Eating Disorders in Athletes: The Restrict-Binge Cycle Explained
Many are surprised to hear how common the restrict-binge cycle is among athletes. Athletes are uniquely vulnerable to this cycle because of the pressure among sports culture to try to improve performance through control over nutrition and control over their body. This cycle is not about having a lack of willpower. Understanding the restrict-binge pattern in eating disorders in athletes is the first step towards recovery.
What is the Restrict-Binge Cycle?
Before we talk about binge eating, we need to talk about restriction. Very rarely in my professional experience have I seen a binge happen without restriction. There are two types of restriction that can impact binge eating. Mental restriction is when you tell yourself you cannot eat a food, even if you want it. Physical restriction is not eating enough to sustain the amount of energy your body needs to function. Both types of restriction, lead the body to panic and go into “survival mode” Survival for some means shutting down any “non-essential” system. For example, losing you period, having GI distress, and slowing your metabolism in order to preserve energy.
Binge eating is also a survival mechanism that the body does in order to get as much energy as possible in a short period of time. It panics and sends you into a dissociative state of eating. I have had many explain this as an “out of body” experience, where you wake up, feeling so uncomfortable and sick from the food consumed. Binging brings on shame and guilt, leading to further restriction in order to feel a sense of control. This is the restrict-binge cycle.
How Restriction Shows Up in Athletes (Often Unintentionally)
Physical restriction for athletes is often not purposeful. Meaning, their busy schedule may lead to skipped or delayed meals or a lack of knowledge around just how much food they need for the intensity of training being done. Appetite is often also suppressed from high mileage or intense training.
Mental restriction is often done with hope of improving performance. This may look like food rules around eating “clean” or timing around workouts. Moralizing food as good or bad/ healthy or unhealthy is normalized in the fitness world as a way to improve performance, not just change their body.
Why Binge Eating Happens After Restriction
Like I mentioned above, the body goes into survival mode in order to preserve energy. This can lead to hormonal changes and hunger and fullness cues becoming dysregulated. Anxiety is increased and there becomes a preoccupation with food. This loss of control is a biological response, not a choice.
How the Cycle is Maintained in Sports Culture
There is often praise for discipline, leanness or “mental toughness”. Therefore when restriction is seen, it is often reinforced as a positive thing by coaches or teammates. So many teams normalize under-fueling. This creates shame and secrecy that keeps an athlete stuck in the cycle. Post binge guilt and self-criticism leads to hope to “start over” tomorrow. This increases restriction as an attempt to regain control and tieghtens the cycle further. This cycle also brings on a larger fear of losing control, increasing anxiety around weight, performance, rest days or reduced training.
Breaking the Restrict-Binge Cycle in Athletes
Constant fueling, even when hunger is low, allows your body to start trusting that it will get enough energy consistently. Using structure when cues are unreliable helps this process. Working with a sports dietitian that is familiar with eating disorders in athletes will help build a fueling plan to protect performance and build trust with your body again.
Reducing mental restriction is another challenging piece. This entails challenging food rules and increase food variety in order to practice flexibility. It is important to address these fears, along with the fear of gaining weight, resting your body, and how this impacts your identity as an athlete.
How Eating Disorder Therapy Helps Athletes Break the Cycle
Athlete-informed therapy matters, but so does eating disorder-informed. Collaboration with a dietitian and medical providers allows everyone to work as a team to support the athlete in their recovery. Modalities that support athletes can vary depending on the eating disorder therapist and the athlete. However, a few that are evidenced-based are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Family Based Therapy (FBT) and Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (RO-DBT). These are just a few of my favorites that help address identity, control and performance fears!
A Message to Athletes
This is not a failure. Binge eating is a response to deprivation and is the most common eating disorder. Recovery is a strength that will help you feel stronger in so many ways!
Call to Action: Finding an Eating Disorder Therapist
Finding a sports therapist that specializes in eating disorders is not always the easiest. Serendipity Counseling is both! We will help guide you to be the healthiest and strongest version of yourself yet. So here is how to get started:
Make a consultation call for free!
Get to know Kate, the eating disorder therapist for athletes.
Start your process to stop the restrict-binge cycle!
If starting therapy is not where you are, that is okay. We have a ton of blog posts to help you get started and learn more about eating disorders in athletes. Kate has also been featured in eating disorder podcasts so check them out here!
About the Author: An Eating Disorder Therapist for Athletes
Kate specializes in working with athletes to feel more in control of their body. She will challenge you to sit through the discomfort and grow, while being your number one fan the whole way. Kate comes with 15+ years of experience in the eating disorder field.
