Sex differences on exercise dependence for men and women in a marathon road race

Considerable research has documented a tendency towards exercise dependence among habitual exercisers; however, little research on possible differences in exercise dependence among men and women has been done. This question seems worthy of study given associations between exercise dependence and eating behavior problems and a greater incidence of eating disorders among women than men. Subjects, 18 men and 14 women competing in a marathon road race, completed an exercise dependence survey developed by Hailey and Bailey in 1982. There are 14 equally weighted items which focus exclusively on psychological rather than physiological aspects of exercise dependence. Analysis of variance indicated the women reported significantly higher scores (3.9 +/- 1.7) than men (3.7 +/- 1.2, p < .05). While the design does not allow assessment of mechanisms underlying the result, one may express concern about the motives for participation in athletic competition.