Exercise Dependence

Abstract

Summary Exercise can become a compulsive behaviour and harmful to an individual. This review proposes diagnostic criteria for ‘exercise dependence’ to facilitate recognition in Sports clinics and further research. The importance of diagnosing exercise dependence lies in the prevention of morbidity and rarely mortality if exercise is continued in the presence of illness or injury. There is insufficient evidence to postulate opioid peptides as a physiological basis of dependence. A distinction is made between a primary form of exercise dependence and that which is secondary to an eating disorder.

Psychometric examination and factorial validity of the Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised in Italian exercisers

“…In general, exercise dependence is a condition in which the physical practice becomes a compulsive and uncontrollable behavior. Exercise dependence may be either an independent problem (i.e., primary dependence) or be secondary to an eating disorder (i.e., secondary dependence); and it is expressed in the form of physiological and psychological problems such as overuse injury, menstrual irregularity, anxiety, depression, illness, or exercising while injured or ill (de Coverley Veale, 1987;Hall, Kerr, Kozub & Finnie, 2007;Hausenblas & Symons Downs, 2002a;Veale, 1995).…”

“…Researchers have adapted the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) criteria for substance dependence describing exercise dependence as a form of exercise that involves clinically significant distress (de Coverley Veale, 1987;Hausenblas & Symons Downs, 2002b). The dependence is manifested by three or more of the following seven criteria: (a) tolerance is the need to increase the exercise duration, frequency, and intensity to receive the desired benefits; (b) withdrawal is manifested by symptoms (e.g., anxiety, fatigue) in the absence of exercise, or exercise is continued to relieve or avoid these withdrawal symptoms; (c) intended effect refers to the duration or amount of exercise is greater than expected; (d) loss of control is the inability to reduce or manage the exercise, despite the desire to do so; (e) time refers to excessive time to perform or prepare for the exercise; (f) reductions in other activities refers to the elimination or reduction of social, occupational, or recreational activities because of the need to exercise; and (f) continuity is a persistence of exercise despite recurring physical or psychological problems caused by exercise.…”

Avaliação da dependência à prática de karatê e a sua relação com o tempo de treino

“…Como diagnóstico hierárquico entre DEF Primária, teríamos que neste caso o exercício seria a própria motivação, não excedendo uma preocupação aparentemente saudável com a prática de exercícios físicos 27 ; já na DEF Secundária a principal motivação seria o controle e manipulação da composição corporal 11 . Embora não seja uma regra, sintomas de dependência secundária são observados em indivíduos com transtornos alimentares: anorexia nervosa (AN) e bulimia (BN), e estima--se que cerca de 80% dos pacientes com AN e 55% com BN pratiquem atividade física excessiva e inadequada no percurso de sua história clínica 16 .…”

“…No âmbito da pesquisa no Brasil já foi validado um questionário que avalia DEF em maratonistas 8 e suas repercussões negativas, tradicionalmente descritas na população de atletas principalmente em maratonistas 8,11 ; porém alguns outros trabalhos já foram realizados com fisiculturistas e levantadores de peso 12 ; praticantes de corrida de aventura 6 ; ultra maratonistas 13 e até mesmo em atletas de karatê estilo Shotokan 14 . Em relação a este último público já foi registrado que há tendência dos atletas de karatê Shotokan exibirem um perfil de comprometimento à prática relacionado ao estilo de vida, mais do que uma dependência propriamente dita, abrindo a perspectiva de que a DEF esteja relacionada ao tipo de exercício praticado, além de outras variáveis com tempo de atividade, intensidade, frequência etc 10,14,15 .…”

Effects of a single aerobic exercise session on body image

“…Terry, Szabo, and Griffiths (2004) proposed criteria for exercise addiction: (1) salience, exercise becomes the most important activity in the in dividual's life, dominating thinking, feelings and behaviour; (2) mood modification, the individual experiences mood modification as a consequence of excessive exercise (i.e., arousal-enhancing 'high' effect); (3) tole rance, increasing amounts of exercise are required to achieve the same effects; (4) withdrawal symptoms, unpleasant feelings and/or physical effects (e.g., sleeping disturbances, moodiness, irritability) occur when exercise is discontinued or reduced; (5) conflict, the individual continues to exercise excessively although he or she recognizes that this creates interpersonal conflicts and conflicts with other activities (e.g., job, social life, and hobbies); (6) relapse, rapid reinstatement of the previous pattern of exercise and withdrawal symptoms after a period of abstinence. Exercise addiction which develops without any accompanying eating disorder is defined as 'primary exercise addiction ' (de Coverley Veale, 1987), whereas in anorexia nervosa excessive exercise is used as weight control strategy and is therefore considered a symptom of the eating disorder and defined as 'secondary exercise addiction ' (de Coverley Veale, 1987).…”