The impact of sport retirement on mental health and sleep: A qualitative study with female ex-gymnasts

Women's gymnastics demands early entry, specialisation, and substantial time commitment. Exclusive emphasis on athletic performance and demanding training regimes can hinder the establishment of a balanced life during childhood and may lead to difficulties following retirement, including identity loss, lack of direction and sense of purpose, and social alienation. Although previous research has extensively explored issues related to female gymnasts' athletic identity, body image, and eating behaviours following retirement, aspects such as sleep, education, and support post-retirement have been overlooked. This oversight is particularly significant given the early retirement age in gymnastics and the role of sleep in physiological development. Therefore, thirteen female ex-gymnasts were recruited and participated in one-on-one semi-structured interviews to better understand the challenges they face in relation to their sleep and mental health. Four key themes were identified using reflexive thematic analysis: (i) abuse of the coach-athlete relationship (coach originated pressures culminate into poor wellbeing); (ii) drastic lifestyle, social, and physical change after retirement (transition out of sport impacting identity, sleep, and mental health); (iii) inadequate education and support (insufficient resources and support, and misinformation/lack of education surrounding mental health and sleep); and (iv) potential for change (improvement is viable with indication of imminent change). Findings indicate why mental health and sleep issues occur among female ex-gymnasts, suggest reasons why they are reluctant to seek help, and inform how they can be better supported. Retirement transitions may be eased through social exploration, gradual disengagement, and continued physical activity, supported by strong coach-athlete relationships and consistent, evidence-based education on sleep and mental health.