What Are Eating Disorders?

Take our Disordered Eating Test

Find a therapist to heal from an eating disorder

Athletes can be vulnerable to developing eating disorders.

RED-S is an important topic to be speaking about when it comes to athletes.

Research suggests that it' important to screen athletes for eating disorders.

When working with athletes it’s important to affirm the aspects of their identity that feel positive.

Athletes can be vulnerable to developing eating disorders, particularly in sports that emphasize appearance, weight categories, and leanness. Other factors that make athletes more susceptible to developing eating disorders can include underlying genetic and temperamental factors, combined with coaches that reinforce regularly pushing past your body's needs and ‘discipline’ above all else.

In fact, one study suggests that about 1 in 5 athletes screen positive for disordered eating on validated self-report screening tools (Ghazzawi et al., 2024). Sometimes athletes are taught to override hunger and push past exhaustion in the name of ‘performance.’ The culture of ‘not taking any days off’ and ‘pushing yourself past pain’ can activate an eating disorder in individuals with an underlying genetic and temperamental vulnerability.

It’s also important to note that traditional eating disorder screening tools were not necessarily developed with an athletic population in mind, therefore it’s crucial to meet with a specialist who is knowledgeable both about eating disorders and athletics if someone is concerned that they might be struggling. Athletes can struggle with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, OSFD, ARFID, body image issues, disordered eating and/or compulsive exercise.

It’s important to note that someone’s overall identity as an athlete may be a positive part of their life. As eating disorder therapists it’s crucial to look at how someone can maintain the positive aspects of this identity (if they’d like), while working to reject the aspects of athletic culture that may serve to fuel their eating disorder.

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S)

RED-S is an important topic to be speaking about when it comes to athletes. It may occur with or without an eating disorder, however RED-S and eating disorders often overlap. This concept was formally introduced by The International Olympic Committee. RED-S happens when an athlete consistently is using my energy more than they are taking in. It’s important to note that someone can have RED-S at any weight or body size. Additionally, people of all genders can struggle with RED-S. Essentially RED-S is when the body doesn’t have enough fuel left over to run essential systems after training demands are met.

Symptoms of RED-S may include the following:

Irritability and depression

Irritability and depression

Trouble with temperature regulation.

Trouble with temperature regulation.

(Relative energy deficiency in sport [REDs], Boston Children’s Hospital, n.d.)

RED-S can lead to poor health and training outcomes due to one’s body not having enough available energy. If left untreated, RED-S may lead to issues around bone health, psychological health, immunity, cardiovascular health, and reproductive health (Relative energy deficiency in sport [REDs], Boston Children’s Hospital, n.d.).

New Research On Ultra Endurance Athletes

New 2025 research, a cross-sectional study published in Frontiers in Sport and Active Living, found that higher training volume among ultra endurance athletes was associated with increased risk for disordered eating behaviors.

This research suggested that there is a need for more awareness about eating disorder vulnerability within the athlete and ultra endurance athlete population. The study also highlighted that eating disorder risk in athletes is not limited to those who are medically considered ‘underweight.’ It’s important to note that eating disorders in athletes can occur in individuals of all genders, races, and body sizes.

What Are Eating Disorders?

Take our Disordered Eating Test

Find a therapist to heal from an eating disorder

Ultimately, the research suggests that it’s important to screen athletes and ultra endurance athletes for disordered eating and eating disorders. It also indicates that it’s important to look at training volume and the impact that it has on eating disorder development in those who are genetically vulnerable (Colangelo et al., 2025)

As clinicians, even if one does not specialize in treating eating disorders, it’s crucial to be screening the athlete population (and all populations!) for eating disorders.

If you are not knowledgeable about eating disorder treatment, it is crucial to refer out. Eating disorders are the second deadliest mental illness and evidence-based treatment is key (National Eating Disorders Association, n.d.).

Additionally, when working with athletes it’s important to affirm the aspects of their identity of an athlete that feel positive and helpful, while also examining any disordered messaging that they may want to let go of.

Boston Children’s Hospital. (n.d.). Relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs). https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-treatments/reds

​​Colangelo, J., Smith, A., Bitterlich, N., Buadze, A., & Liebrenz, M. (2025). Risks for eating disorder in ultra-endurance athletes and the role of training volume: A cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 7, Article 1708869. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2025.1708869

Ghazzawi, H. A., Nimer, L. S., Haddad, A. J., Alhaj, O. A., Amawi, A. T., Pandi-Perumal, S. R., Trabelsi, K., Seeman, M. V., & Jahrami, H. (2024). A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of the prevalence of self-reported disordered eating and associated factors among athletes worldwide. Journal of Eating Disorders, 12(1), 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-024-00982-5

National Eating Disorders Association. (n.d.). Eating disorder statistics. Retrieved February 24, 2026, from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics/

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