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Self-confidence and disordered eating amongst martial artists: A cross-sectional study
The focus of this 2020 article was the relationship between self-confidence and extreme dieting among martial artists. The researchers assessed 111 Swedish athletes practicing either mixed martial arts (MMA) or Brazilian-jiu-jitsu (BJJ). The measures used to calculate disordered eating and self-confidence were the Eating Disorder Examination questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the Trait Sport-Confidence inventory (TSCI). The results demonstrated that those who practiced mixed martial arts dieted in more extreme ways than the BJJ athletes. These participants mostly restricted their food intake. More mixed martial artists used restrictive eating compared to the BJJ athletes. MMA athletes also had higher sports-specific self-confidence, which was incidentally associated with weight loss. The study found that the BJJ athletes who dieted in extreme ways generally had lower self-confidence than MMA athletes. These findings back up previous studies showing MMA athletes experiencing rapid weight loss. Furthermore, this article suggests that some martial artists are at a particular risk of extreme dieting. There is a correlation between self-confidence and weight loss, but further research is required to explain this relationship. [NPID: self-confidence, dieting, restrictive eating, MMA, athletes, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Sweden, weight loss, eating disorders, disordered eating]
Year: 2020
