Search Results (86)

Exercise addiction is described in the literature as a compulsive behavior associated with adverse health symptoms. Currently, knowledge about the biological and social factors that trigger the development of this behavior is still lacking, and there are no published studies on genetic variants associated with the disorder. Because of this, we genotyped specific polymorphisms in the genes DRD1 (rs265981), DRD2 (rs1800497), BDNF (rs6265), HFE (rs1799945), ACTN3 (rs1815739), PPARA (rs4253778), PPARGC1A (rs8192678), and AMPD1 (rs17602729) to investigate whether they were associated with exercise addiction. In total, 469 men and women, comprising athletes and non-athletes between the ages of 18 and 50, were enrolled in the study. Each participant provided an oral swab sample for genetic analysis and completed the Negative Addiction Scale questionnaire that tests for physical exercise addiction. For the DRD2 polymorphism, there was a significant association of the GG genotype with asymptomatic participants and of the AA genotype with participants symptomatic for exercise addiction. Additionally, for the BDNF polymorphism, the CC genotype was associated with symptomatic participants, and the T allele was associated with asymptomatic individuals. However, all associations were found by evaluating the SNP individually, and this demonstrates the difficulty in studying variables related to behavioral phenotypes. Full article

Background/Objectives: Muscle dysmorphia (MD), a subtype of body dysmorphic disorder, is prevalent among males who engage in the non-medical use of anabolic–androgenic steroids (AASs) and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). These individuals often experience severe psychopathology, including mood instability, compulsivity, and a distorted body image. Despite its clinical severity, no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have evaluated structured psychological treatments in this subgroup. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a manualized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) protocol in reducing MD symptoms and associated psychological distress among male steroid users. Results: Participants in the CBT group showed significant reductions in MD symptoms from the baseline to post-treatment (MDDI: p < 0.001, d = 1.12), with gains sustained at follow-up. Large effect sizes were also observed in secondary outcomes including depressive symptoms (PHQ-9: d = 0.98), psychological distress (K10: d = 0.93), disordered eating (EDE-Q: d = 0.74), and exercise addiction (EAI: d = 1.07). No significant changes were observed in the control group. Significant group × time interactions were found for all outcomes (all p < 0.01), indicating CBT’s specific efficacy. Discussion: This study provides the first RCT evidence that CBT significantly reduces both core MD symptoms and steroid-related psychopathology in men engaged in AAS/PED misuse. Improvements extended to mood, body image perception, and compulsive exercise behaviors. These findings support CBT’s transdiagnostic applicability in addressing both the cognitive–behavioral and affective dimensions of MD. Materials and Methods: In this parallel-group, open-label RCT, 59 male gym-goers with DSM-5-TR diagnoses of MD and a history of AAS/PED use were randomized to either a 12-week CBT intervention (n = 30) or a waitlist control group (n = 29). CBT sessions were delivered weekly online and targeted distorted muscularity beliefs, compulsive behaviors, and emotional dysregulation. Primary and secondary outcomes—Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory (MDDI), PHQ-9, K10, EDE-Q, EAI, and BIG—were assessed at the baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. A repeated-measures ANOVA and paired t-tests were used to analyze time × group interactions. Conclusions: CBT offers an effective, scalable intervention for individuals with muscle dysmorphia complicated by anabolic steroid use. It promotes broad psychological improvement and may serve as a first-line treatment option in high-risk male fitness populations. Future studies should examine long-term outcomes and investigate implementation in diverse clinical and cultural contexts. Full article

Exercise addiction (EA) is a maladaptive behavior characterized by excessive physical activity, often linked to negative psychological outcomes. This study investigated the relationships between perfectionism, sport commitment, and EA in a sample of 219 Hungarian athletes (M = 22.19 years). Using path analysis, we tested a model hypothesizing that adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism differentially predict enthusiastic and constrained commitment, which in turn influences EA. Our results showed that maladaptive perfectionism positively predicted constrained commitment (β = 0.70) and EA (β = 0.63), while negatively relating to enthusiastic commitment (β = −0.17). Conversely, adaptive perfectionism was positively associated with enthusiastic commitment (β = 0.24) and negatively with constrained commitment (β = −0.12). Moreover, enthusiastic commitment positively predicted EA (β = 0.24). We found a significant indirect effect between adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism when controlling for enthusiastic commitment, suggesting its dual role in this context. Our study suggests that enthusiastic commitment serves as a source of exercise addiction (EA) and has a dual role, acting as both a protective factor and a risk factor for it. Additionally, we found that maladaptive perfectionism is associated with higher levels of constrained commitment and EA, while correlating with lower levels of enthusiastic commitment. Conversely, adaptive perfectionism increases enthusiastic commitment and decreases constrained commitment. These findings highlight the associations between motivational and personality factors in EA, indicating that even adaptive traits can contribute to unhealthy exercise patterns in athletic environments. Full article

