Have you ever been curious WHY you’re having a “prep brain” moment?
The term “prep brain” is unique to the bodybuilding community, however the causes and symptoms are not only experienced by those who choose to chronically diet and flex their oily bodies.
In fact, “prep brain” is also synonymous with “brain fog”, which can be experienced by anyone. There are also plenty of contributors to brain fog which are not specific to dieting!
More specifically for physique athletes though, being in a prolonged energy deficit, combined with poor nutritional intake and/or impaired sleep, has the potential to negatively impact your cognitive function.
But to what degree are we talking?
Well, having prep brain/brain fog will often cause an individual to not feel as “mentally sharp”, which can impact attention span, creativity, memory, concentration, decision making, and overall productivity. These symptoms can also translate into moody behaviours and can come across as someone being irritable, inconsiderate, lazy and selfish.
It’s safe to say that we would all prefer NOT to live our life feeling like this, so let’s provide some practical recommendations to avoid falling victim to “prep brain”:
▪️If you’re dieting, ensure your energy deficit isn’t also a micronutrient deficit. Work alongside a dietitian or qualified sports nutritionist to avoid nutrient deficiencies (because these ARE avoidable despite restricting calories)
▪️Treat your sleep as a top priority and ensure you have a regular sleep-wake cycle and good sleep hygiene
▪️Start your prep in a good position with only a moderate amount of bodyweight to lose, high metabolic health, and a sufficient time frame to stage
▪️Conduct your prep in a manner that avoids taking drastic extremes, a.k.a. creating a huge energy deficit with minimal food intake and high outputs
▪️If daily carb targets are on the lower end, strategically distribute your intake from nutrient-dense sources throughout the day to support energy levels, training performance and cognition