Exploring the Relationship of Muscle Dysmorphia, Orthorexia, Social Physique Anxiety, and Disordered Eating Behavior in Male Bodybuilders and Esport Athletes

Previous research has demonstrated that male competitive bodybuilders are at high risk for muscle dysmorphia, disordered eating behaviors, orthorexia, and social physique anxiety; however, these pathologies have been primarily studied in competitive bodybuilders, with limited attention to their recreational counterparts. This study sought to determine whether these group distinctions exist. A sample of male competitive ( n = 70) and recreational bodybuilders ( n = 72) and a comparison group of esport athletes ( n = 70) completed a survey consisting of four validated questionnaires. One-way multivariate analysis of variance and Tukey’s post hoc tests showed competitive and recreational bodybuilders did not differ significantly on muscle dysmorphia, orthorexia, and disordered eating behavior, but both groups differed significantly for esport athletes. Hierarchical regression analyses found that group membership and social physique anxiety ( R 2 = .406) predicted muscle dysmorphia, which in turn predicted disordered eating behaviors ( B = 0.45, p < .001) and orthorexia ( B = .19, p < .001).