Dietary Strategies of Modern Bodybuilders During Different Phases of the Competitive Cycle

Abstract

Lenzi, JL, Teixeira, EL, de Jesus, G, Schoenfeld, BJ, and de Salles Painelli, V. Dietary strategies of modern bodybuilders during different phases of the competitive cycle. J Strength Cond Res 35(9): 2546-2551, 2021-Bodybuilders have used a wide array of nutritional strategies over the years. However, most information on the topic is anecdotal, with limited research about the nutritional habits of modern bodybuilders, especially those from new categories. Accordingly, we sought to compare the dietary routines of bodybuilders from the Men's Physique category during "bulking" and "cutting" phases, while attempting to identify the rationale underpinning these practices. Sixteen experienced male bodybuilding competitors were interviewed during bulking (10-12 weeks before competition) and cutting (1 week before competition) phases, wherein we quantified energy and nutrient intake and determined their rationale and sources of education. Dietary analysis revealed a low carbohydrate intake during bulking, with a further decrease (at p < 0.05) during cutting. A similar decrease (at p < 0.05) from bulking to cutting was shown in the intake of most macronutrients and micronutrients, although intake of protein and almost all the micronutrients was well above the recommendation throughout the competitive cycle. Most of the consumed supplements can be deemed unnecessary or without scientific support. Most athletes reported self-managing their diet and supplement program, without the assistance of nutrition professionals. As such, some of their professed nutritional habits obtained during interviewers were not consistent with the food diary information. Although some dietary strategies used by bodybuilders in the Men's Physique category are consistent with evidence-based practice, most can be considered extreme and lack scientific support. The source of education may help to explain their decision-making.

Full text

Original Research
Dietary Strategies of Modern Bodybuilders During
Different Phases of the Competitive Cycle
Jaqueline L. Lenzi,
1
Emerson L. Teixeira,
1
Guilherme de Jesus,
1
Brad J. Schoenfeld,
2
and
Vitor de Salles Painelli
1,3
1
Strength Training Study and Research Group, Institute of Health Sciences, Paulista University, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil;
2
Department of Health Sciences, CUNY Lehman College, Bronx, New York; and
3
Applied Physiology and Nutrition Research Group,
Laboratory of Assessment and Conditioning in Rheumatology, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo,
Brazil
Abstract
Lenzi, JL, Teixeira, EL, de Jesus, G, Schoenfeld, BJ, and de Salles Painelli, V. Dietary strategies of modern bodybuilders during
different phases of the competitive cycle. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000–000, 2019—Bodybuilders have used a wide array of
nutritional strategies over the years. However, most information on the topic is anecdotal, with limited research about the nutritional
habits of modern bodybuilders, especially those from new categories. Accordingly, we sought to compare the dietary routines of
bodybuilders from the Men’s Physique category during “bulking” and “cutting” phases, while attempting to identify the rationale
underpinning these practices. Sixteen experienced male bodybuilding competitors were interviewed during bulking (10–12 weeks
before competition) and cutting (1 week before competition) phases, wherein we quantified energy and nutrient intake and
determined their rationale and sources of education. Dietary analysis revealed a low carbohydrate intake during bulking, with
a further decrease (at p,0.05) during cutting. A similar decrease (at p,0.05) from bulking to cutting was shown in the intake of
most macronutrients and micronutrients, although intake of protein and almost all the micronutrients was well above the recom-
mendation throughout the competitive cycle. Most of the consumed supplements can be deemed unnecessary or without scientific
support. Most athletes reported self-managing their diet and supplement program, without the assistance of nutrition professionals.
As such, some of their professed nutritional habits obtained during interviewers were not consistent with the food diary information.
Although some dietary strategies used by bodybuilders in the Men’s Physique category are consistent with evidence-based
practice, most can be considered extreme and lack scientific support. The source of education may help to explain their decision-
making.
