L2: Exercise Addiction Flashcards
(15 cards)
What is the definition of exercise addiction?
A rigid and highly driven urge to be active, with a perceived inability to stop, despite awareness of negative consequences.
(Meyer & Plateau, 2017)
What characterizes primary exercise addiction?
Loss of control over exercise activity driven by reward, emotional escape, and craving, not associated with weight or shape concerns.
It involves a quantitative assessment of exercise frequency and volume.
What characterizes secondary exercise addiction?
Exercise is a symptom of an underlying disorder, often associated with weight and shape concerns, and driven by anxiety relief and intrusive thoughts.
It involves a qualitative assessment of obsessive-compulsive behaviors.
What is the prevalence of primary exercise addiction in the general population?
Varies from 0.5% to ~8%.
In athletic populations, prevalence ranges from 5-14%.
What are the signs of exercise addiction compared to normative exercise?
Tolerance, withdrawal, persistence despite injury, impaired control, neglect of responsibilities.
Normative exercise allows for rest and schedule adjustments without distress.
What is the relationship between eating disorders and secondary exercise addiction?
Up to 80% of eating disorder patients present with compulsive exercise.
Eating disorders are common among athletes.
What are the criteria for compulsive exercise according to Dittmer et al. (2018)?
A(1) Excessive exercise driven by obsession or rigid rules. A(2) Aims to prevent dreaded consequences or reduce distress. B Time-consuming (>1 hour/day) and interferes with daily life.
C is optional and involves patient recognition of excessive exercise.
What personality traits are risk factors for primary exercise addiction?
Perfectionism, narcissism, impulsivity, alexithymia, emotion dysregulation.
These traits may lead to maladaptive coping through exercise.
What psychological factors are linked to secondary exercise addiction?
Negative perfectionism, rigid beliefs, emotional regulation via exercise.
These factors are often present in individuals with eating disorders.
What are the arguments for considering primary exercise addiction a disorder?
Present among non-eating disordered samples, similar features to other addictions, 22% of cases not linked to ED symptoms.
Shows symptoms analogous to substance use disorder.
What challenges exist in diagnosing exercise addiction?
Absence of specific criteria, overlap with athletic behavior, difficulty distinguishing healthy vs. problematic exercise, underreporting.
Lack of agreed classification criteria leads to variability.
What assessment tools are used for exercise addiction?
Exercise Addiction Inventory, Exercise Dependence Scale Revised, Compulsive Exercise Test.
EDSR is noted as a better tool for measurement.
What are the treatment challenges for exercise addiction?
No validated treatment approaches, managing distress from reducing exercise, treating competitive athletes.
CBT and REBT are proposed methods for restructuring thoughts.
What comorbidities are associated with exercise addiction?
Anxiety, depression, OCD, disordered eating.
Physiological markers may include cortisol levels and amenorrhea.
What presenting symptoms indicate exercise addiction?
Overuse injuries, indicators of overtraining, persisting with exercise despite negative consequences, withdrawal effects.
Symptoms may include neglecting social or occupational responsibilities.
