien et al., 2018). For example, weeks with multi-day tournaments should include fewer practices. Additionally, Coaches can monitor practice intensity using session rate of perceived exertion scales (sessionRPE; Lupo et al., 2020).
Taking Care of the Mind
While we tend to focus on the body when we think about recovery, the mind should also be considered when developing and implementing comprehensive rest programs. Burnout may be a long-term consequence of intense and continuous performance. An equally concerning and lesser-known short-term consequence of intense performance that further emphasizes the need for rest is ego depletion.
Ego depletion is a state of decreased willpower that results in a reduced mental ability to perform (Englert, 2017). Athletes who experience ego depletion may have the following symptoms:
- Poor decision-making
- State anxiety
- Distractibility
- Lower accuracy
- Longer reaction time
- Poor emotional regulation
- Poor executive function
- Poor motivation
Ego depletion is caused by periods of prolonged mental activity and focus in intense, performance-oriented situations. Therefore, athletes who must deploy self-regulatory processes for a prolonged period may experience negative performance impacts as their mental resources diminish (Baumeister et al., 1998). Self-regulatory processes that occur in volleyball include preparing for games through goal setting and self-motivation, considering and employing strategy, selecting appropriate responses quickly and efficiently, and reflecting on performance to make necessary changes in the future.
This means athletes who are asked to compete at their highest potential need time to mentally recover so they can continue improving, learning, competing and growing. The time it takes for ego depletion to occur will look different for every athlete and may even vary across situations. Some situations are inherently more demanding than others, taking a greater toll on the body and mind. Therefore, after tournaments, athletes should take an inventory of their mental and physical symptoms and determine how best to recover.
The best way to address the impacts of high performance on the mind is through active relaxation techniques and good sleep habits. Active relaxation techniques, such as mindfulness, accessing a positive mood through social support, taking a break from decision-making or spending time outside, can aid recovery during short-term rest periods. With adequate rest, athletes can experience positive performance outcomes, including greater self-control, lower state anxiety, better performance, heightened attentional control, improved decision-making, and better emotional regulation and coping.
Taking Care of You: Rest Plans
As outlined, a structured rest plan is vital for athletes to recover from the mental demands of high performance. Often, athletes are told to use their rest days to prepare mentally for upcoming demands and stressors. However, mental rest can too often fall by the wayside, and athletes begin refocusing on goals too soon without giving themselves adequate time to fully recover.
After athletes have an opportunity to reflect on prior performance, they need a structured plan for fully resting their minds before moving on to their next event and future goals.
A rest plan should include aspects of what the athlete will do for 1) their body and 2) their mind. Allowing athletes to design their own rest plans may help them establish control over their mental processes and time away from the sport. Heightened feelings of independence and control can help athletes increase their self-efficacy and confidence to manage their success effectively. In addition, this can help them develop essential life skills as they continue in both sport and life.
A Sample Rest Worksheet includes guidance for Coaches, parents and trainers to help athletes complete the worksheet as they progress through their intense training and competition regimen. Athletes should be encouraged to reflect on their experiences with rest and design a plan with a knowledgeable adult that is tailored to their needs and preferences. For example, some mental recovery strategies may be preferred over others depending on the athlete.
Helping athletes try different strategies and take ownership of their recovery will help them continue this process independently in the future. Empowering young athletes to take control of their bodies and minds is an essential skill they can gain from sports participation.
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About the Authors
Lauren Pierce is a Performance Consultant for athletes, coaches, and players in Tucson, AZ, and holds her PhD in Educational Psychology where she studies aspects of team and individual motivation. Lauren grew up playing sports and continues to compete at the elite level in obstacle course racing. Her time as an athlete and coach motivated her to pursue research applications related to ‘the mental game’. The passion and commitment of the athletes and coaches that she has worked with inspired her to continue her work by developing a mental performance program as she pursues future research and teaching in academia.
mindsetcoachlauren@gmail.com
520-474-0652
Dr. Chelsee Shortt is a Professor of Exercise Science and Physical Education, as well as the Chair for Human Performance and Fitness at Northern State.
