Nutritional Peak Week and Competition Day Strategies of Competitive Natural Bodybuilders

Abstract

Bodybuilders utilize peaking strategies in a bid to fine-tune their aesthetics for competition day. The most prevalent peaking strategies utilized by natural bodybuilders are unreported in the current literature. Eighty-one (M-59, F-22) natural bodybuilders were recruited from competitions during the 2016 and 2017 British Natural Bodybuilder Federation seasons. Competitors completed a 34-item questionnaire designed to investigate peaking and contest day strategies. The questionnaire listed commonly utilized peaking strategies and provided additional space for qualitative information. Analysis of the data indicated that carbohydrate (CHO), water, and sodium manipulation were the most commonly utilized peaking strategies. The consumption of high glycemic index CHO was the most common competition day strategy. Only 6.2% of competitors reported following their regular diet the week prior to competition. The CHO manipulation strategies followed were similar to classical CHO loading, whereby bodybuilders attempt to maximize muscle glycogen concentrations. Furthermore, bodybuilders attempted to remove superfluous water by exploiting the diuretic/polyuria effect associated with water loading/restriction. The potentially deleterious effects of peaking on bodybuilders’ health is considered and the efficacy of these strategies to enhance appearance is discussed. The findings of the present investigation are likely to be of interest to bodybuilders and their coaches.

Biopsychosocial Effects of Competition Preparation in Natural Bodybuilders

“…All participants were low-fat dieters (0.3 to 0.8 g per kg BW), and increased energy intake POST competition via protein, carbohydrate and fats; thus, direct links between fat intake and restoration of normal hormonal function may be speculative in bodybuilders. Finally, supplement intake was similar to British Professional natural bodybuilders (Chappell and Simper, 2018), with 4-24% of energy and 12-38% of protein energy coming from supplements.…”

Anabolic-androgenic steroids and cardiovascular risk

“…Bodybuilders use oral and injection AASs, and also supraphysiological doses of recombinant human growth hormone, insulin, and thyroid hormones (T3, mainly), which enhance muscle growth, nutrient absorption, and metabolism, respectively, [77–79] and diuretics are used to minimize sub-cutaneous water to obtain a “hard” look. [80] The combination of these drugs may cause a lethal effect, but more studies are needed to support the suggestion. AAS can quickly inhibit the re-uptake of catecholamines into extra-neuronal tissue, and consequently increase the concentration of catecholamines at the receptor sites.…”

The role of age in the physiological adaptations and psychological responses in bikini-physique competitor contest preparation: a case series

“…To our knowledge, we have not observed any previous literature examining the hydration status of competitors during their competition week. During this time, there may be manipulation of fluid consumption by restricting water intake [ 62 ] and/or pharmacologically induced fluid excretion through the use of diuretics [ 63 ] to reduce fluid content that may influence their ability to present muscular detail to the judging panel. Notably, due to the judging criteria for bikini-physique competitions, these water manipulating procedures may not be as aggressively used due to less focus on muscularity and conditioning.…”