Excessive bodybuilding as pathology? A first neurophysiological classification

Abstract

Objectives: Excessive bodybuilding as a pathological syndrome has been classified based on two different theories: bodybuilding as dependency or as muscle dysmorphic disorder (MDD). This study is a first attempt to find psychophysiological data supporting one of these classifications.

Methods: Twenty-four participants (bodybuilders vs healthy controls) were presented with pictures of bodies, exercise equipment or general reward stimuli in a control or experimental condition, and were measured with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Higher activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) while watching bodies and training equipment in the experimental condition (muscular bodies and bodybuilding-typical equipment) would be an indicator for the addiction theory. Higher activation in motion-related areas would be an indicator for the MDD theory.

Results: We found no task-related differences between the groups in the DLPFC and OFC, but a significantly higher activation in bodybuilders in the primary somatosensory cortex (PSC) and left-hemispheric supplementary motor area (SMA) while watching body pictures (across conditions) as compared to the control group.

Conclusions: These neurophysiological results could be interpreted as a first evidence for the MDD theory of excessive bodybuilding.

Keywords:

• Muscle dysmorphic disorder
• bodybuilding dependency
• fNIRS
• body image
• primary somatosensory cortex

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Justin Hudak who assisted in the proof-reading of the manuscript and Celina Gunkelmann for the valuable discussions about the theoretical background of this work.

Statement of interest

None to declare.

Additional information

Funding

Ann-Christine Ehlis was partly supported by IZKF Tübingen [Junior Research Group, grant 2115-0-0].