The dark side of sport training. Self-esteem, narcissism and exercise addiction in women's CrossFit training

Introduction

CrossFit is among the sports that involve high-intensity exercises. It often takes the form of group training and may lead to an increased risk for injuries in the case of excessive commitment. Exercise addiction (EA), which may lead to more frequent injuries, is often related to low self-esteem and narcissism. The aims of this study were: to establish the percentage of CrossFit participants at risk from EA; to examine whether there are differences in psychological traits between those CrossFit participants at risk and those not at risk; and to establish profiles of CrossFit participants according to their psychological traits and EA levels.

Methods

The study included 110 women training CrossFit. The questionnaires used were as follows: Exercise Addiction Inventory, Self-Liking/Self-Competence Scale, Self-Compassion Short Scale, Appearance Schemas Inventory, Satisfaction with Life Scale and Narcissistic Admiration, and a Rivalry Questionnaire.

Results

In total, 24.5% of the participants were at a high risk of EA. Strong EA in women training CrossFit is related to two profiles of self-esteem and narcissism. One is characterised by high self-esteem and high narcissism connected with admiration, and the second – by low self-esteem and high rivalry narcissism.

Conclusions

The links between self-image, narcissism and EA are complex; the knowledge of various profiles of psychological factors that may lead to a high addiction risk may translate into creating psychoeducational programs concerning risky training, which are adequately suited to the needs of the women.