A proper diet can improve body synthesis and performance in the gym, but many strategies used to lose fat or competition are often not sustainable in the long run. (1) In bodybuilding, where the extreme diet is standard, athletes often incorporate off-seasons that focus on maintenance or tone diets to help recover. Prolonged, intense diet can disrupt hormones, exhaust energy and adversely affect health. How can one mitigate the damage caused by extensive fat loss phases?
Reverse and recovery diets can restore and restore balance after a strict diet. Dr. Eric Helms, PhD, CSCs recently underlined the differences between these approaches and the way we know which is better when a diet is completed.
Reverse diet versus recovery diet
The reversal and recovery diet is two widely used approaches after a bodybuilding contest. It is often called “diet after diet”, reverse diets maintain leanness while gradually increasing calorie intake and reducing the heart.
The reverse diet operates in a spectrum, ranging from a slow to moderate growth of calories in a decrease in the heart. However, it is not always true that the other way around Diets result in a calorie deficit.
Recovery diets give priority to the rapid restoration of physical, psychological and social prosperity to improve power, energy levels, food concern, sleep, libido and hormonal balance. These diets can promote a healthy mentality as gradual changes in the body occur without the obsessions of competition preparation.
Like the reverse nutrition, the recovery diet is in a range, with recommendations ranging from moderate to significant increases in calorie intake and cardio reductions, depending on the needs of the athlete. For example, the nutritional approach to men’s physical fitness athlete will differ from that of the men’s open bodybuilder. Both methods offer customized strategies to meet post -competition recovery requirements.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) when diet
It is impossible to accurately measure energy costs during the diet, but can be estimated on the basis of factors such as calorie intake and body weight. Prolonged energy deficits and significant weight loss can affect these predictions.
Investigations have shown a 15% gap between the projected and actual energy expenditure due to metabolic adaptation. This discrepancy comes from the most effectiveness of the body in defense against weight loss from weight gain.
Metabolic changes affect the athlete’s adaptive thermogenesis. Although the basic metabolic rate (BMR) is often in the spotlight, the most variable element is the non -inflammation of energy. Large calorie deficits result in significant displacements of total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), which can reduce energy availability and increase the risk of relative energy deficiency in sports (RED-S).
Red-s can remain after the end of the diet, affecting athletes’ feelings and strategies. Research shows that reductions in energy costs, which encourage weight recovery, extend beyond the phase of active weight loss. (2;
The reverse diet aims to gradually increase calorie intake by restoring the TDEE from the customized state to normal levels. However, Helms suggested that only the reverse diet for lean athletes is unlikely to fully restore TDEE or energy availability.
Why do diets don’t work
The reverse diet can fail due to the complex behavior of leptin, a hormone that helps to regulate body weight. Leptin activates the processes in the hypothalamus that lead to normal changes related to weight gain and loss. Leptin is effective in preventing weight loss, but much less effective in stopping weight gain. People with common forms of obesity are not typically with a lack of leptin. They have high levels of leptin circulation but are resistant to its effects.
Leptin levels are closely associated with body fat. Studies show a 0.85 correlation to about 300 participants covering normal to obese rows of weight. Hormones, environmental factors and nutrition significantly affect body weight. (3;
The reverse diet can fail because of the concept of a low point of intervention, which means that some people are struggling to reverse the diet without negative consequences. Dr. Helms has shared a personal example since 2019, when experimenting with reverse and recovery diet.
After competing in a bodybuilding show in April and culminating in June, Dr. Helms followed a strict reverse diet to maintain a fragmented body without gaining fat. While he achieved the desired aesthetic, the process left him physically and mentally drained. While the reverse diet can produce visual results, it is not always viable.
“Until I put my body fat back – about 22 pounds – I just didn’t feel better, I felt progressively better, but not back to normal,” said Dr. Helms. When he applied recovery diets with his clients, their success rates improved. “We started seeing 60, 70% success rates,” Dr. Helms explained.
When reverse diets are required
The reverse diet may be essential for bodybuilders who win the Pro card and must compete in one year. This gradually implies their weight gain above the level of the stadium and the closest to their intervention. By maintaining a higher calorie intake and percentage of body fat, they can strategically reduce diet while preparing for their debut.
It’s a great experience, but at least you know you have this show again and it helps them with attachment.
-Dr. Eric Helms
What recovery diets should not be
A recovery diet is no excuse for uncontrolled consumption. Research shows that over -consumption during recovery can have negative consequences, including higher weight gain rates, which may prevent certain aspects of the recovery process.
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References
- Beck, KL, Thomson, JS, Swift, RJ, & Von Hurst, PR (2015). The role of nutrition in improving performance and post -exercise recovery. An open access newspaper of sports medicine, 6, 259-267.
- Rosenbaum, M., Hirsch, J., Gallagher, Da, & Leibel, RL (2008). Long -term obsession with adaptive thermogenesis in people who have maintained reduced body weight. The American Newspaper of Clinical Nutrition, 88 (4), 906-912.
- Considine, RV, Sinha, Mk, Heiman, ML, Kriauciunas, A., Stephens, TW, Nyce, MR, Ohannesian, JP, Marco, CC, McKe, LJ, & Bauer, TL (1996). Concentrations of immunomodine-Isvantine in serum in normal and obese people. The New England Journal of Medicine, 334 (5), 292-295.
- Trexler, et, Hirsch, Kr, Campbell, Bi, & Smith-Ryan, AE (2017). Normal changes after competition in men’s and women’s athletes of physical shape: a pilot study. International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Metabolism, 27 (5), 458-466.
Suggested Picture: @Helms3dMJ on Instagram
