TomD77

Just stumbled over this article centered on Olympic athletes. Wonder to what extent it is applicable to the likes of us? More than a little I suspect. I ride 5 days a week on average and find myself getting out of sorts when factors force me into a multi-day layoff.

Excerpt below, link to entire story here https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...like-ills.html

Olympians Hanging Up Cleats Risk Drug Addict-Like Ills
Bloomberg News

"Research shows intensive exercise is as addictive as heroin, putting retiring Olympians at risk of depression. A third of elite athletes have an unhealthy preoccupation with training, scientists in Melbourne found in a study published in March. And the biological mechanisms of this so-called exercise dependence tend to mimic those involved in drug addiction, researchers at Tufts University in Boston said. Anxiety and depression may ensue when exercise stops, according to the Tufts study."

qcpmsame 

Somewhat makes sense what with the number of elite level athletes you read about having drug and substance abuse problems or even committing suicide when they retire. But what about the majority that go on to lead productive lives? I'd like to see the hard numbers of known incidences of elite athletes having some type of problem. Tom, I have felt this compulsion since I returned and began riding daily, as you mentioned. I miss a day and I feel like I forgot a med schedule or actually feel nauseous. Wonder if the medical or academic members here could shed some light about the brain and the causes of chemical releases causing these feelings.

Bill

CommuteCommando

I got addicted to nicotine with out really trying, and it took years of concerted effort to overcome (which I did over twenty years ago.)

I would consider myself addicted to cycling, but that took some effort to overcome the aversion to pain, and I could easily loose the urge, as I have done before.

That's my anecdotal piece of data.

SlowNeasy

Just started back biking about a month ago, I haven't noticed feeling bad about missing a riding day yet. Back in the 80s 90s I was an avid runner. Days I didn't run I felt as if somehing was just wrong. The Wife and Kids would tell me I was being a grouch and to go for a run. They saw it before I did.
I think there is a certain amount of pride and satisfaction completing a ride or workout. They used to talk about 'dopamine release' and it indeed sounded as though we were addicted to running/biking. I've heard the term
" pleasantly tired" .
What the heck , there's a lot worse things to be addicted to than healthy exercize.
Be Safe
Dave.

adamhenry

There is a lot of hormonal stuff going on when you exercise:

Your body generates a variety of hormonal responses to exercise, depending on both the volume and intensity of your training. Both cardiovascular exercise and resistance training have a profound effect on your metabolism, your endocrine system and even your pituitary gland.

More here: https://www.livestrong.com/article/42...en-exercising/

B. Carfree

The receptors in the brain that heroin binds to are the same ones that endorphins bind to, with pretty much the same effects. Yes, conditioned athletes who stop cold-turkey will likely have a problem as this class of chemicals, whether endogenously produced or extracted from plants, readily creates a physical dependence.

It's not likely to be an issue for the vast majority of the cyclists who post in this forum. It generally takes a substantial training commitment to get to that point. For those who have suddenly come out of a stupor forty miles from the last place you remember being, isn't it wonderful? By the way, this sort of thing isn't usually considered and addiction because of the overall positive consequences of repetitive strenuous exercise.

VNA

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/0...-us-feel-good/

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/op...-exercise.html

Cycling is a drug--it feels really good!

A very healthy drug.

ctpres

My bikeer high comes 1-2 hours after ride, cooldown and shower. I stretch out on bed in birthday kit, ceiling fan on and relax. Never done drugs but this must be close.

eja_ bottecchia

tmi...tmi

GeorgeBMac

From a physiologic standpoint: Everything that goes on in our body is a chemical reaction to a drug.

Moving a muscle involves a neuron secreting a chemical called a neurotransmitter in order to send a signal to another neuron telling it to wake up and send a signal to another neuron down the line in the spinal column -- all the way down to the muscle. And, even the actual contraction of the muscle is the result of a chemical such as potassium or calcium passing through a gate into to the muscle fiber telling it to trigger the muscle to contract (or relax)...

The same is true for thoughts: it is merely one neuron shooting a chemical over to another neuron.

