10 Signs & Symptoms of Eating Disorders in Athletes

Written by Samantha DeCaro, PsyD, Director of Clinical Outreach and Education, The Renfrew Center

College can create the perfect storm of environmental and experiential risk factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of eating disorders and disordered eating. The academic demands, developmental changes, social pressures, and sudden changes in routine that come with college life can potentially trigger on the onset of an eating disorder, putting students at increased risk of experiencing co-occurring medical and psychological conditions, as well. 

College athletes may be more vulnerable to these risk factors. Research suggests that athletes who participate in a sport associated with a ‘lean aesthetic’ are at elevated risk for eating disorders and disordered behaviors, especially for athletes who identify as female. To complicate matters, these behaviors can be difficult to identify in athletes. Given that athletes are often expected to engage in intense regimens around their health and fitness, the standard assessment tools used to screen for eating disorders will likely not capture the unique behaviors and thoughts athletes experience around food, body image, and exercise. 

It is crucial that students, coaches, and other support personnel on college campuses understand how to identify the signs and symptoms of eating disorders experienced by athletes, so that students can receive a timely diagnosis and access the support they need and deserve.

10 Signs & Symptoms of Eating Disorders in Athletes

Disordered eating occurs on a spectrum, so behaviors and attitudes around food and weight may range from mild to severe in both severity and frequency.

1. A desire to achieve the ideal athletic look may result in symptoms such as restricting, as well as forms of purging, such as over-training or over-exercise.

2. Signs of over-training may include exercising much longer, much more frequently, and much more intensely than what is typically recommended for the sport, coupled with extreme anxiety and guilt if they are unable to train.

3. Someone struggling with over-exercise might also insist on exercising despite having an injury or an illness.

4. Body dissatisfaction may manifest as frequent comments about weight, shape, and size, as well as constant physical comparisons between self and other players in the sport.

5. Athletes struggling with eating pathology may also latch on to an enduring and rigid belief that continued fat loss will improve their strength, stamina, or performance in some way.

6. Restriction might take the form of fad diets, fasting, cleanses, or elimination of entire food groups without any medical rationale.

7. Other forms of purging might include self-induced vomiting, or the use or abuse of laxatives, diet pills, or diuretics.

8. Drive for a lean but highly muscular build might include abuse of supplements and/or steroids.

9. To combat fatigue from prolonged disordered eating, an athlete might also turn to the abuse of caffeine, pre-workout supplements, or stimulants.

10. Eating disorders rarely travel alone, so an athlete engaging in disordered eating might also be struggling with depression, mood swings, anxiety, sleep issues, or other mental health concerns.

Conclusion

These symptoms not only impact an athlete’s ability to perform in their sport, but also affect their mental, physical, academic, and social well-being. If coaches, professors, and college athletes learn the signs and symptoms of eating disorders within their athletic communities, many students may be able to be assessed, diagnosed, and treated for an eating disorder before symptoms become much more severe.  Student athletes struggling with food or body image can benefit from utilizing the services of their college counseling centers and identifying their support network in and out of the college setting. Additionally,  student athletes should be encouraged to prioritize their mental well-being and offered medical leave or other accommodations if a higher level of eating disorder treatment is recommended. Help is available, and athletes should be supported whenever they choose to pursue it.