Exercise Addiction and Health Risks in Gym Users
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
Age18-85
SponsorSaglik Bilimleri Universitesi
About this trial
This observational study aims to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries and cardiovascular risk factors among individuals with and without exercise addiction. Adult recreational gym users who have been engaging in resistance training for at least six months will be included. Participants will be divided into two groups based on their exercise dependence levels, and outcomes such as musculoskeletal symptoms, anabolic substance use, and cardiovascular risk scores will be compared between groups.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Aged ≥18 years
Member of a fitness center
Regular physical activity (≥3 times per week)
Voluntary participation with informed consent
Disqualifiers
Diagnosed psychiatric illness
Professional or elite athletes
Incomplete questionnaire data
Trial population
The study population will consist of healthy adult individuals aged 18 years or older who are members of fitness centers in Istanbul and have been regularly engaging in resistance or bodybuilding training for at least six months. All participants must exercise at least three times per week and meet the inclusion criteria. Individuals will be divided into two groups based on their exercise dependence status: those who meet the criteria for exercise addiction and those who do not. Participants with professional athletic status or a diagnosed psychiatric illness will be excluded. The population represents recreational gym users with varying attitudes toward exercise behavior, body image, and supplement use, providing a real-world sample for assessing the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular impacts of exercise addiction.
Trial design
Design model
Case-control
Time perspective
Prospective
Treatments tested in this trial
Battery of Physical and Psychological Assessments
Other interventionParticipants in this observational study will not receive any therapeutic intervention. Instead, all individuals will undergo a series of standardized non-invasive assessments for data collection purposes. These include the Exercise Dependence Scale-21 (EDS-21) to classify exercise addiction status, the Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS) to evaluate body image and muscle-related attitudes, and the Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire to determine the presence and severity of musculoskeletal symptoms. Cardiovascular risk will be assessed using the SCORE Risk Assessment System, which incorporates blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, smoking status, and demographic data. Additional measurements will include oxygen saturation and heart rate using pulse oximetry, and blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer. These evaluations are intended solely for comparative analysis between exercise-dependent and non-dependent groups.
Treatment groups
32 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Exercise-Dependent Group1 intervention
Group B: Non-Dependent Group1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries
Assessment of musculoskeletal injuries and symptoms using the Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire.
Time frame
Baseline2
Cardiovascular risk score
Evaluation of 10-year cardiovascular risk using the SCORE Risk Assessment System based on systolic blood pressure, smoking status, cholesterol, and blood glucose.
Time frame
BaselineSecondary outcomes
1
Prevalence of anabolic steroid use
Self-reported use of anabolic agents, type, dose, and duration.
Time frame
Baseline2
Exercise dependence level
Assessment via the Exercise Dependence Scale-21 (EDS-21).
Time frame
Baseline3
Drive for muscularity
Assessment with the Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS).
Time frame
BaselineSponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Source ClinicalTrials.gov