DEEDs in Athletes: Understanding the Rising Prevalence and the Practical Applicability of an Integrated Approach

Disordered eating and eating disorders in sport (DEEDs) have become an increasing concern in athlete health and performance research. Although sport participation provides numerous physical and psychological benefits, certain characteristics of the sporting environment—such as performance pressures, body composition expectations, and sport-specific cultural norms—may increase athletes’ vulnerability to unhealthy eating behaviors. DEEDs exist on a continuum ranging from subclinical disordered eating patterns to clinically diagnosable eating disorders and may affect athletes across different sports, competitive levels, and demographic groups. Growing evidence highlights that these issues are shaped not only by individual factors but also by the broader sporting ecosystem, including the influence of coaches, family members, teammates, and sport organizations. Addressing DEEDs therefore requires interdisciplinary collaboration among coaching staff, family networks, and professionals in sports medicine, psychology, psychiatry, and nutrition. This Research Topic aims to advance understanding of the risk factors, contextual influences, and interdisciplinary approaches necessary for the prevention and management of DEEDs in sport.

Recent advances in research have highlighted the multifactorial nature of DEEDs in athletes, as well as the importance of early identification, improved screening tools, and prevention strategies embedded within sport systems. At the same time, interdisciplinary approaches integrating coaches, family members, sports medicine, psychology, psychiatry, and nutrition have gained increasing attention as essential for effective support and recovery. This Research Topic aims to bring together diverse perspectives and methodological approaches to better understand the drivers of DEEDs in sport and to identify practical strategies for prevention, early detection, and integrated care within athletic environments.

This Research Topic focuses on advancing knowledge on the DEEDs spectrum and the complex biopsychosocial factors contributing to its development, prevention, and management in athletic populations. We particularly welcome submissions addressing the following themes:

• Prevalence and epidemiology of disordered eating behaviors across sports, competitive levels, and athlete populations.
• Psychological, biological, and sociocultural vulnerability factors, including the role of the sporting environment (e.g. coaches, family, teammates, and organizations).
• Screening tools, early identification, and health-prevention strategies specifically tailored for sport settings to address high-risk environments.
• Integrated approaches to treatment and athlete support involving coaches, family members, teammates, sports medicine, psychology, psychiatry or nutrition.
• Policies, education, and preventive practices within sport systems to mitigate the risks associated with the DEEDs spectrum.

We invite original research articles, brief research reports, qualitative studies, perspectives, and methodological papers that contribute to evidence-based understanding and practical solutions for addressing the DEEDs spectrum in sport through an interdisciplinary lens.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Registered Report
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Athletes, Nutritional Behavior, DEED, Sport-Specific Vulnerability, Health Prevention, Interdisciplinary Approach, Sporting Environment

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.