Dependencia al Ejercicio Físico en Deportes de Resistencia: Relación con la Motivación deportiva y la Identidad con el Ejercicio Físico

This study aimed to analyze the interrelation of physical exercise (PE) dependence, sport motivation and identity with PE. The sample (375) comprised Spanish, practitioners of endurance PE (running, cycling, swimming, triathlon and others), 32 % women and 67.5 % men. The Exercise Dependence Scale (EDS-R) was used to analyze the participants' PE practice profile (dependent; symptomatic non-dependent and asymptomatic non-dependent), the Sport Motivation Scale was used to evaluate the level of each type of motivation and the PE Identification Scale was used to evaluate the level of identity of each participant related to PE. The next data analysis were performed: Kruskal-Wallis test with Bonferroni correction; Spearman's Rho; stepwise regression and multiple mediation models. 20 % of the participants showed a dependent profile with the PE, 70.4 % symptomatic non-dependents and 9.6 % asymptomatic non-dependents. Dependents scored higher than the other profiles on all study variables. Significant differences were found in all the study variables, and dependence correlated positively and significantly with identification with the PE and sport motivation. Likewise, sport motivation was a mediator between identity with the PE and dependence on the PE. Identifying and studying the sport motivation and identity with the PE of each subject would be of interest for the development of preventive actions for the appearance of dependence on the PE.