Competitive bodybuilding is a sport requiring discipline, hard work and careful preparation. Hard training and meticulous dieting are both integral aspects of contest preparation. While training is important, bodybuilding experts such as Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale believe that it's the diet in particular that allows bodybuilders to reach the level of conditioning required for competition.
Requirements
In competition, a bodybuilder needs to display as much muscular definition as possible. This requires very low body fat levels. Bodybuilders are also judged on their muscular size and symmetry. Over the course of the diet, the bodybuilder must lose lots of body fat while retaining as much muscle mass as possible.
Variations
Bodybuilders may choose from numerous diets, depending on their personal preferences and how their bodies respond to different nutrient balances. Some diets enlist very low amounts of dietary fat, while keeping protein and complex carbohydrates high. Others keep carbohydrates very low with higher amounts of fat for energy. Some keep almost equal amounts of fat, protein and carbohydrates.
Timing
Bodybuilders will diet for anywhere between eight and 16 weeks, depending on their genetics, and level of conditioning at the start of the diet. A bodybuilder with a significant amount of body fat will need a longer diet while a leaner athlete will need less time to reach contest shape. Each day, the bodybuilder must eat every two to three hours to keep his energy up and prevent muscle wasting.
Effects
Over the course of the diet, bodybuilders will typically go through dramatic changes in a short period of time. According to Robert Wolff, Ph.D, author of "Bodybuilding 101," most bodybuilders will lose massive amounts of body fat resulting in extreme muscular definition. Bodyweight losses of up to 50 pounds for larger athletes are not uncommon.
Warning
Bodybuilding is an extreme sport that places the body under an enormous amount of physical and psychological stress. Do not attempt to undergo a bodybuilding competition diet without the advice of a physician. Following a bodybuilding diet is difficult, and may also be disruptive to personal or family life.
References
- "Bodybuilding 101"; Robert Wolff, Ph.d; 1995
- "The Metabolic Diet"; Mauro Di Pasquale M.D.; 2000
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