Predicting Sport Burnout Based on Competitive Anxiety, Sport Perfectionism and Impulsivity in Professional Athletes

The present study aimed to predict athlete burnout in terms of competitive anxiety, sport perfectionism, and impulsivity among professional athletes. 266 professional athletes from the West Azerbaijan Province of Iran participated in the study during 2011-2015. The participants completed the Athletic Burnout Questionnaire, Sport Competition Anxiety Test, Sport Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, and the Impulsivity Scale. The results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between competitive anxiety, sports perfectionism, and impulsivity with burnout among professional athletes. The predictor variables significantly predicted 44% of burnout changes among professional athletes. Sport perfectionism was the sole significant predictor variable, contributing more than the other two variables. Therefore, relevant training workshops can be organized to reduce burnout in professional athletes by helping them reduce competitive anxiety, minimize impulsivity, and, more importantly, overcome sport perfectionism.