Background: The widespread use of smartphones and the internet has transformed communication, but excessive use has raised concerns about smartphone and internet addiction, which can lead to psychological, physical, and social issues. The objective of this literature review is to explore the relationship between smartphone and internet addiction and physical activity, particularly focusing on whether physical exercise, especially sports, can serve as a protective factor against addiction. The review aims to examine how physical activity can reduce the negative impacts of addiction and improve overall mental health. Methods: This review synthesizes empirical research on smartphone and internet addiction and its connection to physical activity. It examines studies exploring how addiction leads to physical inactivity and how participation in physical activities, especially sports, can counteract this effect. The review also evaluates research on psychological mechanisms, such as self-esteem, self-control, and emotional resilience, that mediate the relationship between physical activity and addiction. Additionally, it discusses how sociodemographic and contextual factors influence this relationship. Conclusions: The findings consistently show an inverse relationship between smartphone and internet use and physical activity, with physical activity acting as a protective factor against addiction. Sports and other physical activities have been linked to reduced addictive behaviors, enhanced psychological well-being, and improved emotional resilience. Promoting physical activity, particularly sports, along with psychological interventions, appears to be an effective strategy for preventing and treating smartphone and internet addiction. Future research should focus on developing tailored interventions and studying diverse populations to optimize addiction prevention. Full article

Background/Objectives: Although regular physical exercise is protective for health, excessive engagement can contribute to the development of addiction. Further, the co-occurrence of exercise addiction (EA) and disordered eating (DE) is very frequent among athletes with several common risk factors. Our study focused on the associations between exercise addiction, eating attitudes, body appreciation, and perfectionism in a sample of physically active adults. Methods: Using a sample of Hungarian adults who were regular exercisers (n = 205, aged 18–70 years, mean age = 30.59 years; 77.1% females), cluster analysis was applied to identify participants’ profile according to their level of EA, DE attitudes, body appreciation, and dimensions of perfectionism. Results: Healthy exercisers had the second lowest level of EA and highest level of body appreciation, and they were not prone to DE (31.22%). Another cluster had a relatively low risk of EA but were potentially prone to DE, with poor body appreciation and a medium level of socially prescribed and other-oriented perfectionism (29.8%). Third, a group of exercisers was characterized by the highest risk of both EA and DE, who also reported relatively high levels of personal standards and organization (25.36%). Finally, those with the second highest risk of EA with a high tendency for dieting and bulimia and poor body appreciation were prone to socially prescribed and other-related perfectionism (13.66%). Conclusions: Symptoms of exercise addiction are not necessarily pathological, but they can serve as signals for the overuse of sports and undue achievement orientation, particularly when being associated with disordered eating attitudes. Full article

Physical exercise may affect drug use by balancing neurohormonal system mechanisms. Cortisol and β-endorphin, associated with stress, mood, and pleasure feelings, can be affected by exercise and act as regulators of withdrawal symptoms associated with drug use during short-term abstinence. The present study investigated the effect of a supervised, two-month moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program on salivary cortisol and β-endorphin levels in patients with an opioid use disorder (OUD) and on a substitution treatment during a short-term, 24–36 h withdrawal phase from methadone/buprenorphine medication. Ninety opioid users (41 females) in methadone and buprenorphine substitution treatment were randomly divided into four groups: (a) buprenorphine exercise (BEX) (n = 26; age (mean ± SD): 41.9 ± 6.1 yrs), (b) buprenorphine control (BCON) (n = 25; age: 41.9 ± 5.6 yrs), (c) methadone exercise (MEX) (n = 20; age: 46.7 ± 6.6 yrs), and (d) methadone control (MCON) (n = 19; age: 46.1 ± 7.5 yrs). The exercise intervention groups (BEX and MEX) followed a training program on a treadmill for 20 min at 70% HRmax, 3 days/week for 8 weeks. The responses of cortisol and β-endorphin were measured before (t0) and immediately after an exercise session (t20) on different days (i.e., the 1st, 12th, and 24th session) corresponding to the beginning, middle, and end of the training program. A significant increase in β-endorphin levels was observed after the completion of the training intervention (24th exercise session) in both exercise groups (BEX before: 63.8 ± 33; BEX after: 185.6 ± 182.8 pg/mL; MEX before: 115 ± 211; MEX after: 262.3 ± 505.7 pg/mL), whereas β-endorphin was decreased in the control groups (BCON before: 34.7 ± 20.1; BCON after: 24.2 ± 8.8 pg/mL; MCON before: 129.7 ± 185.7; MCON after: 84.9 ± 104.3 pg/mL) (p < 0.05). Inversely, cortisol decreased in both exercise groups post-intervention (BEX before: 9.5 ± 5.9; BEX after: 2.8 ± 1.5 ng/mL; MEX before: 9.3 ± 6.6; MEX after: 3.1 ± 1.5 ng/mL) and increased in control groups (BCON before: 6.3 ± 2.5; BCON after: 10.1 ± 5.4 ng/mL; MCON before: 7.5 ± 3.2; MCON after: 12.5 ± 4.3 ng/mL) (p < 0.05). Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise can beneficially influence β-endorphin and cortisol levels in individuals undergoing treatment for OUD. By increasing endogenous opioid levels and reducing stress hormones, exercise emerges as a promising adjunctive strategy for alleviating withdrawal symptoms, enhancing emotional regulation, and potentially reducing the risk of relapse. The inverse relationship between β-endorphin and cortisol highlights the role of physical activity as a long-term modulator of neuroendocrine function in the context of substance use recovery. Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies extending beyond two months and involving larger, more diverse populations. Additionally, investigating the integration of exercise with non-pharmacological interventions—and its effects on relapse rates, mental health outcomes, and overall quality of life—would provide further insight into its therapeutic value in addiction recovery. Full article

Objective: This narrative review aims to analyze physical activity as a central pillar of lifestyle modification in the management of chronic musculoskeletal pain by examining its effects on pain modulation as well as related lifestyle domains, including sleep, stress regulation, dietary habits, and smoking behavior. Methods: A narrative structured review was conducted. We searched MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Reviews using terms related to chronic pain and lifestyle. Randomized controlled trials, observational studies, systematic reviews, and narrative reviews reporting on the concepts of interest were included. The results were synthesized and described narratively. Results: Through the release of neuromodulatory compounds such as endorphins, endocannabinoids, dopamine, and serotonin, exercise improves analgesia, promotes emotional resilience, and reduces the reward response associated with addictive behaviors such as smoking. Its effects on the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis reduce cortisol levels, while melatonin regulation promotes circadian synchronization and deeper sleep stages. In addition, exercise modulates appetite by increasing insulin sensitivity and altering hormones such as leptin and ghrelin, contributing to appetite control and energy balance. These mechanisms support a comprehensive approach to chronic pain management. Conclusions: Physical activity is a core component of lifestyle-based chronic pain management, not only because of its analgesic effects, but also because of its positive influence on sleep, stress regulation, dietary habits, and smoking reduction. Although the available evidence is promising, more randomized controlled trials are needed to examine the effects of exercise on other healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as stress reduction, dietary modification, and smoking cessation, to consolidate its role in the comprehensive prevention and management of chronic pain. Full article

The growth seen in the number of addictive behaviours related to substance and drug use among adolescents has become one of society’s major problems. Several research studies have tried to find answers to this problem, highlighting the potential of physical activity as a prevention method for substance abuse. The aims of this study were (1) to conduct a systematic review analysing the effects of physical activity, exercise or sports-based interventions on substance use among young people and adolescents and (2) to describe and analyse these interventions. To this end, the guidelines of the PRISMA Declaration were followed, and six databases were searched: PubMed, Web of Science (WOS), PsycINFO, ERIC, SPORTDiscus, and SCOPUS. After screening and meeting the proposed eligibility criteria, a total of 10 articles were included. The results provided scientific evidence of the benefits of physical activity in preventing and reducing substance use, most significantly in interventions based on yoga and structured physical activity. Full article

Background/Objectives: Although physical exercise provides numerous health benefits, it can occasionally become addictive, leading to negative consequences for physical and mental health. Specifically, the role of maladaptive schemas in the relationship between exercise addiction and self-esteem underscores the importance of addressing these cognitive patterns in therapeutic settings to develop practical interventions that enhance exercise with healthier self-perceptions. This study aims to analyze the role of early maladaptive schemas in the relationship between exercise addiction and self-esteem. Methods: The design of this study is non-experimental, correlational, and cross-sectional. The sample comprised 788 university women students (mean age 20.39 years, SD = 2.28). Results: Exercise addiction is negatively associated with self-esteem and shows positive but weak correlations with most early maladaptive schemas, except for Impaired Autonomy. A mediating effect was identified for Disconnection and Rejection (β = −0.08, p = 0.008), Impaired Limits (β = −0.03, p = 0.019), Other Directedness (β = −0.04, p = 0.032), and Over-Vigilance and Inhibition (β = −0.05, p < 0.001). Full mediation was observed for Disconnection and Rejection and Over-Vigilance and Inhibition, while Impaired Limits and Other Directedness showed partial mediation. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the decrease in self-esteem among individuals with exercise addiction could be explained by the activation of maladaptive schemas that influence exercise motivation, with Over-Vigilance and Inhibition standing out in particular. Furthermore, it is necessary to develop cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based interventions focused on modifying early maladaptive schemas and strengthening self-esteem. Additionally, it would be advisable to implement educational programs in university and sports settings that promote well-being and enjoyment over the pursuit of external validation or obsession with body image. These strategies could help prevent exercise addiction and mitigate its negative effects on self-esteem. Full article

