Thinness and Muscularity-Oriented Eating Disorder Symptoms: Investigating Body Image Concerns and the Moderating Role of Emotion Dysregulation in Cyclists

Abstract

Abstract Objective A lean muscular body of low weight is often associated with performance for cyclists and can be difficult to achieve. In the pursuit of performance, eating disorder symptomatology may be experienced. Further, the training that some cyclists engage in may aid in the reduction and management of negative emotional states that arise from body dissatisfaction. While research in athlete populations has been substantial, eating disorder symptoms in cyclists remain a relatively under-explored topic. The current study examined whether shape and weight concern and drive for leanness were associated with thinness and muscularity-oriented eating disorder symptoms and whether these relations were moderated by emotion dysregulation. Interactions between these factors were also investigated. Method Participants were 139 Australian competitive cyclists (112 males, 27 females, aged 18–68 years) who completed a self-report questionnaire comprised of measures of shape and weight concern, drive for leanness, thinness-oriented eating, muscularity-oriented eating and emotion dysregulation variables. Results Shape and weight concern and drive for leanness both had a unique association with thinness-oriented and muscularity-oriented eating scores. Emotion dysregulation was found to have a unique association with thinness-oriented and muscularity-oriented eating scores when controlling for drive for leanness, but not when shape and weight concern was controlled. Additionally, emotion dysregulation moderated the association between shape and weight concern and muscularity-oriented eating scores, whereby the relationship was intensified at higher levels of emotion dysregulation. Discussion Our study has extended the literature by indicating that cyclists' desire to attain a lean muscular body of low weight is associated with eating disorder symptoms. Further, emotion dysregulation moderated this link, suggesting it could be a maintaining factor worth addressing.