Resources | DF Performance

Sport-specific risk factors for eating disorders

Playing a sport or participating in a performing art can do wonders for our body & our body confidence. However, we also know that in some circumstances the pressure placed on the body in sport and performing arts can have the opposite effect. Instead of increased body confidence athletes and artists are at greater risk of developing body preoccupations and eating disorders. Check out our tool to help you better identify the sport-specific risk factors for eating disorders!

Signs and symptoms of eating disorders in athletes

Signs and symptoms can present themselves at the physiological, behavioural and psychological level, so be on the lookout! Keep an eye & ear on the comments and behaviours among athletes, as they can give you many clues about a potential problem. More subtle signs & symptoms can include cold intolerance, excessive consumption of caffeine, or inflexibility regarding meal choices. To learn more on the subject, you can refer to our fact sheet.

Questions to ask as a health professional if you suspect an eating disorder

Supporting health professionals such as doctors, dietitians and therapists in their ability to detect eating disorders is integral to their prevention and early detection. Meetings with the team doctor and dietitian can go a long way in helping nip this problem in the bud. This tool will help health professionals ask the right questions!

Asking for help with disordered eating : When should you do it ?

In the world of sports & performing arts, it can be difficult to distinguish between normal performance-driven behaviours and problematic eating-disordered behaviours. Since athletes/artists tend to pay more attention to their diet, it can often feel like a fine line before falling into disordered-eating. Knowing when to ask for help can become challenging. Here is a tool to help the athletes/artists that you work with to better understand when it is time to reach out for help.

Eating disorders How to intervene when there are red flags

As a coach, or professional working with athletes on a regular basis, you have the power to make a difference in early detection & intervention. Being attentive to the red flags of an eating disorder and having the courage to intervene can make a world of difference for an athlete. But, we know that it is not easy to have that difficult conversation. This tool outlines 5 steps for the initial intervention to help guide those working with and caring for athletes through this difficult and important conversation when we suspect a possible eating disorder.

How to create a healthy environment for athletes

It is well known that the environment in which we live has an important impact on our personal development and habits. Authority figures, such as coaches or sports professionals in athletes’ lives can have a huge impact on their relationship with their shape, weight and eating habits. Since eating disorders often start with body dissatisfaction, creating a safe and empowering environment for athletes is fundamental. Role modelling can take many forms, here is a factsheet for more concrete examples.

Vacation and rest periods Tips for optimal recovery

Athletes often ask themselves if it is ok to take time away from training, to eat more than normal or to eat different foods than usual during vacation and rest periods. When an athlete feels like they are not allowed to enjoy treats, it most often backfires. They may not allow themself enough time to recuperate over their vacation, they may not enjoy their time off due to obsessive thoughts around training or eating, they may miss out on important social events, or they may end up binge eating the foods they have deemed forbidden. Here are a few guidelines we’ve put together to help athletes enjoy their vacation and rest periods and recover optimally.

Weight & Performance: A few facts

It would be untrue to say that there is no relationship between body weight and athletic performance. Body weight is one factor that can affect performance. However, it would be untrue to say that losing weight will necessarily improve performance, as it often does not. The truth is that there are many factors that can influence athletic performance and we have to take them all into account when considering outcomes. Very often we see too much emphasis placed on body weight and/or unrealistic expectations placed on body weight, which end up negatively impacting other important factors like concentration, energy, self-confidence, sleep, mood, etc. This tool outlines a few facts about body weight & performance and gives you a healthy definition for “optimal performance weight”.

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Understanding normal weight fluctuations

No fluctuations in body weight at all throughout the year may be a red flag that an athlete is too rigid and extreme ups and downs throughout the year may be a red flag that an athlete is cycling between too much rigidity and losses of control. These extremes (extreme fluctuations or no fluctuations at all) can be very hard on the body and cause a lot of stress for athletes. The key is learning how to be less rigid and accepting a body weight at which the body can experience normal weight fluctuations without too much effort. See our tool for more information on normal weight fluctuations.