Compulsive Exercise

Question 1

Non-compulsive exercise

Answer 1

• Government/Medical guidelines
• Athletes
• “Normal” activity levels may vary from person to person

Question 2

2 Main reasons to compulsively exercise

Answer 2

1. as a form of compensation for bad eating habits

2. as an extreme for goal setting

Question 3

Effects of exercise on brain

Answer 3

• increases the hippocampus which is involved in memory and learning
• gets oxygen to the brain

Question 4

exercise and depression

Answer 4

• Releasing feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression (neurotransmitters and endorphins)
• Reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression
• Increasing body temperature, which may have calming effects
• Gain confidence by achieving goals
• Feel better about your body and appearance
• Take your mind off worries
• Exercise is a distraction that can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression.
• Get more social interaction.
• Doing something positive to manage anxiety or depression is a healthy coping strategy (appropriate self-regulation).

Question 5

History of exercise

Answer 5

• Paleolithic humans did not need gyms
• Civilizations = less activity
• Industrialization = less activity
• Exercise science
• Our food environment has increased our need for exercise even more
• Tied to beauty/appearance

Question 6

Compulsive Exercise

Answer 6

• Beyond the requirements for good health
• Exercises despite injury, illness
• Obsessive about weight and diet
• Work, school, relationships suffer
• Loses the fun of it all
• Define self-worth based on looks/performance
• Rarely/never satisfied with achievement
• Doesn’t savor victory

Question 7

Three of the following

Answer 7

1. I have missed important social obligations & family events in order to exercise.
2. I have given up other interests, including time with friends, in order to make more time to work out.
3. Missing a workout makes me irritable and depressed.
4. I only feel content when I am exercising or within the hour after exercising.
5. I like exercise more than sex, good food, or a movie. There’s almost nothing I’d rather do.
6. I work out even if I’m sick, injured, or exhausted. I’ll feel better when I get moving anyway.
7. In addition to my regular schedule, I’ll exercise more if I find extra time.
8. Family and friends have told me I’m too involved in exercise.
9. I have a history (or a family history) of anxiety or depression.

Question 8

Negative Consequences

Answer 8

• Deterioration of personal relationships or failure at work or school
• Social withdrawal
• Insomnia, depression, and fatigue
• Muscular and skeletal injuries
• Amenorrhea, testosterone changes
• Physical performance deteriorates
• Increased risk for eating disorders
• Increased risk for abuse of “performance-enhancers”

Question 9

Performance Enhancers

Answer 9

• Anabolic steroids
• Androstenedione
• Human growth hormone
• Erythropoietin
• Diuretics
• Creatine
• Stimulants

Question 10

Anabolic steroids

Answer 10

Besides making muscles bigger, anabolic steroids may help athletes recover from a hard workout more quickly by reducing the muscle damage that occurs during the session.

Question 11

Androstenedione

Answer 11

• a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, ovaries and testes
• normally converted to testosterone and estradiol in both men and women
• available legally only in prescription form, and is a controlled substance
• manufacturers and bodybuilding magazines tout its ability to allow athletes to train harder and recover more quickly
• its use as a performance-enhancing drug is illegal in the United States.

Question 12

Human growth hormone

Answer 12

• pituitary produces hGH to stimulate growth in children and adolescents and to increase muscle mass in adults.
• Using hGH has been linked to a variety of medical conditions, including joint pain, muscle weakness, fluid retention, carpal tunnel syndrome, cardiomyopathy and hyperlipidemia

Question 13

Erythropoietin

Answer 13

• increases red blood cell production without the need for transfusions
• increases the risk of events such as stroke, heart attack and pulmonary edema
• drug thickens the blood to the point where it produces fatal clots

Question 14

Diuretics

Answer 14

• a way to mask steroid use.
• diuretics dilute urine, which decreases steroid concentration and makes it much more difficult to detect. -an athlete taking diuretics may also get dizzy, become dehydrated or experience a severe drop in blood pressure

Question 15

Creatine

Answer 15

• boosting levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in muscle tissue
• benefit seems to be limited to short, high-energy bursts of muscle activity, not long, slow burns common in endurance athletes.

Question 16

Stimulants

Answer 16

• Amphetamines

- drug can cause high blood pressure, dizziness, shortness of breath and cardiac arrhythmia.

Question 17

Primary Compulsive Exercise

Answer 17

Motivation going in:

• Improving performance
• Getting supremely “cut”, “buff”

Question 18

Healthy athletes

Answer 18

training for peak performance and competition can suffer overtraining symptoms, which are the short-term result of too little rest and recovery

Question 19

addicts

Answer 19

• a chronic loss of perspective of the role of exercise in a full life
• the difference is in the attitude.
• addicted individual isn’t able to see value in unrelated activities and pursues her/his sport even when it is against her/his best interest

Question 20

Running

Answer 20

Obligatory running

• Fear of fat
• Restricted diet
• Undue influence of body shape or weight on self-evaluation
• Personality characteristics common to eating disorder sufferers

Question 21

Body Builders

Answer 21

• Drive for perfection and control over body
• Unusual eating habits
• Dangerous behaviors?
  
  • Bouts of starvation, severe dehydration, performance enhancing substance use

Question 22

Eating Disorders in Athletes

Answer 22

• Sports and body image satisfaction
• Unusual eating patterns socially acceptable in athletes
• Striving for very low body fat percentages
• 15-62% of college athletes show signs of disordered eating

Question 23

Secondary Compulsive Exercise

Answer 23

Motivation:

• Losing weight or compensating for extra calories
• Adjunct to eating disorder

Intense fear of fat

Exercise bulimia, anorexia athletica, hypergymnasia

Question 24

Link Between Starvation and Activity

Answer 24

• Rat wheel running

- Food restriction + excessive exercise = starvation

Question 25

Compulsive Exercise as an Addiction

Answer 25

Tolerance- more and more exercise needed for positive effects Withdrawal- depressed mood when prevented, only exercise and relieve this Excessive intake- excessive exercise Loss of control Narrowing of behavioral repertoire- Sacrificing work, social life and family life to spend time exercising Use continues despite problems-Exercise despite injuries and illnesses

Question 26

Underregulation- Standard deficits

Answer 26

Conflicting standards: - Health vs. obsession - Elite athlete vs. unhealthy person

Question 27

Underregulation- Monitoring failure

Answer 27

- Deindividuation - insensitivity to internal cues, decreased pain sensitivity - Renegade attention - see exercise-related stimuli everywhere, more extrinsic motivation

Question 28

Underregulation- Strength failure

Answer 28

Psychological Inertia- hard to stop once begun

Question 29

Misregulation

Answer 29

Inadequate or wrong knowledge: - No pain, no gain - The more the better! Trying to control the uncontrollable: - Genetic influence over body types - Are “those abilities” or is “that body” possible??

Question 30

Spiraling Distress

Answer 30

Preoccupation/Anticipation- Thinking about the gym: wishing you were there instead of in class Binge/Intoxication-In the “zone” Withdrawal/Negative Affect-Depressed mood, anxious when not exercising