Sport Psychology: New Publication on exercise addiction in ultra-endurance sports.

Publication on the association of basic need frustration and exercise addiction.

At the chair of sport psychology, we examine motivational and volitional determinants of sport and exercise behavior (click here to learn more). This covers not only lack of motivation to exercise on a regular basis (e.g., research to explain physical inactivity), but also "over-motivation" in terms of exercise addiction and other unhealthy forms of physical activity. The present paper stems from a collaboration of Julia Schüler with two colleagues from the University of Zurich, Beat Knechtle and the Humboldt University of Berlin, Mirko Wegner. We conducted a correlational study with 323 multi-triathlon athletes and confirmed our hypothesis that the frustration of basic needs at the work place and in leisure time is associated with exercise addiction. Thus, people aim to compensate for need frustration by engaging too much in sports. One basic need  - the need for competence - leads to anxious self-motivation which in turn fosters exercise addiction. To conclude, sport and exercise is healthy, but as always, this depends on the degree of motivation.