[Muscle Dysmorphia and Use of Ergogenics Substances. A Systematic Review]

Abstract

The use of ergogenic substances (UES) is not restricted to achieving a better athletic performance, but also it is a behavior for body changing through muscle development; however, little is known about the relationship between muscle dysmorphia (MD) and UES. Therefore, it was conducted a systematic review of those empirical papers that have studied this relationship over the last decade (2004-2014). First it is highlighted that of the 22 articles analyzed, only 13 explicitly aimed this interest. Besides, although the documented data outlined some relevant aspects such as the existence of a high co-occurrence (60-90%) between MD and UES. In general, the evidence is still incipient and uncertain, mainly because of the large disparity between the methodologies of the studies, particularly in terms of indicators, parameters and measures utilized to assess UES within the context of MD.

Keywords: Anabolic agents; Anabolizantes; Body dysmorphic disorders; Body image; Imagen corporal; Performance-enhancing substances; Sustancias para mejorar el rendimiento; Trastorno dismórfico corporal.