Nutritional Recommendations for Physique Athletes

Abstract

The popularity of physique sports is increasing, yet there are currently few comprehensive nutritional guidelines for these athletes. Physique sport now encompasses more than just a short phase before competition and offseason guidelines have recently been published. Therefore, the goal of this review is to provide an extensive guide for male and female physique athletes in the contest preparation and recovery period. As optimal protein intake is largely related to one’s skeletal muscle mass, current evidence supports a range of 1.8-2.7 g/kg. Furthermore, as a benefit from having adequate carbohydrate to fuel performance and activity, low-end fat intake during contest preparation of 10-25% of calories allows for what calories remain in the “energy budget” to come from carbohydrate to mitigate the negative impact of energy restriction and weight loss on training performance. For nutrient timing, we recommend consuming four or five protein boluses per day with one consumed near training and one prior to sleep. During competition periods, slower rates of weight loss (≤0.5% of body mass per week) are preferable for attenuating the loss of fat-free mass with the use of intermittent energy restriction strategies, such as diet breaks and refeeds, being possibly beneficial. Additionally, physiological and psychological factors are covered, and potential best-practice guidelines are provided for disordered eating and body image concerns since physique athletes present with higher incidences of these issues, which may be potentially exacerbated by certain traditional physique practices. We also review common peaking practices, and the critical transition to the post-competition period.

Effects of Two Months of Very Low Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet on Body Composition, Muscle Strength, Muscle Area, and Blood Parameters in Competitive Natural Body Builders

“…If a low carbohydrate intake has affected muscle gain, it did not alter muscle performance. Strength and power athletes are recommended to maintain a higher carbohydrate intake (3–8 g/kg) [ 53 , 54 , 55 ] to sustain the intramuscular glycogen stores and engage in greater training volume. It has been observed that during KD regimen muscle glycogen stores can decrease by ~40–50% [ 56 , 57 ].…”

Case Study: Body Composition Changes Resulting from a Nutritional Intervention on a Professional Vegan Powerlifter

“…It should be mentioned that these nutritional recommendations were obtained for bodybuilders, whose body fat percentage tends to be lower during the season. Moreover, the magnitude of the energy deficit [19], the rate of BM loss per week [20], nutritional considerations such as timing, protein intake, etc., and the body composition assessment methods employed could help explain FFM variations along the weight loss phase.…”

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

“…Tables are presented changes from Baseline 1 to 16-weeks (pre-competition) were calculated in tables for unit change (△) and percent change (△%). Recommended or normal ranges were provided when appropriate for comparison from the ABIM Laboratory Test Reference Ranges and other qualifying references and organizations [ 13 , 14 , 17 , 38 , 39 , 45 – 47 ]. Additionally, both the 4-day dietary recall and RMR data were expressed in both kcal·d − 1 and kcal·kgLBM − 1 ·d − 1 to control for participant LBM differences to compare to any notable recommendations.…”

“…They found that competitors that did not use hormone contraceptives had greater menstrual irregularity than those that reported use. Dietary analysis showed that both groups’ CHO intake was below ACSM recommendations for moderate training athletes (5–7 g·kg − 1 ·d − 1 ) [ 13 ], yet within the ‘ realistic ’ range (2–5 g·kg − 1 ·d − 1 ) proposed by Roberts, et al for physique athletes, which is dependent on the phase of training [ 14 ]. However, there is currently no established and widely accepted daily CHO intake recommendation for physique competitors.…”