Adherence
Pre-contest bodybuilding preparation is associated with worsened psychological status, including increased fatigue, mood disturbance, and perceived stress, alongside reduced recovery.
Be prepared for mental fatigue and mood swings during your cut. This study shows that total mood disturbance increases by 35% and fatigue by 23% during the pre-contest phase. This is likely due to the combination of low energy availability and high training stress. Prioritize sleep and stress management strategies, as perceived recovery drops significantly.
In PreC, POMS showed positive changes in vigor (-20%), and negative effects on fatigue (23%), as well as total mood disturbance (35%) and alterations in RESTQ-sport for general and sport stress (34 and 50%, respectively) and sport recovery (-23%).
Why this rating
Validated psychological scales used (POMS, RESTQ-Sport).
Source
Oxidative stress, inflammation, psychological status, and severity of respiratory infections are negatively affected during the pre-contest period in amateur bodybuilders
Wilson Max Almeida Monteiro de Moraes et al. · Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism · 2018
DOI 10.1139/apnm-2018-0430
More from this paper
- Amateur bodybuilders in the pre-contest period experience significantly increased oxidative stress, inflammation, and upper respiratory tract infection severity due to severe caloric restriction and macronutrient deficits.Good
- Severe caloric restriction in bodybuilders leads to micronutrient deficiencies (specifically Vitamins A and E) which correlate with increased oxidative stress and reduced antioxidant enzyme activity.Good
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →