Exercise Addiction in Long Distance Runners

Exercise addiction is a complex construct that examines maladaptive patterns relative to exercise behavior. This phenomenon, though not clinically recognized as a disorder, describes a condition where an individual has a compulsion to exercise excessively, often causing detriments to his or her physical and psychological wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to identify which psychosocial and behavioral factors are best able to predict exercise addiction in long-distance runners. Two hundred forty-eight self-identified runners at least 18 years of age participated in the study. Each subject completed an online survey that included questions referring to demographics, training history, the 10-item Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS), and the 11-item Running Addiction Scale (RAS). Multiple linear regression was used to predict the relationship between several variables to the overall RAS score. The significant predictor variables were the AIMS score (p < 0.01), the number of runs taken per week (p < 0.001), and the number of injuries in the previous 2 years (p < 0.05). The best prediction equation was RAS = 36.99 + (0.13 × AIMS score) + (1.14 × runs per week) − (0.17 × body mass index) − (0.21 × number of years running) + (0.93 × number of injuries). This study shows that higher scores on the RAS were associated with a greater identity as an athlete, more injuries and runs per week. Although not statistically significant, body mass index (p = 0.084) and the number of years running (p = 0.098) were both negatively related to the RAS score, indicating the need for a larger and more diverse sample of self-identified runners to explore the relationship between running addiction and other participant characteristics.