Investigation of the Exercise Dependence of Athletes Doing Kickboxing, Taekwondo, and Muay Thai.

Serdar Orhan,Ali Yücel,Bootan Sadeq,Ebru Orhan

doi:10.3390/sports7020052

Abstract

Debates about the conditions in which the frequency and intensity principles of regular exercise, depending on the fact that a sports background can be accepted as extremism, are still a controversial topic. The purpose of this research was to investigate the exercise dependence of athletes who practice Kickboxing, Taekwondo, and Muay Thai. The study included 141 athletes, consisting of 87 men and 54 women. The Exercise Dependence Scale-21 (EDS-21), composed of 21 items developed by Hausenblas and Downs and adapted into the Turkish version by Yeltepe and İkizler, was applied to the athletes. As a result of the research, while athletes showed more sensitivity to the EDS (=71.41), this scale was also defined as symptomatic. It was found that five athletes (3.5%) were asymptomatic-nondependent, 117 athletes (83.0%) were symptomatic-nondependent, and 19 athletes (13.5%) were at risk for exercise dependence. It was determined that athletes were at risk for exercise dependence as follows: Eight athletes were doing Kickboxing, ten athletes were doing Taekwondo, and one athlete was doing Muay Thai. A significant difference was observed according to years of regular training and number of trainings per a day. Other variables presented no significant differences. It was possible to say that years of regular training could be effective in revealing exercise dependence.

Highlights

Exercise helps to prevent and improve a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, anxiety, premenstrual syndrome, and stress
It was determined that athletes were at risk for exercise dependence as follows: Eight athletes were doing Kickboxing, ten athletes were doing Taekwondo, and one athlete was doing Muay Thai
The purpose of this research was to determine the differences in exercise dependence of individuals participating in Kickboxing, Taekwondo, and Muay Thai exercises, which require special discipline and regular training by the exercise type, exercise age, and loading dynamics

Summary

Introduction

Exercise helps to prevent and improve a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, anxiety, premenstrual syndrome, and stress. The physical benefits of exercise include reducing risk of coronary heart disease, ensuring weight control, flexibility, improving muscle strength and durability, and reducing back and waist problems [1,2,3,4]. Regular physical activity has a number of effects on mental health, such as reducing depression and anxiety, improving sleep, providing relief, and enhancing physiological benefits with self-esteem. Not all people exercising with increasing frequency and intensity should be considered as dependent on exercise. Those who do not have problems with their exercise regimen can only be considered as highly engaged in this behavior [6]

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