Food and alcohol disturbance by athlete status: the roles of drive for thinness, drive for muscularity, and sex

Objective: This study investigated the association between self-identified athlete status and Food and Alcohol Disturbance (FAD) behaviors, and whether this association was moderated by drives for thinness or muscularity, and sex. Participants: 575 individuals (77.6% female, 40.0% identifying as athletes) recruited from a large southeastern university. Methods: Participants completed online measures of athletic identity, drives for muscularity and thinness, FAD behaviors, and demographic variables. Results: Compared to non-athletes, male athletes with higher drive for muscularity endorsed more alcohol effects behaviors; female athletes endorsed the inverse relationship. Higher drive for thinness was associated with more diet and exercise behaviors among all participants, and extreme weight control behaviors among athletes. Conclusions: Athlete status moderated the associations between drives for thinness/muscularity and FAD Alcohol Effects and Extreme Weight Control Behaviors. Regardless of athlete status, college students with higher drive for thinness are at risk for engaging in more FAD Diet & Exercise behaviors.