| Summary: | An Ironman event imposes rigorous physical and mental demands on every
participant. Athletes must undertake extensive mental and physical preparation to
be adequately equipped and ready to compete in the race. Individuals executing
ultra-endurance sport, such as Ironman triathletes show proneness to mental
health illnesses, revealing that the sport population is not as shielded from mental
health problems as previously thought. As the sport is characterized by high
volume of training, problems may arise when individual creates a maladaptive
relationship with exercise ultimately surpassing their individual resources. This
may rise the risk of exercise addiction, thus information about the risk factors and
preventative matters, is obliged. During stressful life events coping skills and
resilience have been defined useful for athletes to be resistance for illness. This
thesis explores the connection between exercise addiction and coping skills and
resilience, among Finnish full Ironman athletes, emphasizing the importance of
understanding risk factors and preventative measures.
This research used a cross-sectional, quantitative, data-driven design. It
included three psychometric instruments and a modified questionnaire for
gathering general information, facilitating a well exploration of the chosen topic.
Results showed that 12.35% were at risk for exercise addiction. Contradictory
conclusions were found regarding the association of coping skills on a lower risk
for exercise addiction. No association was found between resilience and the risk for
exercise addiction. In a similar vein, no associations were found between exercise
addiction scores and number of days per week dedicated for training or between
the amount of weekly training sessions.
Understanding the psychological dynamics is crucial for risk assessment and
prevention of exercise addiction and in fostering a positive sports culture among
ultra-endurance sports. Future research should put greater emphasis on the
psychological factors at play in endurance sports for effective intervention.
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