Las 5 mejores dietas pre-competición de culturismo

The 5 best pre-competition bodybuilding diets

The 5 best bodybuilding pre-competition diets

When seeking to compete in sports disciplines such as natural bodybuilding, we must emphasize and understand that a very specific protocol of rest, training, nutrition, and supplementation must be followed.

These approaches normally differ from those used with people whose goal is to improve their overall strength, build muscle mass, and lose a few kilograms of fat to look better.

That said, in this article we will talk specifically about the nutrition aspect of preparing to compete in bodybuilding.

Introduction

When choosing the best bodybuilding pre-competition diet, it is important to understand that each person will respond very differently based on a multitude of factors.

The main goal of these diets is to reduce body-fat percentage as much as possible and preserve as much muscle mass as possible during a period of controlled caloric deficit, while also protecting the athlete's health throughout the process.

In a cutting phase like this, the main difference from other stages, such as maintenance or a muscle-gain phase, is that calorie intake and energy balance differ and are therefore less favorable for gaining muscle mass, but necessary for reducing body fat.

Common mistakes in a pre-competition diet

  • Making overly aggressive calorie cuts
  • Not starting early enough to prepare
  • Completely eliminating certain macronutrients such as carbohydrates and fats
  • Not supplementing deficiencies that may exist with quality supplements, all of which you can find on our website
  • Eliminating water, sodium, or minerals
  • Failing to consider the importance of physical activity as a complement to fat loss 

These are usually the most common mistakes when planning a pre-competition diet. That is why we will now discuss which pre-competition diet to choose based on these points when competing in bodybuilding.

Bodybuilding-Pre-Competition-Diets

The 5 best bodybuilding pre-competition diets

Ketogenic diet

Of all the pre-competition diet options, the ketogenic diet may be the least recommendable for several reasons:

  • We have no scientific evidence showing that this type of diet is superior to others when it comes to losing fat (which is not the same as using fatty acids as the main energy source)
  • Eliminate carbohydrates, the star macronutrient for maintaining your intensity and performance during training
  • It may lead to poor adherence to the diet because of missing out on such a wide range of foods.
  • Nutrient deficiencies from eliminating a very broad food group, such as fruit, certain vegetables, whole grains, legumes…

Therefore, it would not be an entirely advisable diet, even though it may work.

Low-carbohydrate diet (low carb)

This diet is possibly the most common in the bodybuilding world, since most athletes have prepared for competitions with it and achieved great results. 

Why does this pre-competition diet work? In which cases might it not be suitable?

As long as it ensures a calorie deficit, it will work. If it is also accompanied by a good protein intake, it will be satiating without significantly affecting carbohydrate elimination.

It is normally the type of diet used during the final weeks, when there is no alternative but to lower macronutrients such as fat and carbohydrates to intensify the fat-loss process as a result of reduced calorie intake.

However, it is not advisable to maintain it throughout the entire preparation, as it could put our muscle mass at risk. We now know how important carbohydrates are for maintaining training intensity, recovery, and, of course, our health.

Carbohydrate-cycling diet 

This diet is a modification of the previous one, alternating days with higher, moderate, and very low carbohydrate intake.

The benefits of this diet lie in its sustainability over time for the athlete, since not every day is equally demanding; consequently, the psychological factor plays a crucial role.

On the other hand, it allows us to allocate more food to the days when we are interested in replenishing glycogen stores more fully in order to perform better during certain workouts.

The downside is that it is complex to plan, so you will need a good coach who knows how to manage it if you want to follow it successfully.

Bodybuilding Pre-Competition Diets

High-carbohydrate, moderate-fat, moderate-protein diet

It may be the “diet of the moment,” since several athletes have recently chosen to approach their preparations differently, focusing primarily on the muscle-protective effect provided by carbohydrates. 

Additionally, we now know that it is not necessary to consume protein in the high amounts that were once customary to preserve muscle mass, as long as there is an adequate carbohydrate intake, a moderate calorie deficit, priority given to physical activity, and good training performance.

And finally, we can afford to lower dietary fat intake somewhat more than usual, knowing that our hormonal axis will be impaired mainly by the extreme reduction in body fat and a prolonged deficit over time.

It is important to emphasize that this final adjustment must be made cautiously and without crossing certain limits, while also giving high priority to an adequate intake of essential fatty acids, which you can find in oily fish or in supplementation

Peak-week diet

The peak-week diet is simply the diet followed during the week or two weeks before the competition. 

This is characterized by a diet somewhat higher in calories, lower in protein and fat, and very high in carbohydrates, with the aim of maximally replenishing muscle glycogen stores and consequently making the muscles look fuller and rounder on stage.

In addition, with these types of pre-contest diets, water and sodium are often manipulated in an attempt to completely eliminate subcutaneous water, creating a more conditioned look (which is not, nor should it be synonymous with, stopping drinking water)

Conclusion

The range of pre-contest diets available today for competing in natural bodybuilding is very broad.

Therefore, we could say that the perfect pre-contest bodybuilding diet does not exist.

The importance does not lie in choosing one diet or another, but in knowing what adjustments to make throughout a preparation with our athlete to achieve their peak physical condition on the day of the competition, not months earlier.

And above all, and most importantly, preserve your health throughout the entire preparation.

References

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