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By examining the practice of asceticism amongst former athletes through their bodily regimens (e.g. diet, health), this article aims to shed light on the social processes that either foster or hinder the persistence of habits acquired in past contexts. Based on both a survey (n = 1342) and interviews (n = 65) with former elite athletes living in Switzerland, we show that the most ascetic individuals are those who developed within sporting institutions where their personal agency was weakest. This apparent contradiction is resolved by the link between family and sport socialization, the former being more decisive than the latter in shaping of enduring dispositions.