## 4 Discussion
### Limitations  
The data collected for this study were self-reported online, which may present limitations, but only in this form was it possible to obtain the required sample. The study has a limitation inherent to its cross-sectional design, in which participants were only assessed once. This may compromise the representativeness of the responses since they are conditioned to the momentary state of the participants at the time of the assessment. The use of the Mental Health Inventory, due to its length, may have contributed to potential participants giving up or not signing up to complete the questionnaire. In addition, the complexity of interpreting this instrument may have made it difficult to analyze the results. The exclusion of the shortened version of the Mental Health Inventory comprising only five questions may have been a missed opportunity to reduce the drop-out rate and increase the number of participants involved. The use of BMI as a measure of overweight and obesity can be considered a limitation, especially in a study that includes practitioners of physical exercise (PE), such as bodybuilding, for hypertrophy. In these individuals, their body composition may show high muscle mass values, which may result in a high BMI without necessarily reflecting excess fat mass. In addition, the use of declarative weight and height values can introduce bias into BMI calculations. The assessment of PE practice using self-report instruments may have introduced bias due to the subjectivity inherent in this type of methodology. This may have affected the accuracy of the results obtained. This study did not control several variables that could act as confounding factors, such as diet (eating behavior), socioeconomic status, clinical diagnoses, consultations with psychologists, or medical records and pre-existing mental health conditions. The lack of control over these variables may have influenced the results observed.  
It is recommended that future studies adopt longitudinal designs, allowing responses to be assessed over time. This would enable a more robust analysis of the relationships between variables and the identification of temporal patterns. It is also suggested that regression analyses be carried out to explore the relationships between the variables of interest, providing a more detailed understanding of the factors associated with the observed results. The use of shorter, easy-to-interpret assessment instruments, such as the short version of the Mental Health Inventory, is recommended to increase participant adherence and reduce the drop-out rate. In addition, the use of validated instruments with more robust questions could improve the quality of the data collected. For studies that include bodybuilding or hypertrophy practitioners, it is suggested that more precise measures of body composition, such as bioimpedance or densitometry, instead of BMI, are used to avoid misinterpretations related to body weight. It is recommended that qualitative methodologies be incorporated into future studies to explore participants' perceptions of the impact of physical exercise on mental health. This could provide additional insights and complement the quantitative data. Future studies should also consider controlling variables such as diet, socioeconomic status, and pre-existing mental health conditions to reduce potential confounding factors and increase the internal validity of the results.