#fitspiration: a comparison of the sport-related social media usage and its impact on body image in young adults

Abstract

Background Following and posting sport-related content on social media is wide-spread among young people. To date, little is known about the interdependence between sport-related social media use and the thereby perceived personal body image. Methods We conducted an online survey (N = 285) to examine how social media influences the sport-related body image. Results In general, social media are frequently used for sport (n = 136, 47.7%). Resistance training correlated significantly with several motives of sport-related use of social media, and thus, represents the strong online presence of athletic sports. Less correlations could be found in team or other sports. Regarding the perception of body image, it was found that the group of rejecting (negative) body image significantly correlated with the emulation of social media mediated sport-related beauty and body ideals (r = 0.63, p = 0.001), as well as with increased body dissatisfaction when viewing sport-related posts on social media (r = 0.590, p = 0.001). Perceived social pressure and comparison were found to be mediators of the prevailing influence of social media usage. Conclusions These results reveal the importance of taking a closer look at socially shaped beauty and body ideals, especially in sport-related contents, striving for more educational campaigns such as Body Positivity and, above all, filtering information. Finally, future research is needed to gain deeper insight into young persons’ usage behavior of social media and its impact on the individual’s body image. Trial Registration The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Ethics Committee of University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich, Germany (01/24/2022).

Recent insights in the correlation between social media use, personality traits and exercise addiction: a literature review

“…Among the others, the complex relationship between EA, and SMA, perfectionism, body image disorders, and "fitspiration" construct have been studied, since 2015 (46). Interestingly, "fitspiration" diversion into a distortion of body perception could emerge (20,47,48). Although "fitspiration" generally conveys positive messages, the images associated with that may have negative effects on the body image of individuals who engage in it, as they predominantly portray a lean and toned body figure.…”

Sporting bodies, societal norms in history

“…In recent years, the media, advertising, and technology have become powerful influencers in shaping body image ideals among athletes (Holland & Tiggemann, 2016) Social media has emerged as a dominant platform that significantly influences body image perception in athletes. Studies such as the work by Klier et al (2022) and Vandenbosch et al (2022) have explored the concept of "#fitspiration" on social media platforms. These studies found that fitness-focused content, which often idealizes lean and muscular body types, can lead to body dissatisfaction and negative body image among young athletes.…”

The effect of social networking sites on resistance training behaviour among college students: application of a mixed model based on the theory of planned behaviour

“…The bene ts of resistance training in enhancing muscular functionality and shaping ideal body [101] are likely to gain public recognition through the promotion on SNS, thereby increased participation in resistance training [102]. When comparing the in uence of information in SNS related to sports participation, Klier et al (2022) discovered that, in contrast to endurance sports, team sports, and other exercise, the utilization of SNS for comprehending sport-related information emerged as one of the most powerful predictors for participating in resistance training and as the sole predictive factor for pursuing ideal body [19]. (2005) demonstrates that the strength of individual intention plays a crucial role in mediating the relationship between intention and behaviour.…”

“…Given the widespread usage of mobile phones and smart wearable devices among college students [105,115], coupled with the increasing dissemination of tness-related content by ' tness Internet celebrities' and sports and tness brands through SNS [116], it is imperative to establish a closer relationship with college students. To achieve this, targeted delivery of timely and effective information based on users' habits in using SNS becomes crucial, ultimately developing positive emotions and promoting willingness to participating in physical activities [19,117]. The present study extends the ndings of previous research, highlighting not only the signi cant in uence of positive emotions has signi cant effect on intention of resistance training and subsequent behaviour maintenance but also emphasizing the potential positive impact of positive emotions induced by SNS on resistance training intention and behaviour.…”

“…This is due to the convenience, wide reach, and low cost of online platforms [16,17] Wang et al (2021) discovered a signi cant enhancement in college students' dietary health levels and exercise frequency through exposure to healthrelated information disseminated via SNS [18]. The emerging concept of "Fitspiration", a portmanteau of Fit and inspiration, is widely disseminated on SNS, emphasizing the building and sculpting of the physique through resistance training and adherence to a healthy diet [19,20]. This concept proposal addresses the limitations of relying on aerobic exercise as a solely method to improve health and enhances individuals' understanding of promoting health.…”