Abstract:

Exercise addiction is a condition in which a person exercises excessively, suffers physically and psychologically, and affects well-being. In this study, it was aimed to examine the exercise addiction levels of competitive bodybuilders. The research group consisted of 23 female and 126 male competitive body building athletes who filled out the Personal Information Form and Exercise Addiction Scale (EBÖ). According to the data obtained from the responses of the athletes, the total exercise addiction (TEB) scores of the athletes indicate that all of them are exercise dependent, and in the extreme focus and mood swing (AODD) sub-dimension of the EBÖ, the overdependence, the delay of individual and social needs (BSIE) and the development of tolerance and passion (TGT) revealed that they were addicted to exercise in their sub-dimensions. As a result of the analyses made, significant differences were found in TEB levels and sub-dimensions in the variables of gender, age, educational status, training duration, number of weekly trainings, and year of sport. According to the variable of being a national athlete, no statistically significant difference was found in TEB and its sub-dimensions. The detected addiction is mainly explained by the athletes' perception of perfectionism, social physique anxiety, and the sense of social acceptance.

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