INTRODUCTION: Compulsive Exercise (CE) is characterised by excessive and increasing training loads, abstinence without training and an inability to reduce exercise amounts. In females CE is often associated with disordered eating behaviour (DE). Potential harmful consequences are injuries, depression and impaired social relations. Studies comparing the prevalence of CE, DE and depression among aesthetic athletes and healthy controls are scarce. We therefore aimed to investigate CE and DE among individual and team national team gymnasts and healthy controls. METHODS: 94 gymnasts (52 females, 42 males) aged 19 ± 4 years were recruited from the Swedish national team (team gymnastics n=53 and individual disciplines n=41). Controls consisting of 159 non-elite athletes (79 females, 80 males) aged 18 ± 4 were recruited from Swedish high schools and universities. The participants filled out a questionnaire comprising of the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) including subscales Bulimia, Drive for Thinness (DT), Body Dissatisfaction (BD), the EDI total score, Compulsive Exercise test (CET), and Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale-Self (MADRS-S). RESULTS: EDI total score (15.1 ± 13.8 vs. 21.4 ± 17.5, p=0.003), BD (8.3 ± 6.8 vs. 11.6 ± 8.5, p = 0.002), and Bulimia (2.0 ± 3.4 vs. 3.6 ± 5.1, p = 0.004) scores were lower among gymnasts than controls, as well as MADRS-S (8.7 ± 6.6 vs. 11.8 ± 8.7, p=0.007) and CET (25.1 ± 8.8 vs. 50.7 ± 17.7, p < 0.001) scores. No difference in DT score was observed between groups. Gymnasts were less likely to have high scores of total EDI [OR 0.33, 95% CI (0.13-0.84)] and CET [OR 0.033, 95% CI (0.017 - 0.067)], as well as to moderate or severe depression [OR 0.31, 95% CI (0.12 - 0.77)] than controls. Gymnasts from team disciplines were more likely to report high CET score [OR 4.12, 95% CI (1.09 - 15.59)] than gymnasts in individual disciplines, where 13 vs. 3 had high CET score. Among gymnasts, total CET score was positively associated with total EDI score (r=0.516, p<0.001), and MADRS-S (r=0.254, p=0.014). CONCLUSION: CE was associated with EDI and MADRS-S scores, but in this group of healthy national team gymnasts, gymnasts had lower symptoms of DE, CE and depression compared with controls, while gymnasts competing in individual disciplines were less likely to suffer from CE than team gymnasts.
© Copyright 2022 27th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS), Sevilla, 30. Aug - 2. Sep 2022. Julkaistu Tekijä Faculty of Sport Science - Universidad Pablo de Olavide. Kaikki oikeudet pidätetään. / Kääntänyt https://www.DeepL.com/Translator