Differences in stress reactivity among exercise-dependent individuals may not be confined to extreme scoring groups and can also emerge as linear associations, but the presence and form of these effects appear to be measure-, outcome- and sample-dependent.
There were no significant linear associations between exercise dependence scores and blood pressure reactivity in the full sample, with or without adjustment for covariates.
In a subsample of females aged under 30 years, small negative associations emerged between exercise dependence scores and blood pressure reactivity.
Replication analyses using extreme groups created with the Exercise Addiction-Behavioral Questionnaire (EABQ), as in prior work, showed no significant differences in cardiovascular reactivity.
There were some indications of low cardiovascular reactivity among individuals classified as exercise dependent using the Exercise Dependence Questionnaire (EDQ).
The study sought to extend prior research by examining whether exercise dependence across the full range of scores was linearly related to cardiovascular reactivity magnitude, rather than only comparing extreme groups.
The presence and form of associations between exercise dependence and stress reactivity appear to be measure-, outcome- and sample-dependent.
This research suggests that the relationship between exercise dependence (sometimes called exercise addiction) and how the body responds to mental stress is more complicated than previously thought. Earlier studies had found that people with very high levels of exercise dependence showed unusually low cardiovascular responses (such as smaller increases in blood pressure) when exposed to psychological stress — a pattern also seen in people with substance addictions. This new study, which included 161 participants and used three different exercise dependence questionnaires alongside a standard stress test, found no consistent linear relationship between exercise dependence scores and blood pressure reactivity across the full sample. However, when looking specifically at younger women (under 30), small negative associations did appear, meaning those with higher exercise dependence scores tended to show somewhat smaller blood pressure responses to stress. The study also tried to replicate earlier findings by comparing people with extreme exercise dependence scores to those with low scores. Using one questionnaire (the EABQ), no significant differences were found — failing to replicate prior results — but using a different questionnaire (the EDQ), there were some signs of lower reactivity in the exercise-dependent group. This suggests that the results depend heavily on which measurement tool is used, which cardiovascular measure is examined, and the specific characteristics of the sample being studied. This research matters because it highlights the difficulty of replicating findings in exercise dependence research and cautions against assuming that results from small, specific groups will generalize broadly. It also suggests that if there is a genuine link between exercise dependence and blunted stress responses, it may only appear under certain conditions — such as in younger women or when using particular questionnaires — rather than being a universal feature of exercise dependence.
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Upload Your LabsWhittaker A, Tian Y, Connelly J, Heaney J, Chauntry A, Howard S. (2026). Exercise Dependence and Cardiovascular Reactivity to Acute Psychological Stress: An Extension and Replication Study.. Psychophysiology. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.70389