Key Words: nutrition, bodybuilding, supplementation, competition
Introduction
Unlike most sports, bodybuilding is judged based on physical
appearance and structure whereby top placings require high
degrees of muscularity and symmetry combined with low levels of
body fat. Bodybuilders historically have used different strategies
to achieve these outcomes (17,19). These strategies invariably
involve rigorous exercise practices, such as endurance and re-
sistance training, as well as dietary manipulations including en-
ergy restriction and supplementation that correspond to the given
phase of an athlete’s competitive cycle (3,23,34).
The 2 primary phases of a bodybuilder’s competitive cycle are
termed “bulking”and “cutting.”Bulking takes place at the be-
ginning of contest preparation, which typically extends until ap-
proximately 12–16 weeks before competition. During this phase,
the athlete’s diet usually contains more calories, mainly derived
from a greater consumption of carbohydrate and protein (17,19).
On the other hand, the cutting phase is initiated during approx-
imately the last 2 months leading up to competition. Here, ath-
letes typically use energy-deficient and nutritionally imbalanced
diets in an effort to reduce body fat and highlight muscle defini-
tion (12). However, these strategies are commonly guided by the
bodybuilder’s practical experience and “gym lore”in the absence
of scientific evidence, which may predispose him to undesirable
health or performance consequences (27).
Curiously, current literature examining the dietary intake of
bodybuilders is limited, and thus, the specific dietary strategies
used by these athletes and their underpinning rationale remain
poorly understood (27). A recent systematic review (30) com-
prising 18 studies showed that the average caloric intake during
bulking presented the highest values (184 kJ·kg
21
·d
21
), while the
lowest values were observed during cutting (123 kJ·kg
21
·d
21
).
Similarly, it was demonstrated that mean carbohydrate intake
was higher during bulking than during cutting (5.3 vs. 3.8 g·kg
2
1
·d
21
, respectively). Fat consumption was already below the
recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) during bulking, and
even lower during cutting (28 and 14% of daily energy con-
sumption, respectively). On the other hand, mean protein intake
remained relatively constant between the competitive periods
(;2.5 g·kg
21
·d
21
), although it was substantially above RDA.
Consumption of micronutrients such as folate, vitamins B6, C,
and A exceeded the RDA by more than 1,000%, while others
such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc were consumed in amounts
substantially below RDA guidelines (30).
Although this review (30) provides interesting insights into
dietary practices of competitive bodybuilders, the authors ac-
knowledged that the quality of the included studies was generally
Address correspondence to Vitor de Salles Painelli, vitor.painelli@usp.br.
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 00(00)/1–6
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poor and highlighted the need for further investigation into the
topic given that only 3 of the studies were published in the past
decade. In addition, a majority of the studies failed to specify the
subjects’phase of training, and most neglected to account for the
contribution of dietary supplements to food consumption,
thereby compromising the accuracy of the analyses. Finally, the
growing popularity of the sport has led to the creation of new
categories, such as Men’s Physique (aimed for male competitors
seeking a more athletic-looking physique, in which the physical
beauty, muscle symmetry, and aesthetic care, as well as stage
presence, are the primary determinants in the judges’evaluation).
As such, information about the nutritional strategies of athletes in
these new categories is lacking.
Identifying the nutritional strategies adopted by modern
bodybuilders during different phases of the competitive cycle and
exploring their underlying rationale may provide nutrition pro-
fessionals and sports scientists with better insight into the prac-
tices currently used in bodybuilding, which in turn can help to
develop prescriptions for achieving results more effectively and
with greater safety. Therefore, the purpose of this study was
2-fold: (a) to evaluate the dietary intake and supplement use of
individuals competing in the Men’s Physique category 10–12
weeks (i.e., bulking phase) before the competition and to compare
these behaviors with findings 1 week before competition
(i.e., cutting phase) and (b) to elucidate the rationale un-
derpinning the nutritional practices adopted by these athletes, as
well as the sources of education from which these practices were
obtained.