Physical exercise has emerged as a promising complementary intervention for individuals with substance use disorders (SUD). This comprehensive review examines the neurobiological, psychological, and social benefits of exercise in improving quality of life (QOL), mental health, sleep quality, craving, physical fitness, and cognitive function among individuals with SUD. Aerobic exercises, particularly those of moderate intensity, demonstrate a consistent efficacy in reducing anxiety, depression, and cravings, while also enhancing cardiovascular health and psychosocial well-being. Strength training and concurrent programs provide additional benefits for muscular and cognitive function, although their effects on mental health are less consistent. Mind–body disciplines like yoga and Tai Chi offer accessible entry points for individuals with low baseline fitness but exhibit variable outcomes, especially in sleep and craving management. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) shows potential for craving reduction and cardiovascular improvements but may pose challenges for individuals with low initial fitness. This review underscores the importance of tailored, well-structured programs that align with participants’ needs and capabilities. Future research should prioritize standardizing protocols, incorporating technological tools, and exploring hybrid intervention models to maximize adherence and therapeutic impact. Physical exercise remains a vital, multifaceted tool in comprehensive SUD rehabilitation strategies. Full article

Background: Exercise addiction, marked by an inability to control exercise and associated with distress that clinically impairs daily activities, is a significant but underrecognized issue in physical activity and health. While its physiological, psychological, and behavioral aspects have been studied, the genetic basis of exercise addiction remains poorly understood, requiring further investigation. The present study conducted a genome-wide association study of exercise addiction among elite Turkish wrestlers. Methods: The sample comprised 67 male wrestlers (34 freestyle wrestlers and 33 Greco-Roman wrestlers). Exercise addiction was assessed using the Exercise Addiction Scale. Whole-genome genotyping was performed using DNA microarray. Results: Using a genome-wide approach (p < 1.0 × 10⁻⁵), we identified six suggestively significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with exercise addiction status. Of these, the high-addiction alleles of five SNPs (PRDM10 rs74345126, near PTPRU rs72652685, HADHB rs6745226, XIRP2 rs17614860, and near GAREM2 rs1025542) have previously been associated with an increased risk of mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression or higher levels of physical activity. We also examined potential associations between the genetic markers previously linked to addiction-related traits such as obsessive–compulsive disorder and cigarette smoking, and personality traits linked to negative emotions including neuroticism. Using this candidate gene approach (p < 0.05), we identified three additional SNPs associated with exercise addiction in the same direction of association (DEFB135 rs4841662, BCL11A rs7599488, and CSRNP3 rs1551336). Conclusions: The present study provides preliminary evidence for the genetic basis of exercise addiction, highlighting specific SNPs that may play a role in the development of this condition among elite wrestlers. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the lifestyle and the behavioral factors that influence the nutritional status of adolescents from Transylvania, Romania. Methods: The Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) was used to collect data from 900 adolescents between 11 and 18 years old from the Transylvania region, Romania. This study assessed nutritional status by calculating BMI indicators adjusted to Z-Score, cut-off points according to the World Health Organization (WHO), using self-reported weight and height; perceived health status; food vulnerability; physical activity; addictive behaviors (cigarette, alcohol and drug consumption); number of hours spent in front of the computer/phone; hand and oral hygiene; sitting time/day; and sleep. Multivariate logistic regression was used to establish the lifestyle factors that influenced nutritional status. Results: The results showed that 8.7% (n = 78) of girls and 15.2% (n = 137) boys were overweight and obese. In total, 75% of the respondents were engaged in sedentary behaviors, and 65.8% (n = 592) had more than 2 h/day of screen exposure, considering that 98.7% of the study population had a mobile phone. The Romanian adolescents had poor dietary behaviors: over 80% of them did not meet the recommended amount of vegetable and fruit intake per day. Increased BMI was associated with higher-strength physical exercise and with being a boy. Conclusions: While some positive trends are evident, such as good oral and hand hygiene and low prevalence of smoking and drug use, significant challenges remain in areas like nutrition, physical activity, alcohol consumption and screen time. Full article

