INTRODUCTION: Performance sports seem to be a booster for the onset of psychopathological disorders and therefore it becomes relevant to assess the level of psychological commitment to exercise and aspects of body image in adolescent elite athletes, since these variables are risk factors for triggering of eating disorders. OBJECTIVE: To compare body dissatisfaction among different sports and check its influence on the level of psychological commitment to exercise performance in competitive adolescent athletes. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 65 teenage athletes from many sports of both sexes. To assess body dissatisfaction, the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) was applied and the level of psychological commitment to the habit of exercising was assessed by the Scale of Dedication Exercise (EDE). RESULTS: The dissatisfaction with self-image was seen in 21.5% of participants with difference between modalities (p <0.05), which did not occur with the EDE (p> 0.05). Moreover, dissatisfaction influenced 12% in modulating the level of psychological commitment to exercise (p <0.05). CONCLUSION: Therefore, it can be concluded that for this sample, the rate of body satisfaction was high and little related to the level of commitment to exercise.
body image; adolescents; athletes
