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
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 →