Personality Traits and Exercise Addiction in Ultra Endurance Athletes

Ultra endurance sports (events exceeding 6 hours) is becoming increasingly popular and Exercise Addiction (EA) is frequent in this type of sports, which are characterized by very high training volume. However, little is known about the personality traits of athletes who are more likely to develop EA. This study aims to assess the personality traits associated with EA in ultra endurance athletes. We designed a cross sectional study. Participants have to fill a web-based questionnaire including the Big Five Personality Test for assessing the personality traits and the Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised (EDS-R) for assessing EA. Also they have to fill a personal question about demographics (age, gender, work), sport practice and eating habits. A minimum sample size of 300 participants is expected. Statistical analyses will test the association between personality traits and the presence (or absence) of EA according to the EDS-R. Secondary analysis will test the association between the type of sport (running, cycling, triathlon, swimming), the volume of sport practice and the presence of eating disorders and EA.