Excessive exercise
When excessive Sports ( pathological Sports , colloquially sports addiction or fitness addiction ) is it is a mostly non-material dependence that under the heading of behavioral addiction falls, but is not regarded as independent medical diagnosis. Affected people suffer from the inner compulsion to be active in sports without having any competitive ambitions. The term has been known in the United States since the mid-1990s. Like most substance - independent addictions, excessive exercise has not yet been included as an independent diagnosis in the ICD-10 or DSM-IV and is therefore not considered an internationally recognized mental disorder.
Some of those who do excessive sport may have an eating disorder ( anorexia athletica ) at the same time ; In these cases, intensive training is primarily used to reduce body weight in order to achieve a certain ideal figure. In men, the compulsive desire to gain muscle mass is also known as muscle addiction . Psychologists estimate that about one percent of the population in Germany do pathological sport.
There are several scientific explanations for the development of excessive sport. On the psychological level, competitive sport can serve to increase self-confidence , to compensate for failures in other areas and to avoid overcoming problems. Complete physical exhaustion is often aimed for and viewed as a sense of achievement.
Another explanation emphasizes the importance of the body's own hormone production . During intense sporting activity, the body releases more endorphins , which in extreme cases can put the organism into a state of intoxication . Long distance runners refer to this condition as runner's high .
A connection with the current ideals in Western achievement societies is also addressed. Achievement has a high social value and has positive connotations, in addition to the prevailing ideals of beauty , which increasingly also apply to men.
According to sports psychologists, characteristics for the presence of pathological sports are:
- Endurance sport is a central part of life
- If you are forced to refrain from exercising, you will experience physical symptoms such as nervousness and stomach pain or psychological symptoms such as feelings of guilt or depression
- The load is continuously increased
- The urge to exercise is experienced as an inner compulsion
- Physical warning signs of overload are ignored
- Training continues even if injured
- Social contacts are neglected or given up because of sport
Constant overloading of the body for years leads to a weakening of the immune system and damage to joints , bones , tendons and ligaments. Other health problems occur in connection with anorexia or bulimia .
Robert Gugutzer is one of the German sports addiction researchers .
literature
- A. Hausenblas, S. Downs: Relationship Among Sex, Imagery, and Exercise Dependence Symptoms . In: Psychology of Addictiv Behaviors . June 16, 2002, p. 169-172 , PMID 12079258 .
- Laetitia Hoffmann: Anorexia Athletica - Health problems in anorexic athletes . 1st edition. Diplomica, 2009, ISBN 978-3-8366-7611-3 .
- MD Griffiths, A. Szabo, A. Terry: The exercise addiction inventory . A quick and easy screening tool for health practitioners. In: Br J Sports Med . tape 39 , no. 6 , June 2005, p. e30 , PMID 15911594 .
- R. Hurst, B. Hale, D. Smith, D. Collins: Exercise Dependence, Social Hysique Anxiety, and Social Support in Experienced and Inexperienced Bodybuilders and Weightlifters . In: Br J Sports Med . tape 34 , no. 6 , December 2000, pp. 431-435 , PMID 11131230 .
