Development and Validation of the Italian Multicomponent Training Distress Scale (IMTDS) for Use in Team Sport Athletes

Training distress is a multifactorial psychophysiological response resulting from the interaction of sustained high-intensity training, insufficient recovery, and additional psychosocial stressors. It manifests through mood disturbance, elevated perceived stress, fatigue, sleep disruption, and physical symptoms, and represents a precursor to maladaptive outcomes such as overtraining syndrome. The Multicomponent Training Distress Scale (MTDS) integrates these dimensions into a single monitoring framework; however, no validated Italian version has been available. The present study aimed to develop and provide a validation of the Italian Multicomponent Training Distress Scale (IMTDS). The IMTDS was administered to 536 Italian-speaking recreational and competitive sport participants (276 males, 260 females; age range = 16–35 years, M = 25.31, SD = 5.62). Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling supported the hypothesized six-factor structure (Depression, Vigor, Physical Symptoms, Sleep Disturbances, Stress, Fatigue), demonstrating acceptable model fit (CFI = 0.97, TLI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.10). Internal consistency was satisfactory to high across subscales (ω = 0.82–0.88), and test–retest analyses indicated temporal stability. Intercorrelations among dimensions were consistent with theoretical expectations. These findings provide evidence that the IMTDS is a reliable instrument for monitoring training distress in Italian-speaking athletes.