ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the classification of exercise dependence as primary and secondary. As noted in the earlier chapters, dependence is often considered a synonym for addiction in the literature. However, it is only one of its components, as we clarified it in the previous chapter. Addiction is a ‘dysfunction,’ in contrast to dependence, which is a ‘symptom’ in both exercise addiction and eating disorders and other dysfunctions like body dysmorphia. We argue that secondary exercise dependence characterized by excessive exercise in eating disorders, for example, serves a different purpose (i.e., weight control) than the objective(s) of addictive exercise. Therefore, in secondary exercise dependence, the high volume of training is a means to an end unrelated to exercise, which does not fit the conceptualization of exercise addiction. We suggest that researchers define secondary exercise dependence as ‘instrumental exercise.’ This term reflects more accurately the instrumental nature of excessive exercise in achieving goals that are relatively independent of the primary exercise reward. The semantic clarification is necessary for a better conceptualization of research on morbid exercise behavior.
