Extreme bodybuilding diets help competitors decrease their body fat levels to 5 percent or below. These stringent competitive standards require careful attention to diet. The puzzle pieces of any bodybuilding diet are the macronutrients proteins, carbohydrates and fats. You must consider your individual metabolic rate, body type and diet experience when you approach an extreme bodybuilding diet. These factors are unique to your body and will determine how you fit the pieces of the puzzle together to reach your peak conditioning.
Types
The most common extreme bodybuilding diet is the competition diet. Some trainees use a low-carb approach, taking in 30 to 50 g of carbohydrates per day. A variation is the cyclic ketogenic diet, which means following a low-carb diet for five days a week, followed by two days of carb-loading. During these days, bodybuilders take in 100 to 300 g of carbs or more per day. The moderate-carb approach can provide extreme results without the set backs of the more stringent diets, say "Xtreme Lean" authors Holman and Lawson.
Considerations
Bodybuilders must consider their body type and metabolism. Ectomorphs have smaller bone-structure and tend to struggle gaining muscle, while endomorphs and mesomorphs gain muscle readily, but have more difficulty losing body fat. Typically ectomorphs have faster metabolism, meaning they can eat more while dieting. The faster your metabolic rate, the more carbohydrates you can take in when attempting to reach peak conditioning. Keeping detailed notes allows you to learn by trial and error. You should include a multivitamin and fiber supplement to make up for lost nutrition.
Components
During an extreme diet, you should keep your protein levels at 1 to 1.5 g per lb. of body weight, say Lawson and Holman. An 180 lb. bodybuilder would take in 180 and 270 g of protein per day. The typical low-carb diet restricts carbs to less than 50 g per day. The moderate approach calls for 150 to 200 g, depending on your metabolism and body weight. Start with 1 g per lb. of body weight and adjust as you go to reach your goal. As you reduce carbs, you must add healthy fats, including olive oil, peanut butter, nuts and MCTs, or medium-chain triglycerides to make up the lost calories.
Effects
Low-carb diets work fast because your body must use stored fat for energy. The body turns dietary fats into ketones, which it uses for fuel. Before your body switches to burning fat, it must exhaust most or all of its muscle-stored glycogen, a form of carbohydrate. If you do not cut your carbs sufficiently, your body may not burn fat at your desired rate. Low-carb diets can also cause muscle-loss, as the body turns to muscle as a source of energy. The cyclic ketogenic diet helps prevent this by refilling glycogen stores every five days. Low-carb diets also cause water loss because glycogen pulls water into muscle cells. Trainees should attempt to drink a gallon of water a day to stay hydrated during this diet.
Misconceptions
A common misconception is that you must follow a low- to no-carb diet to get lean. Cutting your carbs too much eats away muscle. Carbohydrates are anti-catabolic, meaning they protect muscle. Low-carb dieting should not be a long-term solution, says "The Abs Diet" author David Zinczenko. Beginning body builders over-diet, limiting their muscle-building potential. Others believe they can eat as much saturated fat as they want, so long as they avoid carbs. The majority of your fat intake during a low-carb diet should come from healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats. Examples include omega-3, egg yolks, nuts, seeds and avocados.
References
- "Xtreme Lean;" Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman; 2005
- "Combat the Fat;" Jeff Anderson; 2008
- "The Abs Diet;" David Zinczenko; 2004
- "Muscle & Performance;" Lean in Less Time; Eric Velazquez; February 2010
- "The Fat Burning Bible;" Mackie Shilstone; 2005
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