Visualizing global research trends on retired athletes using bibliometric analysis: Opportunities to develop exercise for retired athletes in future research

This study aims to explore future research directions concerning retired athletes through a bibliometric analysis based on a literature review, utilizing the VOS Viewer application. The research employs a literature review methodology incorporating three tools: Harzing’s Publish or Perish, Mendeley Desktop, and VOS Viewer. Harzing’s Publish or Perish was used to identify articles published in international journals indexed in Scopus from 2016 to 2024 using the keyword “retired athlete.” Mendeley Desktop and VOS Viewer were applied to filter and categorize articles by keywords, as well as to analyze performance, co-citation, bibliographic integration, and scientific mapping. An initial search with Harzing’s Publish or Perish yielded 153 articles. After thematic filtering, 96 articles were retained, and 33 were further analyzed using VOS Viewer. The keyword analysis, based on clustering, highlights prevalent challenges faced by retired athletes, including mental health, well-being, quality of life, physical activity, risk factors, suicide, and career transitions. However, prevention strategies addressing these issues remain underexplored. Consequently, research on preventive measures, such as the development of educational and training models to help retired athletes maintain their fitness, quality of life, and overall well-being, presents a promising avenue for future studies.