THE Identity Crisis

TW: This episode discusses depression, disordered eating, and substance use in the context of retired athletes. Take care of yourself, and reach out for support if you need it.

Izzy and Mia go back in time to unpack the identity crisis that hits almost every athlete after their sport ends: the withdrawal, the depression, the "who am I now" spiral nobody talks about. Mia brings the peer-reviewed data. This one gets personal, informative, and ends with our classic chaos. ENJOY.

Chapters:

00:23 — Intro

02:16 — Types of Retirement + Rebuilding Your Identity After Sport

03:28 — Izzy's COVID-Forced Retirement

06:21 — The Science: What Forced Retirement Does to Athletes' Mental Health

07:45 — Mia's Retirement Depression

08:52 — Chasing the High: Dopamine + Epigenetics

14:19 — Shoving It Down: Izzy's Retirement

17:16 — The Stats: Depression Rates in Retired NFL, NBA & Soccer Players

19:02 — Speaking To Young Mia, Young Izzy, and Anyone Else Facing Sports Retirement

21:48 — Mia's 100-Routines-in-a-Row

27:00 — FULL Tangent: Retinol + the Collagen Meta-Analysis Redux

32:03 — Izzy Gaming the Baseline Test

34:47 — Mia's Plantar Fasciitis

37:30 — Reclaiming the Toxicity

40:20 — Team Accountability

Sources:

Dopamine genetics & epigenetics

• Humińska-Lisowska, K., et al. (2023). Epigenetic Analysis of the Dopamine Transporter Gene DAT1 with a Focus on Personality Traits in Athletes. Int J Mol Sci. DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108931
• Michałowska-Sawczyn, M., et al. (2024). Association Analysis of the Dopaminergic Receptor 2 Gene Tag1B rs1079597 and Personality Traits Among a Cohort of Professional Athletes. Biol Sport. DOI: 10.5114/biolsport.2025.139470

Dopamine & training intensity

• Boecker, H., et al. (2024). Fractional Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations Associated with Endocannabinoid, µ-Opioid and Dopamine Receptor Distributions after High-Intensity Exercise Bouts. Front Neuroimaging. DOI: 10.3389/fnimg.2024.1332384

Dopamine & burnout/stress

• Cai, C., et al. (2025). From adversity to adaptation: the struggle between resilience and athlete burnout in stressful situations. Front Psychol. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1578198
• Baik, J-H. (2020). Stress and the dopaminergic reward system. Exp Mol Med. DOI: 10.1038/s12276-020-00532-4

Retirement & identity transition

• Mannes, Z-L., et al. (2018). Prevalence and Correlates of Psychological Distress among Retired Elite Athletes: A Systematic Review. PMC.
• Voorheis, P., et al. (2023). Adaptation to life after sport for retired athletes: A scoping review of existing reviews and programs. PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291683

Collagen

• Myung, S-K., & Park, Y. (2025). Effects of Collagen Supplements on Skin Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Am J Med. DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2025.04.034
• Smith, L., et al. (2026). Collagen Supplementation for Skin and Musculoskeletal Health: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses on Elasticity, Hydration, and Structural Outcomes. Aesthet Surg J Open Forum. DOI: 10.1093/asjof/ojag018

A note on the research: the genetics/epigenetics studies show correlation, not causation, and the training-intensity study isn't a controlled experiment. The collagen debate hinges on how Myung & Park grouped trials by industry funding, which GROW (Gelatin Manufacturers of the World) and Collagen Stewardship Alliance dispute. We're sharing what the data shows, not overstating it.