Eating Disorders in Athletes (Part II): The Physical and Mental Impacts

Specifically, for female athletes, those who develop eating disorders are at risk for adopting the Female Athlete Triad. Disordered eating is one of three aspects of the Female Athlete Triad, where the other two aspects include menstrual irregularities and osteoporosis (Korsten-Reck, 2011). Korsten-Reck (2011) explains that menstrual irregularity can result from an imbalance in the relationship between physical activity and energy intake, i.e. food consumption. Female athletes who do not eat enough to support their training levels can become amenorrhoeic, which occurs when the menstrual cycle is absent. Korsten-Reck states, “Therefore athletes with amenorrhea typically have low resting metabolic rates,” (2011). This can lead to severe heart problems, coupled with a decrease in bone density because of the lack of hormones being released in an amenorrhoeic athlete. Low bone density can cause athletes to develop osteoporosis and experience stress fractures. Female athletes that fulfill the Female Athlete Triad criteria not only harm their immediate athletic performance, but also set themselves up for bone damage and infertility issues later in life.

Cathy Rigby suffered from disordered eating while a member of the U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Team

The Female Athlete Triad highlights the physical problems that result from athletes believing lighter is better, but their mental health suffers as well. In a study observing elite female distance runners, heavier women reported a higher energy expenditure, but combined this with lower food intake and decreased satisfaction with their bodies (Edwards et al., 1993). This suggests that the runners weighing in on the heavier side were self-conscious about this fact, and likely tried to combat their unsettling feelings by increasing their exercise and decreasing their food consumption. The combination of increased exercise and decreased food intake can lead to physical ailments related to the Female Athlete Triad, but perhaps the most concerning part about this concept is that the behaviors stemmed from an initial dissatisfaction with one’s body image as an athlete.

According to a study, the “lighter is better” belief seemed to push athletes toward weight control rather than general body dissatisfaction (de Bruin & Oudejans, 2018). The authors of the study provided their audience with several cases of athletes articulating their struggle with eating disorders and the mental impact of these struggles. One track and field athlete described how she felt as though she would lose against opponents who were thinner than her (de Bruin & Oudejans, 2018). Additionally, a gymnast explained how her trainers were subject to the idea that lighter is better, as they restricted the gymnasts’ diets to almost no intake at all. The gymnast stated, “I was 11 years old, weighed 33 kilos and was still told that we were too heavy. It was so brutal, I got a whole different self-image and I kept this until now actually,” (de Bruin & Oudejans, 2018). In this case, an adolescent was quickly conditioned to believe that she would only be accepted if she was light enough, and it took a major toll on the image she had of herself for years to come. Further, when asked what made competition so hard for another track and field athlete, they responded, “That I was too heavy of course,” (de Bruin & Oudejans, 2018). The authors of this article provide real world examples of athletes that suffered from their belief that the only way to succeed is to be light, and being heavy is what will lead to failure. Therefore, many of these athletes had difficult experiences in their sport. What is more is that they possessed negative outlooks of themselves due to associating their worth as an athlete, and their potential for success, with their weight. Studies such as these reveal that athletes with eating disorders do not only suffer from physical ailments as a result of their behaviors, but also possess negative cognitions that are detrimental to their mental health.

For support and guidance throughout your college career as an LSU student-athlete, reach out to your resources. It’s often the hardest step, but the most rewarding.

Sport Performance & Counseling: GeauxBeWell@lsu.edu

References

de Bruin, A. P. (Karin), & Oudejans, R. R. D. (2018). Athletes’ Body Talk: The Role of Contextual Body Image in Eating Disorders as Seen Through the Eyes of Elite Women Athletes. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 12(4), 675–698. http://libezp.lib.lsu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=133922561&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Edwards, J. E., Lindeman, A. K., Mikesky, A. E., & Stager, J. M. (1993). Energy balance in highly trained female endurance runners. / Equilibre energetique chez des coureuses d ’ endurance tres entrainees. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 25(12), 1398–1404. http://libezp.lib.lsu.edu/login?url=http://search .ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=SPH343520&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Korsten-Reck, U. (2011). FIMS Position Statement 2011. The Female Athlete Triad. International SportMed Journal, 12(4), 156-159. http://libezp.lib.lsu.edu/lo gin?url =http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx ?direct=true&d b=s3h&AN=84 41329 3&site=ehost-live&scope=site