Bulimia Nervosa

How does Bulimia Present in Sports?

Bulimia is harder to witness because most of the disorder occurs behind closed doors: eating in secret, purging in bathrooms, self-hatred, etc...  The only visible concrete sign of someone who has bulimia is weight loss. Just because this type of disordered eating presents differently doesn't mean it's any less detrimental to individuals, especially athletes. When individuals purge, they lose all nutrients they typically get from their food because they often purge directly after eating to prevent the food from digesting. This makes them incredibly weak, which for athletes can make them more prone to injuries: major and minor.

Having bulimia harms athletes, primarily because due to the lack of nutrients and food in their bodies, they suffer from low energy availability, excessive loss of fat and lean mass, dehydration, and electrolyte disturbance. These are highly harmful, especially in athletes, because when athletes are not performing at their best, they are at a greater risk of getting injured. Technique for athletes is crucial, and when an athlete doesn't physically have the energy in their body to play or perform their sport with adequate technique, injuries are bound to happen.