And, yes, the "opioid receptors" in our brains respond both to chemicals / drugs made by our bodies as well as those we inject into it with a needle, a puff or a pill -- the same as all the other receptors in our brains...

So, yes, I agree: intensive exercize can and does produce a chemical reaction that can seem like we took a drug because, well, we did! the difference is that our bodies made the drug rather than a drug company.

billydonn

https://gamesover.org/retirement/top_challenges

https://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_...wrecking_yard/

In the case of this particular group, withdrawal from "exercise" in probably the least of their problems.

And let us not forget that the exertion that we enjoy and do freely has been required of elite athletes to make a living and keep their social status. It has also been used in many cases by coaches as a tool of punishment.

NOS88

I really struggle with parts of the article the OP linked too. While I understand that there may be a need to help folks adjust to a difference in their lives after such intense training, I'm not sure making it a medical issue is the best approach. I've seen people who retire go into depression because they've given up roles that were very meaningful to them. I'm sure there are chemical changes that are taking place in these people, but is it really a medical issue? Or, another example, I teach in a graduate program that requires 56 credits in two years, and you must be working full time in the field the whole time you're in the program. The program is also prescriptive; you have no choice in the courses or the order in which they are taken. It's a VERY demanding program. It's not uncommon for graduates to report that the first 6 months after graduation they had a very difficult time adjusting. Some of them felt depressed. But, is this a medical issue? I don't really know. I guess I'm just feeling that our culture may be prone to medicalizing too many things. (By medicalization I mean the process by which human conditions and problems come to be defined and treated as medical conditions and problems, and thus come under the authority of doctors and other health professionals to study, diagnose, prevent or treat.)

CrankyFranky

I'm not sure I get what you mean -
To me, whether depression derived from intense experiences is a medical issue or just an issue to be addressed personally depends upon the ability of the individual to cope with their withdrawal.
I don't think that the Bloomberg article does anything other than to raise awareness that those who cease such activity may experience such symptoms, and if they don't have the behavioral tools at their disposal, they may run into trouble... and if they do find themselves in this situation and can't cope, wouldn't it be better to seek medical help?
However much authority a doctor may possess, they can't really do much but treat the patients who present themselves, and if they have a bolus of patients which present with similar symptoms, they might indeed make generalizations about the potential of harm to such individuals, etc... but what's the alternative? Tell them all to tough it out?

GeorgeBMac

+1

Having worked in the mental health field caring for people with severe and persistent mental illnesses I can attest that most "cures" came not from the doctor but from the patient. We could help them, but we couldn't do it for them. Not even the pills we gave them would do it.

But, conversely, without the health care professionals, their chances of recovery decreased significantly.

But then, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of teachers could not say the same: it's the student who learns, not the teacher who teaches. But without the teacher the student has to learn on his own -- and that's harder...

NOS88

I'm thinking that while we may understand the chemistry and biology of what's taking place that doesn't make it a medical issue. Why not a social issue? The problem with making things a medical issue is that we then can take on the "sick role" and need "treatment". Yet, I seriously doubt that these olympians are sick. They are dealing with an adustment to the chemistry of their bodies and perhaps psychological adjustments. Couldn't that be called a social issue too? I know I'm not articulating this very well and need to give it some more thought.
.

Terex

Meh... I never get addicted to much of anything. I think that all of these things are highly individual. People who have problems with stuff always have problems with stuff, whether its working out or doing drugs. Or doing drugs while working out.

GeorgeBMac

I beg to disagree: I think you said that quite well...

The only part of it that I would change is the emphasis on "social" vs "medical" vs "psychological"... I thnk the problem has roots in all of them and so does the "cure"...

AA has pretty well proven that life-style (i.e., "social") changes are an integral part of the "cure". Without changing the lifestyle, there is no cure.

And, even the medical people freely admit that pills alone will seldom cure a depression -- they know that medical AND psychologic treatment is better than either one by itself...

The fact is: the body and the brain run on chemicals (drugs). We can buy them or our bodies and minds can make them -- but wholesome social changes and psychologic assistance help our bodies and minds to make the right ones...

Condorita

To some extent, unquestionably. After all, how many people trade drugs for Bibles?