There are two types of exercise disorders: compulsive and ‘bigorexia’ (also known as 'Muscle Dysmorphia'). Please read both definitions as there are some overlaps between the two.

What you must keep in mind with anyone who is a compulsive exerciser or ‘bigorexic’ is that they are people who take exercise to the extreme and in many cases push themselves to a limit, which is beyond healthy.

Although, they are not considered eating disorders themselves compulsive exercise and bigorexia share the same characteristics that need urgent professional help.

What is compulsive exercise?

This is usually a problem encountered with people who have anorexia and bulimia. What makes exercise ‘compulsive’ is when someone will spent many hours a day exercising several days a week, if not every day.

Usual modes of over exercising are excessive running and spending long periods at the gym. What makes compulsive exercise different to bigorexia is that compulsive exercisers will spend many hours aiming to lose calories in order to loose weight. It is a common behaviour amongst suffererers of anorexia and bulimia.

What is ‘bigorexia?’

Basically, the reverse of anorexia. Instead of looking in a mirror and seeing themselves as fat, men see a puny shape – even if they appear well build to others. This distorted image means that they are obsessed with becoming muscular and are never happy, whatever size they achieve.

Their preoccupation with muscle results in compulsive exercise and weight training, even when they are injured. They may sacrifice social events and relationships, work responsibilities and family life to complete a rigid exercise regime. Some men may resort to using illegal steroids or other muscle building medications or products, even though they are fully aware of the dangerous potential consequences. Possible side effects of bigorexia include: delayed healing process which means muscles may take longer to recover; susceptibility to infection and impaired immunity thus making it more difficult to fight off infection.  Steroid abuse is dangerous and there has been suggestions it can lead to impotence, shrinking testicles, damaged fertility and even liver cancer.

What is happening?

Going to the gym most days is a good thing, but training hard to the point of excess can cause a multitude of different health problems. In effect, compulsive exercise can lead to similar problems as anorexia. If someone is anorexic or bulimic and is using compulsive exercise as a way of compensating for their behaviours this is using up essential calories, which are needed to carry out the simplest functions – even sleeping. When the body is exhausted of calories this can dramatically slow down the systems in the body.

Bigorexia is equally damaging (as outlined above) and if a sufferer does not get adequate rest this can be counter productive for them achieving what they want. Using steroids puts strain on the heart and can lead to heart failure.

What is Steroid abuse?

Often linked with exercise disorders, in particular ‘Bigorexia.’ Steroids are normally hormones that are found in the body or mimic their behaviours. They can be taken as pills, creams, gels and injections and generally improve sports performance and body image.

Steroids are naturally produced in the body to support functions such as fighting stress, growth and development. Taking steroids without a prescription and for the use of sports such as body building is illegal under the mis-use of drugs act.

See 'Signs and Symptoms' page for Bigorexia to find out about the side effects of Steroid abuse.