Dietary Strategies of Modern Bodybuilders During Different Phases of the Competitive Cycle.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational survey of a single cohort
PubMed 31009437 · doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003169
What was done
Sixteen experienced male bodybuilding competitors from the Men's Physique category were interviewed at two points in their competitive cycle: bulking (10–12 weeks pre-competition) and cutting (1 week pre-competition). Researchers evaluated energy and nutrient intake, supplement use, dietary rationale, and sources of nutrition education.
What was found
Carbohydrate intake was low during bulking and decreased significantly further during cutting (p < 0.05). Intakes of most other macronutrients and micronutrients also decreased significantly from bulking to cutting (p < 0.05), though protein and nearly all micronutrients remained well above standard recommendations across both phases. Most competitors self-managed their nutrition without professional support, used supplements lacking scientific validation, and demonstrated discrepancies between interview statements and food diary logs. Absolute numerical intakes were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This study provides empirical data on the nutritional practices of modern Men's Physique competitors, showing that many athletes rely on extreme, self-directed dietary strategies lacking scientific evidence.
Limits
The study is restricted to a very small sample (n = 16) of male athletes within a single bodybuilding division. Dietary assessment relied on self-reported food diaries and interviews, which are vulnerable to recall and reporting bias, and no physiological health markers or body composition metrics were reported.
Cited by
- context Periodizing training goals into separate, dedicated phases of fat loss and muscle gain yields greater overall fat loss and muscle hypertrophy over a year than attempting both simultaneously.