There is not one single cause of anorexia athletica, but many factors that are involved in the disorder.

Thus, a person is more likely to have anorexia athletica if someone in their immediate family has had the disorder.

Someone with anorexia athletica can experience numerous signs and symptoms, a few of which are listed below.

Anorexia athletica is used to refer to "a disorder for athletes who engage in at least one unhealthy method of weight control".

Anorexia athletica, (sports anorexia) also referred to as hypergymnasia is an eating disorder characterized by excessive and compulsive exercise.

Unlike anorexia nervosa, anorexia athletica does not have as much to do with body image as it does with performance.

If anorexia athletica persists for long enough, the individual can become malnourished, which eventually leads to further complications in major organs such as the liver, kidney, heart and brain.

According to the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC), the first step for someone going through anorexia athletica is to realize their eating and exercise habits are hurting them.

Hypergymnasia and anorexia athletica are not recognized as mental disorders in any of the medical manuals, such as the ICD-10 or the DSM-IV, nor is it part of the proposed revision of this manual, the DSM-5.