Methods
Experimental Approach to the Problem
To investigate the problem, we performed a prospective study
with a quasi-experimental design. Interviews were conducted by
a member of the research team, in which subjects completed an in-
person questionnaire describing their dietary and training habits
throughout contest preparation (bulking and cutting). Height and
body mass in these 2 different time points were also determined
using a Health-O-Meter Professional scale (Model 500 KL; Pel-
star, Alsip, IL, USA). Notes were taken during all interviews to
identify the rationale underpinning the nutritional practices
adopted by the athletes, as well as who was responsible for their
nutritional counseling. Transcripts of the interview were provided
to subjects to verify that the transcription accurately reflected
their beliefs; any inaccuracies were subsequently corrected. The
assessment initially occurred during the 10–12 weeks before the
competition and was repeated 1 week before the contest.
Subjects
Sixteen experienced male physique competitors took part in the
study. To participate, athletes were aged between 19 and 40 years
old and had to be actively competing in bodybuilding cham-
pionships in the Men’s Physique category. Five subjects were
national-level athletes, and the remaining 11 were competing in
official state-level competitions at the time of data collection.
Subjects without previous competitive experience were excluded
from the study. Subjects’baseline characteristics are presented in
Table 1. Nine subjects were physical education professionals,
while the remaining subjects reported involvement in other non–
fitness-related professions (systems analyst, business administrator,
sales manager, etc). All subjects were fully informed of the study’s
potential risks and discomforts before providing their written in-
formed consent. The study was approved by the Paulista University
review board (approval number—87576218.4.0000.5512).
Procedures
Nutritional Intake Analysis. Nutritional intake was assessed by
three 24-hour food diaries undertaken on 3 separate days (2 week-
days and 1 weekend day), facilitated by a visual aid photo album of
real foods. The diaries were completed both during bulking and
cutting phases. The diaries were checked during the interviews by the
research team, and subjects were questioned as to any perceived
inconsistencies. Before completing diaries, subjects received training
in how to properly record their nutritional intake in accordance with
previously tested protocols (29). The absolute and relative energy,
and the macronutrient and micronutrient intake were analyzed using
nutritional software (VirtualNutri,SãoPaulo,Brazil).
Statistical Analyses
Data were tested for normality usingthe Kolmogorov-Smirnov test
and treated for basic descriptive statistics. Paired T-tests were used
to compare body mass and nutritional intake variables between
bulking and cutting. Effect sizes (ESs) were calculated using
Cohen’sd. Qualitative descriptors for ES interpretation were
assigned as follows: ,0.2, negligible effect; 0.2–0.39, small effect;
0.40–0.75, moderate effect; and .0.75,largeeffect.The95%
confidence interval (95% CI) was reported for energy and mac-
ronutrient intake. Data analysis was conducted in SAS 9.3 soft-
ware. The level of significance was established a priori at p#0.05.
Results
Body Mass, and Energy and Macronutrient Intake
Body mass significantly decreased from bulking to cutting phases
(Table 1; p50.0003, ES 521.41, 95% CI 522.22 to 20.62).
Absolute and relative energy and macronutrient intake are pre-
sented in Table 2 as per self-reported food records. A significant
decrease occurred from bulking to cutting phases in absolute and
relative energy intake (respectively, p50.003, ES 520.93, 95%
CI 521.69 to 20.18; and p50.037, ES 520.61, 95% CI 5
21.35 to 20.12), absolute and relative fat intake (respectively, p
50.010, ES 520.79, 95% CI 521.54 to 20.05; and p50.041,
ES 520.59, 95% CI 521.33 to 0.14), and absolute and relative
protein intake (respectively, p50.003, ES 520.86, 95% CI 5
21.61 to 20.12; and p50.051, ES 520.44, 95% CI 521.17
to 0.28). However, absolute and relative carbohydrate intake was
Table 1
Subjects’ characteristics.*
Variables
Age (y) 29 66
Body mass at bulking (kg) 87.50 609.27
Body mass at cutting (kg) 77.25 604.31†
Height (m) 1.77 60.06
BMI (kg·m
22
) 28.04 62.61
Training frequency (d·wk
21
)661
Training experience (y) 8 64
No. of contests in Men’s Physique 4 63
*BMI 5body mass index.
