Exercise dependence among sports enthusiasts

Physical activity although beneficial to health can become excessive and lead to exercise dependence (DEP) an addictive behavioral disorder with deleterious consequences. The aim of our study was to assess the risk of PED among sports enthusiasts as well as the associated factors.A descriptive and analytical study was carried out on 125 gym-goers using an anonymous online questionnaire. To assess PED we used the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI).The mean EAI score was 19.51±4.4 revealing that 19% of the population was at risk of PED. A significant association was noted between PED risk and the following factors: sporting career (p<0.001) regularity of training (p<0.001) preference for individual sports (p=0.037) duration of sporting activity (p=0.013) number of weekly sports sessions (p<0.001) and duration of a sports session (p=0.002).Thus awareness of PED risks promotion of healthy exercise habits and development of coping strategies need to be implemented with athletes.