Female Versus Male Differences in Burnout With Sport: A Systematic Review

Authors

• Eva Bowles, University of Kansas Medical Center
• Christopher D. Bernard, University of Kansas Medical Center
• Levi Aldag, University of Kansas Medical Center
• Lisa Vopat, University of Kansas Medical Center
• Megan Wolf, University of Kansas Medical Center
• Kimberly Templeton, University of Kansas Medical Center
• Mary K. Mulcahey, Loyola UniversityFollow
• Meghan Lemons, University of Kansas Medical Center
• Annie Gordon, University of Kansas Medical Center
• Gabrielle Blain, Kansas City University
• Jake Enos, University of Kansas Medical Center
• Bryan G. Vopat, University of Kansas Medical Center

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Sports Health

Abstract

Context: Burnout is a widely recognized problem in sports. Female athletes have been found to experience more emotional exhaustion and less depersonalization, key components of burnout, than their male counterparts. Researchers have found varied results when comparing rates of burnout between male and female athletes.

Objective: This study aims to review the current literature with the goal of determining what differences exist between male and female athletes regarding sport burnout.

Data sources: PubMed (Medline), Cochrane library, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science.

Study selection: Articles that were originally written in English, included athletes participating in organized sport, evaluated athletic burnout, and compared rates of burnout among different sexes were included in this review. Articles that were cadaveric, animal, review, or expert opinions were excluded.

Study design: Systematic review.

Level of evidence: Level 4.

Data extraction: The age, sex, sport, and level of athletic competition of individual athletes were extracted from each article in addition to burnout rates and outcome scores of male and female athletes.

Results: Of the 18 studies included in this review, 10 (56%) found no significant differences in sport burnout among male and female athletes, 7 (39%) found that female athletes experienced greater burnout than male athletes and 1 (5.6%) found that male athletes experienced greater burnout than female athletes. Reduced sense of accomplishment and physical/emotional exhaustion were implicated in creating more burnout among female athletes than their male counterparts in 4 studies.

Conclusion: It remains unclear how the constructs of sex and gender affect athlete burnout. The heterogeneity of studies included in this review prevented the analysis of how participation in team sports, participation in individual sports, level of competition, and the coach-athlete relationship influence sport burnout. More standardized studies are needed to better evaluate the effect sex and gender have on athlete burnout as well as how athletes involved in various sports are affected by burnout.

DOI

10.1177/19417381261492950

Publication Date

10-15-2026

Keywords

Athlete burnout, gender differences, sex differences, sports, sports psychology

ISSN

1941-0921

Recommended Citation

Bowles E, Bernard CD, Aldag L, Vopat L, Wolf M, Templeton K, Mulcahey MK, Lemons M, Gordon A, Blain G, Enos J, Vopat BG. Female Versus Male Differences in Burnout With Sport: A Systematic Review. Sports Health. 2026; . doi: 10.1177/19417381261492950.