Exercise Addiction and Severity of Emotional Distress in Men, Regularly Subjecting Themselves to Intense Physical Stress in the Form of Bodybuilding

Abstract

The work studies the problem of connection between exercise addiction and the manifestation of the emotioal distress in men regularly subjecting themselves to intense physical activities. The data on the empirical study of addictive behaviors associated with physical activity in men engaged in bodybuilding for more than 1 year are given. The data obtained from research of connection between addiction and symptoms of depression and anxiety are also cited. The experimental group data are compared with the data on the control group of persons engaged in bodybuilding, but with no signs of exercise addiction. A conclusion revealing higher rates of emotional distress in the experimental group as compared to the control group is drawn.