The diagnosis has no name but Per "Pliggen" Andersson calls it a form of burnout.
- It is not just about medicine but also nutritional physiology, behavioral science, exercise and psychology, he says.
Pliggen confirms two known cases:
+ Ingvild Flugstad Östberg, Norwegian ski star who is not allowed to train normally or compete because she does not meet the national team's health requirements.
She did not do a single race last season.
+ Frida Karlsson, Swedish ski star who in mid-August pulled down on training because she felt overloaded and worn out.
Already in December 2019, she had to take a timeout because she did not meet the national team's health requirements.
- This is our biggest challenge in the endurance side.
Especially among girls.
There are guys who have encountered the problem, but we see that it is more common in girls.
Unfortunately, today there is no good answer to why it looks like that, says Andersson who is a doctor at the Swedish Olympic Committee (SOK) and the Swedish cross-country national team.
Culture of silence
Other sports leaders TT spoke to confirm that this is a widespread problem and that the number of unreported cases can be large.
According to Per Andersson, it affects athletes who train at the limit of what the body can handle at the same time as they, for various reasons, do not eat enough and are careless with the recovery.
The result is that the mold dips.
- There is a culture of silence around this problem, which is devastating.
These are very difficult conversations with individuals who are at risk or have crossed the border.
It is important to outline the basic problem if one is to approach this discussion.
Per "Pliggen" Andersson has basic advice for coaches in endurance sports:
- Every increase in the training dose means an increased risk that this will happen and then you have to be extra observant.
In planning, there must also be room for the individual to become ill or injured.
Patience is important.
CLIP: Called Olympic Plan: Standing Over the Tour de Ski (August 26)
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Charlotte Kalla.
Photo: Bildbyrån