Bodybuilding Supplements Could Lead to Eating Disorders

Most bodybuilders take loads of supplements and are constantly preoccupied about what they eat in order to keep those muscles well-shaped.

However, a new research conducted by experts at Alliant International University in Los Angeles reveals that supplements might do more harm than good because they can lead to various eating disorders.

The study involved 200 men who had taken such supplements over the past months. Out of these,  almost a third believed the supplements were not entirely safe, one out of 10 reported that their nutritionist or doctor told them to stop using them  or reduce the quantity and 4 out of 10 said that they increased the dosage over time.

Experts say that men take these supplements in a way that poses risk to their health and contributes to an alteration of their self image and emotional wellbeing.

” It is an expression, or variance, of eating disorder behavior in these men. Taken together low self-esteem and gender role conflict, which is an underlying sense of insecurity about one’s masculinity, contribute more to the overuse of these products than body dissatisfaction alone,” said one of the lead researchers, Richard Achiro, from the  California School of Professional Psychology, referring to the increasing use of supplements.

Moreover, the study, whose findings were presented at the American Psychological Association on Toronto on Thursday, revealed that there are many supplements out there that have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These are particularly dangerous because they can lead to various health problems, from renal failure to kidney disease.

Body-building supplements are usually used by people (men in particular) who spend a lot of time working out at the gym to develop well-shaped, lean tissue mass and feel better by increasing their energy levels.

They can purchase these supplements from various places, from the vitamin shop open at their gym, to online shops or grocery stores. Creatine and L-cartinine are extremely popular supplements that one can find almost anywhere.

While women  are obsessed with being slim, men are obsessed with having an athletic figure and well-defined muscles. Supplements are helpful up to a certain extent, but once the dosage is increased, they should be on the lookout for the health risk they might expose themselves to.

Image Source: sportshealthscience