†Refers to a significant difference compared with body mass at bulking (p50.0003).
Nutritional Intake of Modern Bodybuilders (2019) 00:00
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similar across phases (respectively, p50.128, ES 520.56, 95%
CI 521.29 to 0.17; and p50.300, ES 520.39, 95% CI 5
21.12 to 0.33). Despite wide heterogeneity, no significant
changes occurred from bulking to cutting phases in the con-
sumption of these nutrients as a percentage of total energy intake
(all p.0.05).
Micronutrient Intake
The consumption of fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins, as
well as minerals, was highly variable among subjects; the data are
presented in Tables 3 and 4, respectively. Significant decreases (at
p,0.05) were noted from bulking to cutting phases for water-
soluble vitamins B1, B2, and B9, while vitamin A was the only fat-
soluble vitamin that decreased during this period. All minerals,
except for selenium and sodium, significantly decreased (at p,
0.05) from bulking to cutting.
Nutritional Supplements
All athletes reported using nutritional supplements. Protein sup-
plements (albumin and whey protein) were the most frequently
consumed (81.2%), followed by branched-chain amino acids
(BCAAs) and glutamine (68.8%), multivitamin/mineral complex
supplements (56.3%), and omega-3 fatty acids (37.5%). Only 5
and 4 of the 16 subjects reported using creatine and caffeine,
respectively (mainly as preworkout supplements). Approximately
56.3% of the subjects reported monthly nutritional supplement
expenses between US $70 and US $120, while the remaining
subjects reported expenses in excess of US $120.
Self-Reported Rationale and Sources of Education for
Nutritional Intake
The majority of the athletes (81.2%) stated they used hypercaloric
diets during their bulking phase, with the prevailing rationale that
this phase required “greater energy to maintain quality/
performance during training sessions.”Some of the responses
also included “greater support for muscle anabolism, since mus-
cle definition work will come later.”To achieve these stated goals,
all subjects declared they increased consumption of carbohy-
drate- and protein-containing foods, while keeping fat con-
sumption constant.
During the cutting phase, all subjects stated they used hypocaloric
diets, based on the rationale that “they needed to improve muscle
definition, and for that, it was necessary to decrease body fat while
maintaining muscle mass.”In this phase, 10 of 16 stated they in-
creased protein intake, while the other 6 stated they slightly decreased
protein consumption. All subjects stated they decreased carbohydrate
intake, with 5 of 16 professing to total carbohydrate restriction
during cutting. Four athletes said they adopted a ketogenic diet, while
1 reported engaging in intermittent fasting during this period.
Of note, 5 of 16 athletes self-reported succumbing to an eating
disorder in the past, with 4 confessing to a binge eating disorder, and
the other admitting a body dysmorphic disorder. Only 6 of the 16
subjects sought the assistance of nutrition professionals to aid in their
diet and supplement programming. The majority of the remaining
athletes reported self-managing their diet and supplements under the
premise that they had training in the physical education realm, while
some engaged the use of bodybuilding coaches for this purpose.
Bodybuilding, strength and conditioning websites, and forums were
also reported as sources of nutritional education.
Discussion
Because of the need to achieve a lean, defined, and muscular body,
bodybuilders resort to various dietary strategies that tend to vary
according to their competitive cycle, practices that may or may
not have scientific rationale. The paucity of information on the
dietary intake of bodybuilders is especially notable over the past
decade, and currently, no information exists on the topic for those
competing in the new bodybuilding categories such as Men’s
Physique. In this novel study, we fill important gaps in the
Table 2
Absolute and relative energy and macronutrient intake during
bulking and cutting.*†
Bulking Cutting ES p
Energy (kJ) 13,553 65,176 9,554 63,166 20.93 0.003
Energy·bw
21
(kJ·kg
21
) 156.48 660.47 124.19 642.68 20.61 0.037
CHO (g) 261.23 6172.02 178.29 6119.39 20.56 0.128
CHO·bw
21
(g·kg
21
) 2.98 61.88 2.30 61.54 20.39 0.300
CHO (% total energy) 29.55 69.35 29.21 619.46 20.02 0.948
PRO (g) 357.89 689.62 273.29 6105.40 20.86 0.001
PRO·bw
21
(g·kg
21
) 4.16 61.28 3.56 61.43 20.44 0.051
PRO (% total energy) 47.20 610.46 49.11 614.58 0.15 0.645
FAT (g) 79.44 645.22 49.09 629.12 20.79 0.010
FAT·bw
21
(g·kg
21
) 0.92 60.53 0.64 60.39 20.59 0.041
FAT (% total energy) 21.41 67.22 19.31 610.40 20.23 0.525
*ES 5effect size; CHO 5carbohydrate; PRO 5protein.