Currently, as an increasing number of people have been addicted to using cellular phones, smartphone tenosynovitis has become common from long-term use of fingers for their operations. Hand exercise while playing video games, which is called exergame, can be a good solution to provide enjoyable daily exercise opportunities for its prevention, particularly, for young people. In this paper, we implemented a simple exergame system with a hand gesture recognition program made in Python using the Mediapipe library. We designed three sets of hand gestures to control the key operations to play the games as different exercises useful for tenosynovitis prevention. For evaluations, we prepared five video games running on a web browser and asked 10 students from Okayama and Hiroshima Universities, Japan, to play them and answer 10 questions in the questionnaire. Their playing results and System Usability Scale (SUS) scores confirmed the usability of the proposal, although we improved one gesture set to reduce its complexity. Moreover, by measuring the angles for maximum wrist movements, we found that the wrist flexibility was improved by playing the games, which verifies the effectiveness of the proposal. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate whether the type and degree of physical activity commitment (i.e., team sport athletes, highly active individuals, sedentary behavior) influence body image and exercise behavior. A total of 96 participants (46 women and 50 men; age: 22.7 ± 2.7 years; height: 170 ± 8.6 cm; weight: 67.6 ± 10.8 kg) were divided in six groups: female volleyball and male football players (student athletes classified as Tier 2), highly physically active women and men, with high sitting time completed the Body Image Dimensional Assessment and the 21-item Exercise Dependence Scale to evaluate body dissatisfaction and level of dependency on exercise. The Body Image Dimensional Assessment is a silhouette-based scale, where three direct indices are derived from the participants’ responses: body dissatisfaction, sexual body dissatisfaction, and comparative body dissatisfaction. The Exercise Dependence Scale is a six-point Likert scale that evaluates seven dimensions of exercise dependence (tolerance, withdrawal, intention effects, lack of control, time, reductions in other activities, and continuance) and provides an overall score. A multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine the effects of different levels of physical activity, team sport participation (volleyball and football), and sedentary behavior (i.e., high sitting time) on participants’ body image indices and dimensions of exercise dependence according to sex. Volleyball players showed significantly higher body dissatisfaction than football players (d = 0.99) and the physically active men group (d = 2.31), who had lower values than sedentary women group (d = 1.68). Football players had lower comparative body dissatisfaction values than volleyball players (d = 1.70) and sedentary women (d = 1.69), who had higher values than sedentary men (d = 1.04). Sedentary women had a significantly lower exercise dependence scale score than volleyball players (d = 1.71), football players (d = 1.12), and physically active men (d = 1.21). The findings highlight the impact of regular physical activity on body dissatisfaction and the variance in body image perceptions between the sexes. Moreover, the high exercise dependence values found in volleyball and football players and physically active men suggest an effect of intense training and maladaptive exercise behaviors, underlining the need for comprehensive strategies to address exercise dependence. Full article

Individuals with gaming disorder (GD) show emotional dysregulation and autonomic dysfunction in daily life. Although studies have shown that the relaxation method of breathing exercise (BE) improves cardiopulmonary synchrony, the physiological regularity and synchrony of GD remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the regularities of pulse wave (PW), thoracic wall movement (TWM), and abdominal wall movement (AWM) using sample entropy (SE) and assessed the vascular-respiratory and TWM-AWM synchrony using cross-sample entropy (CSE). Twenty individuals with GD and 26 healthy control (HC) individuals participated in baseline, gaming, and recovery stages, both before and after BEs. The results showed that both groups had significantly higher SE_TWM, SE_AWM, and CSE_TWM-AWM during gaming than baseline. Before BE, CSE_PW-TWM and CSE_PW-AWM during gaming were considerably higher in the GD group than in the HC group. Compared to before BE, both groups had decreased SE_TWM and CSE_TWM-AWM during gaming, particularly in the HC group. Online gaming may induce pulse wave and respiratory irregularities, as well as thoracic–abdominal wall movement asynchrony. Individuals with GD who engage in prolonged gaming periods may exhibit lower vascular–respiratory synchrony compared to the HC group. SE_TWM, SE_AWM, CSE_TWM-AWM, CSE_PW-TWM, and CSE_PW-AWM may serve as biomarkers for assessing the risk of GD. BE may improve TWM regularity and vascular–respiratory synchrony during gaming, potentially alleviating addictive behavior. Full article