Why Are Extreme Sports Addictive?
Why are Extreme Sports addictive? The millions of fans would surely answer because it is so much fun, but scientists might argue that addictive is the wrong word to use.
Why Addictive?
It has been said that Extreme Sports are highly addictive. People would tend to question why Extreme Sports are so addictive when they consider the risks and expenses involved in participation. It is true that the majority of Extreme Sports require a great investment in time in order to gain any skill. The high difficulty level and inherent risks of the sports make learning a very dangerous period. Even after a certain skill level has been reached, the desire to push the envelope that is so much a part of Extreme Sports means that the difficulty and risk rarely ever decrease as long as a person is participating.
Yet, despite this, people appear to be addicted to Extreme Sports because they invest such large amounts of time and take such risks over and over again with what appears to be little concern for consequences. Although some people view addiction as something associated with drug use, a number of non-pharmaceutical addictions have been identified and are routinely treated. These include gambling, pornography, food, computers, and even sex. The point is usually that “too much” of anything is bad for you and if you can not control the “too much”, you are addicted.
When you move away from the semantics of the word “addicted”, you are left with the fact that people seem to get easily obsessed with Extreme Sports. There are some indications that participation in these types of physical activity produce increased levels of hormones such as dopamine and serotonin. Increased levels of endorphins have long been associated with high levels of physical activities. Endorphins were thought to cause a “runner’s high” and dopamine is connected with motivation, desire, and pleasure.
It might be argued that the chemical reactions within the body caused by the increased levels of these various substances leads to addictive type behavior in Extreme Sports participants. They are getting a lot more than the simple “adrenaline rush” that is so often connected with the high risk Extreme Sports.
It is possible to be too scientific. It is true that every human activity is a very complex chemical combination of hormones, chemicals, and nerve endings. Why are Extreme Sports so addictive? Is it possible the answer could be simple? There is something in human beings that pushes them to reach new heights, conquer new obstacles, and achieve ever faster speeds. This is true. It is also true that Extreme Sports are just plain fun and exhilarating. Isn’t it possible that it is the fun and exhilaration that make people keep coming to back to them?