†Data are expressed as mean 6SD.
Table 3
Daily vitamin intake during bulking and cutting.*†
Bulking Cutting ES p
Vit A (mg) 594.20 6426.71 (32.5–1,494) [66.0%] 272.30 6319.30 (0–937.6) [30.2%] 20.85 0.020
Vit D (mg) 4.70 64.96 (0–13.75) [94.0%] 6.64 69.96 (0–32.45) [132.8%] 0.24 0.448
Vit E (mg) 10.02 613.69 (0–46.74) [66.8%] 6.51 66.69 (0–23.12) [43.4%] 20.32 0.292
Vit C (mg) 174.14 6114.55 (70.04–429.16) [193.3%] 162.24 6311.14 (0–1,173.04) [180.3%] 20.05 0.989
Vit B1 (mg) 2.32 61.40 (0.51–5.79) [193.3%] 1.26 60.62 (0.44–2.61) [105.0%] 20.97 0.006
Vit B2 (mg) 3.24 61.51 (1.05–5.90) [249.2%] 1.44 61.26 (0.04–3.85) [110.8%] 21.29 0.0002
Vit B3 (mg) 135.40 648.94 (55.97–39.21) [846.2%] 114.35 657.74 (39.21–282.28) [714.7%] 20.39 0.282
Vit B6 (mg) 4.28 64.35 (0.19–12.65) [327.7%] 3.41 63.57 (0–13.41) [262.3%] 20.21 0.263
Vit B9 (mg) 150.59 6111.10 (0–363.26) [37.6%] 69.26 6119.75 (0–464.04) [17.3%] 20.70 0.001
Vit B12 (mg) 5.34 63.18 (1.04–10.79) [213.6%] 4.76 64.92 (0–16.33) [190.4%] 20.14 0.637
*ES 5effect size; RDA 5recommended dietary allowance.
†Data are expressed as mean 6SD, (range: minimum to maximum individual values) and [mean %RDA].
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literature by providing insight into the dietary strategies of state-
and national-level competitive bodybuilders in the Men’s Phy-
sique category. Our results suggest there is a cause for concern
about some of the used nutritional approaches because these are
outside of generally prescribed evidence-based guidelines.
Mean energy intake during the bulking phase was shown to be
within international recommendations (21), both on an absolute
(13.5 65.2 MJ·d
21
;3,23961,237 Kcal·d
21
) and relative (156.5
660.5 KJ·kg
21
·d
21
;37.4614.4 Kcal·kg
21
·d
21
) basis. Moreover,
the mean energy intake of subjects during bulking was in accor-
dance with previous systematic reviews (30), with an absolute in-
take exceeding 13 MJ·day
21
, which is comparable with that of
Rugby and Olympian Australian athletes (4,25). Nevertheless, 4 of
the 16 athletes in the current study had a mean absolute energy
intake below 116 kJ·kg
21
·d
21
; an amount considered inadequate
according to the international recommendations for their age, body
mass, and physical activity level. Maintaining an adequate energy
intake when bulking may be of particular relevance because most
of the athletes usually report (12) an increase in their training
volume and intensity during this phase of the competitive cycle, and
decreased energy availability has been shown to blunt accretion of
fat-free mass or even result in a loss of lean tissue (18). Curiously,
these same 4 athletes reported self-managing their diet and sup-
plement intake without any professional help. On the other hand,
all the 16 athletes presented a decreased absolute (224%; 9.5 63.2
MJ·day
21
;2,2836756 Kcal·day
21
) and relative (213%; 124.2 6
42.7 KJ·kg
21
·day
21
; 29.7 610.2 Kcal·kg
21
·day
21
) energy intake
during their cutting phase compared with bulking, which is also in
agreement with previous reports (7,34) and systematic reviews
(30), as athletes attempt to reduce body fat as low as possible just
before competition. Such decreases in energy intake during cutting
may help to explain the substantial reduction in body mass (2
10.25 66.47 kg; 211.16%) compared with bulking, whose de-
crease is also closely associated with other recent observations (7).
