Risk Of Disordered Eating, Exercise Dependence, Body Dissatisfaction, And Fueling Habits In Masters Trail Runners

Endurance training may increase the risk for developing disordered eating (DE) patterns and exercise dependence (EXD). Despite significant advances in the field of research examining DE and EXD in endurance athletes, research tends to focus on young females with few studies examining masters athletes. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the risk of DE, and EXD in masters-level runners, and compare the risk of EXD, body dissatisfaction, injuries, and fueling habits in runners at risk vs. not at risk for DE. METHODS: Male (n = 457) and female (n = 564) masters trail runners (41-65 years of age) completed an online survey comprising the Disordered Eating Screen for Athletes (DESA-6), Exercise Dependence Scale (EDS-21), and additional questions pertaining to fueling strategies during training, dietary preferences, and body image satisfaction. RESULTS: Results indicated that 46% of females and 32% of males were at risk for DE based on the DESA-6. Risk for DE was significantly (p < 0.001) higher in females (2.43 ± 1.5) vs. males (1.93 ± 1.5). Furthermore, 79% of male and 80% of female runners were classified as symptomatic for EXD. For the entire population, there was a significant association between risk for DE (88.2%) and symptomatic EXD (χ21,408 = 32.5, p < 0.001). The majority of participants (71.4%) reported being dissatisfied with their weight. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated a high prevalence of DE, EXD, and body dissatisfaction in masters trail runners.