Characterization and correlates of exercise among adolescents with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

Objective To characterize exercise behaviors among adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN), atypical AN, or bulimia nervosa (BN), and determine associations between exercise and medical risk. Study design Cross‐sectional electronic medical records of all patients evaluated by the Eating Disorder Program at Stanford between January 1997 and February 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Results 1,083 subjects (961 females, 122 males; mean age 15.6) met eligibility criteria. Most patients (89.7%) reported exercise (mean 7.0 h per week over mean 5.4 days per week) prior to presentation. Running (49.9%), calisthenics (40.7%), walking (23.4%), soccer (20.9%), and swimming (18.2%) were the most common exercises; a majority (60.6%) reported team sport participation. Males were less likely to report team exercise (p = .005). Bradycardia (heart rate