Disordered eating behaviour and metacognitive skills in competitive shooters of India

Purpose Shooting as a precision sport demands meticulous mental focus, physical control and unwavering consistency to achieve accuracy. The intricate balance of these elements hinges greatly on cognitive function, enabling shooters to effectively block out distractions and execute shots with exceptional precision. Hence, this study aims to investigate the impact of disordered eating behaviour (DEB) on metacognitive skills in shooters. Design/methodology/approach Competitive shooters (male and female; age: 20–25 years; n = 71) were recruited through incidental purposive sampling. DEB was assessed using the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26), while metacognitive skills were evaluated using the Metacognitive Skills Scale (MCSS). The relationship between DEB and MCSS was assessed using Welch’s “t” test at a significance level of p < 0.05. Findings DEB was prevalent (39.4%) among shooters, with 29.6% in males and 9.8% in females; the behaviour was higher with one to three years of sports training (57.1%) as compared to >4 years. A significant relationship (p < 0.001) between DEB and bulimia, preoccupation with food, oral control and dieting was found. Dieting behaviour was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in females than in male shooters (p = 0.030). MCSS were found to be average (49.3%) among shooters. No significant relationship was found between the DEB and MCSS other than evaluation skills (p < 0.02). Research limitations/implications DEB was prevalent among shooters, particularly those who have fewer years of sports training. Gender disparities were not observed in metacognitive skills. Shooters with DEB may have deficiencies in evaluation skills. Originality/value DEB was prevalent among shooters. DEB may affect evaluation skills in shooters.