Motivação para a musculatura e insatisfação corporal de homens e mulheres de diferentes orientações sexuais usuários de academias de musculação

Abstract

Sociocultural influences impact self-esteem and body image with a focus on muscularity. On social media, thin and athletic bodies are constantly displayed, leading to negative perceptions of muscularity among men and of body weight among women. This study compared motivations for muscle growth and levels of body dissatisfaction (BD) between Brazilian men and women of different sexual orientations who practice bodybuilding. The main hypotheses were that: (1) homosexual men would prefer a more muscular physical appearance than heterosexual men, due to the internalization of thinness and muscularity, and self-objectification, and (2) heterosexual women would tend to be more dissatisfied with their body image due to the idealization of thinness and self-objectification, seeking attractiveness for the opposite sex. Thus, they would be less predisposed to having a body with high muscle mass. A cross-sectional study was conducted with heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual men and women, aged 18 to 35, who were gym users in Belém, Pará, Brazil. Data collection was conducted through an electronic form on Google Forms, including a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS), and a silhouette scale adapted for the Brazilian audience, as well as in-person physical assessments. Statistical analyses were performed using Jamovi software. The DMS indicates an individual's motivation for muscularity through self-report. The results showed that heterosexual men significantly higher than homosexual women on the DMS, specifically in behaviors related tomuscle growth. The silhouette scale indicates the individual's perception of their current silhouettes (CS) and ideal silhouettes (IS), based on figures. The difference between IS and CS was used as a measure of BD. Heterosexual men selected a CS with less body fat and an IS with more muscle mass compared to the other groups, although there were no statistically significant differences regarding BD. Therefore, the hypotheses were not supported in the main analyses. Additional analyses revealed significant intra-sexual correlations between higher levels of BD and women with higher Body Mass Index (BMI) and Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI), who desired a more athletic ideal silhouette, showing higher levels of BD. Women and men who identified as more muscular were more satisfied with their body image, showing lower levels of BD, which is consistent with the recent emphasis on the fitspiration lifestyle that values athletic bodies. Further studies with non-heterosexual individuals are needed to examine how this phenomenon occurs in larger samples and among those who do not practice bodybuilding. This study contributes to a better understanding of aspects of BD related to thinness and muscularity in sexually diverse groups who are regular bodybuilding practitioners.