Evidence indicates that the speed of weight loss has an impact
on the maintenance of fat-free mass. For example, some studies
show a greater fat-free mass preservation with slower vs. faster
weight loss, leading to a recommended weekly loss of 0.5–1% of
body mass (11). The estimated weight loss in the present in-
vestigation of 0.93% per week aligned with this recommenda-
tion, which may have favored the preservation of fat-free mass,
although this cannot be confirmed in the present investigation,
since body composition was not assessed. Hence, the approach of
Men’s Physique competitors to energy intake and weight loss
during different phases of the competitive cycle seems to be con-
sistent with current evidence-based practice.
Of the macronutrients, only relative fat intake (21.4% of total
energy) was within the international recommendations (21) and in
agreement with systematic reviews (30) during bulking, although 6 of
the 16 subjects failed to meet recommendations during this phase of
the competitive cycle. Thirteen of the 16 athletes in the current study
decreased their absolute fat intake from bulking to cutting phases, and
hence, only 7 of 16 athletes met international recommendations im-
mediately before competition. Despite the ;40% mean decrease in
absolute fat consumption when cutting, its intake still accounted for
;19% of total energy consumed during this phase. This maintenance
of relative fat intake from bulking to cutting may be explained by the
observed decrease in the other macronutrients intake that occurred
across phases. In addition, the reported adoption of ketogenic diets by
some of the athletes during the cutting phase may also have con-
tributed to the findings because these diets focus on reducing carbo-
hydrates while keeping fat consumption high (33).
Protein intake when bulking was far above the American Col-
lege of Sports Medicine recommendation (32) for all the athletes,
and it was in agreement with the athletes’perceived habits stated
during in-person interviews, as well as with previous investigations
that assessed protein intake during this competitive phase
(7,30,34). Despite recent evidence supporting the consumption of
high-protein diets to further stimulate muscular hypertrophy (1,2),
themeanintakeof4.16g·kg
21
·d
21
in the current study sub-
stantially exceeds recent evidence-based recommendations show-
ing that protein consumption beyond 1.62 g·kg
21
·d
21
does not
further enhance resistance training-induced gains in fat-free mass
(28,32). Notably, protein from supplements was not included in
our calculations. Hence, it can be inferred that all the athletes had
a protein consumption well above their muscle-building needs.
These findings are unsurprising given that most athletes did not
consult with nutrition professionals.
Despite most athletes stating in the personal interviews that they
increased protein intake during cutting, statistical analysis from the
food diaries showed the opposite, where 14 of the 16 athletes in fact
decreased their protein intake, leading to a ;23 and ;13% mean
reduction in absolute and relative protein intake, respectively. Even
so, relative energy intake from protein remained unchanged and
above international recommendations during cutting. High-
protein diets have been advocated as a strategy to spare fat-free
mass during energy restriction periods (32,35), In fact, a recent
systematic review (18) suggests that a protein intake of 2.3–3.1
g·kg
21
of fat-free mass is potentially beneficial for lean athletes
during periods of energy restriction. Therefore, the high protein
consumption adopted by subjects during cutting might be a sound
strategy to prevent a loss of muscle mass, although the absolute
intake reported seems to be far above what is necessary to ac-
complish this goal. Moreover, recent evidence indicates that high-
protein diets show a reduced efficacy in preserving fat-free mass as
the magnitude of an energy deficit increases (6).
