Female Athletes Analysis

The physical appearance of female athletes has been and still is critically analysed in a negative light. Because of this, many athletes feel the pressures of society upon them, from the media, spectators, coaches, family and other competitors. On top of society pressures, each sport usually has an ideal body composition that athletes should strive for in order to perform to their optimum. Pressures to achieve the ideal body composition combined with appearing feminine without too much muscle mass can make it extremely difficult for the lives of female athletes. Many female athletes will strive for their success in ways that can do more damage than good both mentally and physically. In this dangerous pathway that is undertaken, eating disorders,

The female image is associated with little or no muscle (Willett, E 2007). Especially in the media and society today, women with prominent muscle mass have dealt with body shaming. Athletes such as tennis player Serena Williams, hammer thrower Bronwyn Eagles and track and field gold medalists Natasha Hastings and Sanya Richards-Ross have been regarded as “masculine”, “too muscular” or not feminine enough to be treated like a real woman (Smith, A 2014 & Stern, C 2015). This sad reality creates body pressures for females to succeed in their sport without physically appearing to have too much muscle. Body image issues can arise because of this. This increases negative body image. In addition to feeling the pressures of appearing feminine, athletes may also feel pressure to adhere to the media’s ideal image linked with being

Besides the media’s female ideal being associated with little or no muscle, it is also linked to thinness (Willett, E 2007). Contrast this ideal to female athletes, and the image becomes very unrealistic and unachievable, as each athlete has different physical requirements depending on their sport (Kirkpatrick, J & Caldwell, P 2004). Many female athletes receive mixed messages from society. The media recognises the success of maintaining a fit body and having physical power, but consequentially, it perpetuates the female ideal valuing thinness. On top of the pressure from the media, there are evidently demands from each sport depending on its type and how the results are