Extremely taxing Olympic sports take toll on its participants

Posted : 02 August 2023

The prevalence of eating disorders, especially anorexia, is a significant concern in various categories of athletes. Sports that emphasize body appearance, such as gymnastics, figure skating, and artistic swimming, as well as those with weight categories like boxing, wrestling, and judo, are at higher risk.

Additionally, sports that prioritize low weight and a slim physique for better performance, such as long-distance running, cycling, and swimming, also face this challenge.

Surprisingly, even in a sport like sport climbing, which appears to focus more on skill, technique, endurance, and strength, young athletes, parents, coaches, and doctors are grappling with anorexia issues.

Recently, the problem came to light in Germany after Dr. Volker Shoffel, the volunteer medical advisor of the International Climbing Federation, resigned from his position after 14 years. He cited the Federation's inadequate response to combat eating disorders and starvation within the industry.

Shoffel emphasized that the competitions themselves are evident of the problem, with competitors exhibiting protruding bones and a lack of muscle mass, all to minimize body weight for better performance.

The extreme competitiveness in climbing often translates into unhealthy practices, leading to physiological effects like kidney failure, mental health conditions such as anorexia and depression, and increased vulnerability to illness and injury.

Diagnosing these cases is challenging, but measures like body mass evaluation, body fat percentage, bone density tests, hormone assessments, and psychological evaluations can be used. Shoffel tried to collect data from competitions to address the issue, but the International Federation rejected his proposals, choosing instead to focus on education for athletes and coaches. The Federation plans to take a more holistic approach starting in 2024.

Several climbers have spoken out about their struggles with anorexia and eating disorders, shedding light on the issue within the climbing community. Many young climbers, especially girls, face pressure to control their weight, often influenced by societal expectations and media representations of women. Maintaining low weight becomes an obsession, and it can negatively impact their psychological well-being.

The phenomenon, known as RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency Syndrome), remains an open and disturbing secret within the industry. Despite organized programs in Germany to address eating disorders in climbers, the International Association has been reluctant to implement measures for athletes' health.

This is alarming given the sport's increasing popularity among young people. Climbers who suffer from excessive thinness should be prevented from competing, but the Association has disregarded these warnings.

As more climbers share their experiences with eating disorders, there is hope that the industry will finally take action. The mental illness of anorexia is one of the most deadly, making it crucial for the climbing community to prioritize the well-being and health of its athletes.

Extremely taxing Olympic sports take toll on its participants

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