JOCKEYS are at risk of eating disorders and feeling depressed when trying to slim down for races, researchers said today.
Fasting, excessive use of saunas and taking laxatives are all methods of keeping weight down, they said.
Experts have examined the link between low weight and mood among the sportsmen, looking at the psychological effects of rapid weight loss on
a sample of 41 professional jockeys with an average age of 31.
The riders were rated on their mood using an established score, which also looked at disordered attitudes towards eating.
The results showed jockeys were far more likely to feel depressed and be anxious about food when trying to make a specific race weight. Six of the jockeys in the study (15 per cent) were also deemed to be "at risk" of developing eating disorders.
In contrast, when they were at their optimal or relaxed weights, with no forthcoming races, they were far more likely to report good mood, less anxiety, confusion and anger.
The results of the research, published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, warned that fasting for races could put jockeys at risk of long-term mental health problems.
The researchers described how jockeys embark on extreme programmes to get their weight down, known as "wasting".
They added: "This might involve a combination of starvation, deliberate dehydration, excessive sauna use, and even self-induced vomiting, known colloquially as 'flipping'."
Sports psychology expert, Dr Costas Karageorghis, a reader in sports psychology at Brunel University, who led the research, said: "The six jockeys identified as being particularly at risk were actively flipping, which is analogous to what bulimics do.
"This is more associated with flat race jockeys rather than other types, because they are generally (having to make] lighter (weights].
"Some jockeys sit in saunas for up to three hours, or have very hot baths for two hours. They don't feel good when they come out, they feel microwaved.
"Other methods involve going on very punishing runs before breakfast and getting by on cups of tea with sugar, oranges and Jaffa Cakes which are relatively low-calorie. All jockeys engage in some of these behaviours, but some do so more than others."
Since 1979, the average weight of apprentice jockeys has increased by about 37 per cent, but the minimum weight set for a flat race jockey has risen by only 6 per cent, the study said. Thus jockeys are "compelled to employ increasingly extreme methods" to reach riding weights.
"Researchers have reported that jockeys suffer constant dehydration, inadequate body fat and bone density, and an increased risk of osteoporosis," the study added.
The researchers said jockeys should be offered more psychological support as they try to reach lower and lower weights.
"Governing bodies (of the sport] must continue to explore the possibility of increasing the minimum riding weight," they added.
GOING TO EXTREMESJOCKEYS, like fashion models, sometimes resort to extreme methods to keep their weight down.
Fasting and purging are widespread in the sport, and the regime of tough weight restrictions has drawn strong criticism as a potential health risk.
Some 1.15 million people in the UK are thought to have an eating disorder, with 10 per cent of cases thought to involve men.
The average age of onset for anorexia is thought to be between 16.6 and 18.3 years, while the average age of onset for bulimia is between 17.7 and 21 years.
Anorexia can cause loss of fertility, osteoporosis, hair loss, and heart, kidney and gastrointestinal problems.
Bulimia can bring a risk of heart disease or a ruptured stomach.