Table 4
Daily mineral intake during bulking and cutting.*†
Bulking Cutting ES p
Zinc (mg) 26.75 614.86 (6.19–46.26) [243.5%] 14.86 68.61 (5.78–30.46) [135.1%] 21.16 0.002
Selenium (mg) 233.10 6254.95 (22.50–1,115.70) [423.8%] 169.54 6185.81 (0–670.69) [308.2] 20.28 0.129
Potassium (mg) 5,069 61,473 (2,273–7,320) [107.85%] 3,529 61,420 (1,072–5,746) [75.1%] 21.06 0.001
Magnesium (mg) 551.84 6247.60 (222.68–1,041.76) [131.39%] 300.07 6148.72 (104.10–524.17) [71.44%] 21.23 0.0001
Sodium (mg) 1,878.69 61,349.44 (90.20–5,657.54) [125.2%] 1,591.36 61,175.00 (321.58–4,861.37) [106.1%] 20.22 0.286
Calcium (mg) 718.74 6489.53 (109.51–1,660.73) [71.9%] 426.97 6340.70 (30.97–1,064.74) [42.7%] 20.69 0.009
Iron (mg) 24.90 617.12 (8.35–70.87) [311.2%] 13.05 67.15 (2.07–33.37) [163.12%] 20.90 0.009
Phosphorus (mg) 3,201.43 6861.34 (1,477.37–4,567.53) [320.1%] 2,288.43 6849.27 (1,291.91–4,037.02) [228.8%] 21.06 0.0003
*ES 5effect size; RDA 5recommended dietary allowance.
†Data are expressed as mean 6SD, (range: minimum to maximum individual values) and [mean %RDA].
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During bulking, almost all the athletes self-reported an increased
carbohydrate intake. However, food diary analysis showed that
mean carbohydrate intake was actually below international rec-
ommendations (6–10 g·kg
21
·d
21
) (32), with only 2 athletes meet-
ing the recommended intake. Bodybuilders commonly aim to
improve training volume to support increases in muscle mass
during bulking (12). As such, an increased carbohydrate intake(;5
g·kg
21
·d
21
) during this phase is a hallmark of previous studies
(3,7,23,30) consistent with evidence suggesting that carbohydrate
availability influences resistance training performance (8,16).
Hence, the low-carbohydrate availability during bulking noted by
subjects in the current study should be considered counterpro-
ductive to achieving the goals of this phase. This is of particular
concern considering that athletes may include aerobic exercise as
part of their daily training protocol (15), which in turn could
promote a greater decrease in muscle glycogen and thus further
compromise resistance training performance (24). It is difficult to
reconcile discrepancies between the athletes’perception of their
intended behaviors vs. their actual nutritional practices relating to
carbohydrate intake. It is conceivable that an involuntary change in
subjects’eating habits may be a knee-jerk response to recent criti-
cisms of high-carbohydrate diets (9). Another potential explana-
tion may be related to shunning the advice of sports nutritionists as
a source of education in favor of anecdotal evidence. Interestingly,
although all the athletes stated an intent to decrease carbohydrate
from diet during cutting, with some of them even claiming total
carbohydrate restriction, food diary analysisshowed that only 8 of
the 16 athletes, in fact, reduced carbohydrate intake across the
competitive phases. This may explain the lack of significant
changes in both relative and absolute carbohydrate intake, despite
the moderate ;32% mean decrease in absolute intake.
The only fat-soluble vitamin that significantly changed from
bulking to cutting was vitamin A. On the other hand, except for
ascorbic acid, niacin, and piridoxin (i.e., vitamins C, B3, and B6,
respectively), all the other water-soluble vitamins significantly de-
creased across the competition phases. Strikingly, except for vita-
min D, which was within adequacy (21) during bulking, and
vitamins A, E andB9, which were below, most of the other vitamins
were well in excess of prescribed adequacy (;200–800% above the
RDA). An intake substantially above the RDA for some of the
vitamins is in agreement with previous systematic reviews (30).
