Athletes’ Health Tracking and Sharing on Social Media

Collaboration: Prof. Dr. Nicole Bender, Head Clinical Evolutionary Medicine Group, Institute of Evolutionary Medicine 

Project Date: Data collection start August 2025 until August 2026 

Background and Objectives 

Athletes increasingly use digital health tracking technologies (e.g., for sleep, nutrition, training load, and heart rate) and share these data on both general social media platforms (e.g., Instagram) and sport-specific platforms (e.g., Strava). These practices combine self-monitoring, social comparison, and performance-oriented self-presentation, and may have important implications for athletes’ body image, well-being, and potentially maladaptive behaviors such as compulsive exercise or disordered eating. 

The overarching aim of this project is to investigate athletes’ motives for health tracking and for sharing tracked data on social media, to develop standardized measurement instruments for these motives, and to examine their longitudinal effects on behavior, body image, and psychological well-being. 

Study Design 

The project follows a longitudinal, multi-method design over one year, comprising six laboratory visits. At each measurement point, participants complete standardized surveys on social media use, health tracking practices, motivational factors, and psychological outcomes. In addition, objective assessments are conducted, including 3D body scans and biological measurements. This design allows for the analysis of both cross-sectional patterns and dynamic developmental processes over time. 

Research Focus 

• What types and levels of fitness-related content are athletes exposed to and share on social media? 
• Which sport-related apps and platforms are most relevant for athletes, and which usage profiles emerge? 
• How can motives for health tracking and for sharing tracked data be reliably measured and standardized? 
• How do tracking and sharing motives predict changes in behavior over time, and how do these behaviors relate to well-being, body image, and potentially compulsive exercise/eating patterns? 

Method  

The study uses a one-year longitudinal design with six laboratory visits. At each wave, athletes complete standardized surveys on social media use, health tracking, sharing behavior, motives, well-being, and body image. Qualitative data are used to develop motive items, which are then validated quantitatively using factor analyses. In addition, participants undergo repeated 3D body scans and biological measurements, enabling the integration of subjective, pictorial, and objective indicators of body image and health.