Extreme use of workout supplements may be emerging eating disorder

Men who regularly take creatine, whey or caffeine boosters for appearance or performance enhancement may qualify as having an eating disorder, according to data presented at the American Psychological Association.

“These products have become an almost ubiquitous fixture in the pantries of young men across the country and can seemingly be purchased anywhere and everywhere — from grocery stores to college book stores,” Richard Achiro, PhD, California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, said in a press release. “The marketing efforts, which are tailored to addressing underlying insecurities associated with masculinity, position these products perfectly as a ‘solution’ by which to fill a void felt by so many men in our culture.”

Achiro and colleague, Peter Theodore, PhD, of the California School for Professional Psychology, developed the Legal APED scale, which was used to differentiate between normal use of appearance or performance enhancing drugs (APED) and risky or excessive use of APEDs.

The researchers surveyed 195 men who had used appearance or performance enhancing drugs, including whey protein, creatine and caffeinated boosts, within the previous 30 days. Participants, aged 18 to 65 years, reported working out for appearance at least two times per week.

Results demonstrated that 40% of participants reported that their use of APEDs had increased over time, with 22% reporting they had replaced full meals with APEDs, specifically those not intended as meal replacements, according to a press release.

According to the release, 29% of participants indicated that they were concerned about their use of APEDs, and 8% reported receiving warnings about usage from their physician. Of APED users, 3% reported hospitalization for kidney or liver problems due to APED use.

Achiro and Theodore noted that restrictive eating, eating concerns and body dissatisfaction, all included in the Legal APED Scale, are well-established indicators of eating disorders.

“Body-conscious men who are driven by psychological factors to attain a level of physical or masculine ‘perfection’ are prone to use these supplements and drugs in a manner that is excessive and which was demonstrated in this study to be a variant of disordered eating. As legal supplements become increasingly prevalent around the globe, it is all the more important to assess and treat the psychological causes and effects of excessive use of these drugs and supplements,” Achiro said in the release. – by Casey Hower

Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.