The GAA and GPA have commissioned the Economic and Social Research Institute to study the demands of balancing inter-county hurling or football with the personal and professional lives of players.
All 1,962 players from the 2016 inter-county championship panels will be contacted to participate in the research, with the findings expected to be published in December this year.
It is a common refrain that the GAA's elite athletes are now expected to train like professionals while also working.
Players will now have the opportunity to portray the demands of senior inter-county football and hurling, and give their views on how best to support player welfare.
GAA President Aogán Ó Fearghail said: “I welcome the announcement of this initiative. A lot has been said and written about the well documented challenges associated with playing our games at the highest levels and the commitment involved.
“Involvement in our games at inter-county level should not come to the detriment of the personal development of our players and we have committed to working with the GPA to establish a clear view of the situation using the expertise of the ESRI.
“I look forward to their findings and to working to improve a crucial area of player welfare.”
The Gaelic Players Association was recognised by the GAA as the official representative of inter-county players in 2010.
A three-year deal agreed between the GAA and GPA last July provided for increases in expenses and funding for player welfare programmes, while also promising to assess the requirements of inter-county representation on players.
Proposals on improving lifestyle balance had initially been promised by June this year.
GPA Chairman Seamus Hickey said: “The establishment of a joint working group between the GPA and GAA to review the challenge of lifestyle balance for inter county players was an important agreed objective in the new GAA/GPA Recognition Protocol.
“This research study will be a vital first step in establishing a comprehensive picture of all the issues that impact on players lifestyle balance.
“The deliberations of the joint working group, informed by this research study, should lead to concrete recommendations that can help address the challenges faced by players both on and off the pitch."
The ESRI, founded by the late TK Whitaker, is an independent, not-for-profit research institute best-known for its reports and forecasts relating to the Irish economy such as the Quarterly Economic Commentary and Consumer Sentiment Index.
