The intersection of sport type and gender in patterns of disordered eating

Abstract Although previous research has linked disordered eating to sports involvement, more recent research suggests that athleticism may protective against disordered eating. Due to inconsistent results on how physical activity affects disordered eating and limited research comparing sport types across weight control behaviours, we aimed to validate sport categorization across disordered eating components in men and women. In this online study, 209 men and 539 women completed questionnaires to assess components of disordered eating and overall sports participation. We found different predictive relationships between participation in different types of sports and disordered eating attitudes, behaviours, and cognitions across genders. For women, purging and restricting eating were associated with participation in ball game sports. Further, a focus on muscle building was associated with ball games and weight class sport participation. For men, body dissatisfaction and excessive exercise were associated with weight class sport participation. Cognitive restraint and muscle building were related to aesthetic sport participation. Purging was associated with aesthetic and weight class sports, whereas restricting eating was related to weight class and ball game sports. These inconsistencies suggest the need for further research to fully elucidate the relationship between participation in different types of sports and components of disordered eating.