Eating disorders and disordered eating on wrestling sport: a systematic review

Although there are studies on the effects of eating disorders (EDs) among athletes, a limited number of studies have been conducted in wrestling. This systematic review aims to identify the prevalence of eating disorders (ED) and disordered eating (DE) in wrestling, which is important for developing healthier weight control behaviours within the sport. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA protocol, focusing on publications from the last 10 years. PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science were used to identify eligible studies with the searching terms "Eating disorders" AND "wrestlers" OR "Eating disorders" AND "wrestling" OR "Disordered eating" AND "wrestlers" OR "Disordered eating" AND "wrestling" OR "Anorexia Nervosa" AND "wrestlers" OR "Anorexia Nervosa" AND "wrestling" OR "Bulimia Nervosa" AND "wrestlers" OR "Bulimia Nervosa" AND "wrestling" within the timeframe from 2014 to 2024. Eight articles met the inclusion criteria. When all studies were considered as a homogeneous group, the analysis revealed: (a) wrestlers are significantly more susceptible to Eds than other branches, (b) wrestlers have unhealthy weight control behaviors to control weight for optimum performance and to enhance their muscular appearance due to body image issues. It is recommended that future research address eating disorders, which have predominantly been studied in male wrestlers, within female wrestlers as well. Additionally, it is advised to identify potential causes contributing to the elevated risk of eating disorders among wrestlers and to develop targeted prevention strategies.