Exercise and Addiction: A Surprising Partnership

Have you ever met someone who doesn’t really concentrate on anything but exercising? Maybe you are like this. You may do other things during the day (or in the evening), but all you wait for is the time when you can go out running or go to the neighborhood gym.

When you hear the word “addiction,” you probably think of drugs, gambling, alcohol or even food, and the word “addict’ conjures images of and self-help groups.  You probably never thought about exercising in terms of addiction.

Exercise Addiction Research

But, a recent study has shown that exercise can be an addiction just like any other. And while exercise has been known to help take the cravings away from drug addicts, recent studies have shown that exercise appeals to the brain’s “reward” center, as does all other forms of addiction. And the thing about addictions is that they are not good for you. If you are to believe the outcome of the previously mentioned studies, then obviously exercising is not good for you.

Wired to Run

“Thus, a neurobiological reward for endurance exercise may explain why humans and other cursorial mammals habitually engage in aerobic exercise despite the higher associated energy costs and injury risks, and why non-cursorial mammals avoid such locomotor behaviors.”

-Raichlen et al, 2012

The past and present studies of the effects of exercise show that it’s essential and almost always intimates that the more that you exercise the better. The old studies may be starting to be eclipsed by the new ones, which show what happens if a person gets “addicted” to exercise.

If you over-exercise, there are a lot of not-so-good consequences that come with that, one of them being not getting enough rest. Excessive exercise associated with other diseases such as anorexia nervosa is even worse, as the person with such a disease is malnourished to begin with and exercising too much will put more strain on their heart, leading to possible heart attacks, or even death.

An exercise addict has to exercise more and more to achieve the same sense of gratification. When a person excessively exercises, they not only do more exercising, they do it longer. If an exercise addict is sick, she will exercise anyway. If an exercise addict is tired (even too tired), she will exercise anyway. And so the cycle continues, with the exercise addict having to “feed her craving” for more exercise because of not wanting to go through withdrawal if they do not.