Athletes are three times more likely to develop an eating disorder, and they may be prone to suffer from depression than those who don't participate regularly in a sport, according to a recent study.

Researchers found that "top flight" athletes follow performance boosting nutritional regimes which can deprive them of the nutrients and calories needed for optimal mental health.

"Many athletes face various stresses; pressure to train, perform well, financial hardship, as well as maintaining a balance with other aspects of their life such as study, family and friends. Athletes also face pressure to be body perfect," investigators said in their study.

Previous studies have said that up to 17 percent of competitive athletes show symptoms of psychiatric disorders and a paucity of research on the subject

For the study, researchers recruited 122 British athletes and asked them to complete questionnaires that assessed their weight, diet history previous eating related diagnoses and desired weight. They were also quizzed on their attitudes to eating; restraint, fear of losing control, weight and self-image issues. Finally they were assessed on their mental state and checked for signs of clinical depression.

Six months later, the athletes body mass index was checked and two studies were conducted; the first examining participants' psychological state at the start point and eating habits after six months, and the second, eating psychopathology at outset and depressive symptoms at the end point.

Researchers found by small margin that eating and diet disturbances were a precursor to depressive tendencies. This is due to low self-esteem, failure to meet exacting physical standards, regimented eating and constant negative sport related pressure.

The research team calls for improved education programs on nutrition and intervention strategies to minimize eating disorder and depression risks in athletes.

"Given that sport organizations and clubs are ethically and legally responsible for the health and welfare of athletes, it is imperative that practices that increase the risk of eating disorders are minimized as they appear to inadvertently increase the risk of depression in athletes... research needs to move beyond examining the factors that affect eating ... to the factors that are affected by eating, so that a more comprehensive and holistic theoretical framework can be established," researchers said.

The findings were recently published in the Journal of Sport Sciences.