Even with a decreased intake of some of these vitamins during
cutting, most subjects remained within or above recommendations,
except for vitamins A, E, and B9. Intake of niacin was above the
upper limit across the competitive cycles. Of note is that these
calculations were determined without taking into account the use
of multivitamin supplements. These findings call into question the
use of multivitamin supplements by most Men’s Physique com-
petitors. Mineral intake followed a similar behavior to that of
vitamins, whereby only selenium and sodium did not significantly
decrease from bulking to cutting phases. Nevertheless, except for
calcium and potassium, which were below and within adequacy
(21), respectively, all the other micronutrients were in excess of
prescribed needs (;130–400% above the RDA) during bulking.
Similarly, except for potassium and calcium, micronutrients
remained either withinor above adequacy during the cutting phase.
Protein supplements were used most often by athletes in this
study. Given their extremely high protein intake from whole
foods, the benefit of consuming supplemental protein is highly
questionable. Amino acids, such as glutamine and BCAA, ranked
second among the most-used supplements. These practices are
dubious given that the prevailing body of evidence fails to support
the use of either glutamine (20,22) or BCAA (10,36) for
improving body composition. Moreover, any potential benefits
would seemingly be nil considering the athletes’very high protein
intake from diet and protein supplements. On the other hand,
a minority of athletes reported supplementing with creatine and
caffeine, which are among the few nutritional supplements sci-
entifically recognized to improve resistance training performance
(5,13,14,22,31). Once again, the athletes’sources of education
may be a potential reason explaining these inconsistent behaviors.
Dietitians/sport nutritionists were not identified as primary
sources of education/information by most of the athletes sur-
veyed, which may help to explain the deviations from evidence-
based practices such as low-carbohydrate and high-protein diets
across the different competitive cycles, the excessive intake of
many micronutrients, the use of various unnecessary nutritional
supplements or those lacking scientific support, and mainly, the
inconsistency between their food diary and self-report analysis.
These findings suggest that physique athletes might benefit from
seeking the assistance of nutritional professionals to help manage
their nutrition/supplementation planning.
A limitation of the present investigation was its somewhat
small sample size, which reduced statistical power to draw
probabilistic inferences. Moreover, the use of 24-hour food di-
aries can be considered a potential limitation because this method
is commonly associated with an underreporting and over-
reporting of some nutrients in non-bodybuilding populations
(26,29). However, bodybuilders are known for their meticulous
nutritional tracking and rigorous adherence to dietary plans (17).
Hence, underreporting or overreporting may have been mini-
mized, but perhaps not completely eliminated since a small
number of subjects in the current study reported some type of
eating disorder in the past. Still, the prevalence of underreporting
or overreporting on self-report food diaries within the body-
building population is currently unknown and should be clarified.
In addition, the only exercise variable assessed was the frequency
of resistance training; all other indices of resistance and aerobic
training programming were not reported, so it is unknown how
they may be related to the athletes’dietary intake and energy
expenditure. Finally, we did not collect information as to the use
of anabolic steroids and other illegal muscle-building com-
pounds. Thus, it remains to be determined as to whether and to
what extent such use influences nutritional practices.
Practical Applications
Although some dietary strategies used by bodybuilders in the
Men’s Physique category are consistent with evidence-based
practice, most can be considered extreme methods that lack
scientific support and do not illustrate their self-reported in-
tention. This may be partially explained by their sources of
information, which relies more on personal experience and
anecdote than research and the advice of trained nutritional
professionals (i.e., dietitians). Future studies examining the
dietary strategies of competitors in the new bodybuilding
categories at multiple moments during the competitive cycle
are needed to further our understanding of their practices and
to help them achieve their goals more effectively and safely.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to all the athletes for their volunteer
efforts to take part in the study. The authors declare that they
have no competing interests. The results of this study do not
Nutritional Intake of Modern Bodybuilders (2019) 00:00 |www.nsca.com
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constitute endorsement by the authors or the National Strength
and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
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