Disordered eating, exercise dependence, body dissatisfaction, and fueling practices in female CrossFit® and CrossFit® plus endurance participants.

INTRODUCTION

Disordered eating (DE) is primarily observed in endurance athletes and sports that emphasize aesthetics. However, DE prevalence, exercise dependence (EXD), body dissatisfaction, and fueling habits in resistance-trained individuals-particularly CrossFit® athletes-are not well understood. CrossFit® promotes a culture that encourages strong, athletic, and muscular bodies. Both CrossFit® and endurance athletes often strive for low body fat percentages to enhance performance, which may contribute to body dissatisfaction, EXD, and eating concerns. This cross-sectional study investigated DE prevalence and its associations with EXD risk, body dissatisfaction, and fueling habits in female CrossFit®-only (CO) versus CrossFit® plus endurance (CE) athletes.

METHODS

Participants (n = 325) completed a Qualtrics survey assessing DE, EXD, body dissatisfaction, and fueling practices.

RESULTS

Across the sample, 37.2 % of participants were at risk for DE, and 84.6 % were classified as symptomatic for EXD. CO athletes were at a significantly greater risk (p < 0.001) for both DE and EXD compared with CE athletes. Athletes at risk for DE were significantly more likely to be symptomatic for EXD, train more days per week, report a stronger desire for muscularity, and follow specific dietary patterns to attain an ideal body.

CONCLUSION

Given the high prevalence of DE and EXD among female CrossFit® athletes, incorporating both screening tools is an important step in the initial evaluation process for Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs).