Exercise addiction Flashcards
What are the characteristics of primary and secondary exercise addiction?
Primary exercise addiction is characterized by a rigid urge to exercise, loss of control, and negative emotional and social consequences. Secondary exercise addiction involves addictive behaviors alongside other mental health issues, often related to eating disorders.
Meyer & Plateau (2017) describe primary exercise addiction as a perceived inability to stop despite negative consequences.
What are the risk factors for primary exercise addiction?
Risk factors for primary exercise addiction include:
* Personality traits like narcissism and perfectionism
* Elevated impulsivity and emotional dysregulation
* Alexithymia
* Emotions such as shame, guilt, and pride
* Gender differences
* Sport type
* Low self-esteem
Studies highlight various personality traits and emotional factors as significant contributors to primary exercise addiction.
Is primary exercise addiction considered a disorder in its own right?
There is debate about whether primary exercise addiction is a standalone disorder, as it shares characteristics with other behavioral addictions.
The classification of exercise addiction is complex due to overlapping features with other disorders.
What are the challenges of identifying and treating problematic exercise behaviors?
Challenges include:
* Lack of specific diagnostic criteria
* Differentiating athletes’ needs from general population
* Absence of validated treatment approaches
* Unknown help-seeking behaviors in athletes
Clinicians must explore motivations and attitudes towards exercise and recovery.
What are the benefits of exercise?
Benefits of exercise include:
* Disease prevention
* Optimization of health
* Improvement in physical and mental health
Guidelines suggest minimum cardiovascular, resistance, and flexibility exercise requirements.
What is the ‘runners high’ and its associated theory?
‘Runners high’ refers to the euphoric feeling experienced during or after prolonged exercise, linked to the opioid theory which activates the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway.
Evidence shows increased endorphins in blood and brain following exercise (Boecker et al., 2008).
List the criteria for exercise dependence based on Hausenblas & Symons Downs (2002).
Criteria for exercise dependence include:
* Tolerance
* Withdrawal symptoms
* Intention effects
* Lack of control
* Time
* Reduction in other activities
* Continuance despite negative consequences
These criteria align with DSM-4 standards.
What is the estimated prevalence of exercise addiction in the general population?
The estimated prevalence of exercise addiction in the general population ranges from 0.5% to ~8%.
Prevalence is higher in athletic populations, ranging from 5-14%.
What are the presenting symptoms of exercise addiction?
Presenting symptoms include:
* Overuse injuries
* Indicators of overtraining
* Symptoms of endocrine or metabolic dysfunction
* Persisting with exercise despite negative consequences
* Neglecting social or occupational responsibilities
* Withdrawal effects when exercise is stopped
Symptoms can complicate the identification of exercise addiction.
What are the key steps in treating exercise addiction?
Key steps in treating exercise addiction include:
* Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
* Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
* Setting SMART goals for exercise
* Involvement of fitness professionals
* Management of injuries and psychological wellbeing
Szabo & Demetrovics (2022) outline a structured approach to treatment.
True or False: Exercise addiction exists only in conjunction with eating disorders.
False
Some studies indicate exercise addiction can occur independently of eating disorders.
Fill in the blank: The Exercise Addiction Inventory was developed by _______.
[Griffiths, Szabo & Terry, 2005].
What is the Compulsive Exercise Test and its purpose?
The Compulsive Exercise Test is a 24-item measure designed to assess compulsive exercise behaviors and includes subscales for:
* Avoidance and rule-driven behavior
* Mood improvement
* Lack of exercise enjoyment
* Exercise rigidity
* Weight control exercise
Elevated scores indicate problematic exercise in clinical samples (Meyer et al., 2016).
What physiological and psychological effects were observed in the Minnesota semi-starvation experiment?
Effects included:
* Food obsessions and overeating
* Increased restlessness
* Significant psychological changes
The study aimed to understand the impact of semi-starvation post-World War II.
What is the association between anorexia nervosa and exercise?
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by a drive for thinness and often includes an unexpected desire for movement despite undernutrition.
There is a complex relationship between exercise and eating disorders, with many patients exhibiting compulsive exercise behaviors.
What is a transdiagnostic definition of compulsive exercise in eating disorders?
Compulsive exercise is defined as:
* Excessive exercise driven by obsession or rigid rules
* Aimed at preventing negative outcomes or reducing distress
* Time-consuming and significantly interferes with daily life
Dittmer, Jacobi & Voderholzer (2018) provide this framework.
What is compulsive exercise linked to in terms of eating disorder psychopathology?
More severe eating disorder psychopathology and poorer outcomes in therapy
(Monell et al., 2018)
What are the consequences of compulsive exercise in eating disorders?
- Longer hospitalisation
- Higher rates of relapse
- Impact on remission & treatment outcome
- Increase in psychiatric co-morbidity
(Solenberger, 2001; Carter et al., 2004; Dalle Grave et al., 2008; Levallius et al., 2017)
What patient characteristics are associated with compulsive exercise?
- Age
- BMI
- Gender
- ED onset / duration
- Diagnostic category
AN – anorexia; BN – bulimia; EDNOS – Eating disorders not categorised in DSM
Which factors were elevated among CE patients?
- Global EDE-Q
- Dietary restraint
- Purge frequency
- Negative perfectionism
Female CE patients were younger, had shorter ED duration and lower BMI than non-CE patients.
What is the name of the therapy used to treat compulsive exercise?
LEAP – Compulsive Exercise Activity Therapy
It involves 8x50min sessions embedded within CBT-AN (Hay et al., 2018).
What are some challenges in treating compulsive exercise?
- Lack of evidence-based interventions
- Using exercise as a ‘reward’ during treatment
- Managing distress from reducing exercise
- Treating competitive athletes’ exercise behaviours
These challenges complicate the therapeutic approach.
How was Virtual Reality used to treat compulsive exercise?
- 30 ED patients wore VR goggles
- Watched a jogger’s running track from first-person perspective
- Rated urge to be active at regular intervals
A reduction in urge to be active from baseline to post exposure was observed (Paslakis et al., 2017).
What complications exist in the exercise addiction literature?
- Use of different terms
- Lack of consistent criteria
- Inconsistent measures of assessment
Debates exist about exercise addiction in the absence of eating problems.
