As a result of swinging the pendulum, the human body responds naturally via hunger and appetite hormones when it feels as though it’s entering “uncomfortable” territory. On one end this could entail an individual pushing their bodyweight upward 15% of their stage weight during a building phase, which would result in a suppression of appetite hormones and hunger cues. On the flip side, someone approaching near 5% of their stage weight during a dieting phase is likely to experience an up-regulation of appetite hormones and internal hunger signals.

In the case of food manufacturing, when a nutritional constituent of a product is removed, then in most circumstances an alternative nutrient will take its place. Therefore, if something is marketed as being “low” (e.g. carbs), then this implies something else must be higher in contrast (e.g. fat).

As fun as it may seem on social media, competing in a bodybuilding competition for the first time should be viewed as a very serious decision. There are key considerations to bear in mind before committing to a prep and prematurely announcing how many “X” number of weeks out you are. And yes, the importance of these heavily outweigh the colour of your stage bikini/trunks or whether you carb-up on rice cakes or cereal.

There are levels within a health and fitness journey, and competing in bodybuilding is near the top.

By now you’ve probably been told that it’s a relatively smart idea to eat something after you lift weights. But the question is why? And what type of food? And how long after working out?

The great news is that dietary fibre can be found in an abundance of plant-based foods that have both low and high energy density per 100g. Therefore, regardless of daily caloric requirements, there are plenty of food options that can ensure fibre goals are met on the daily!

While recomping at a maintenance bodyweight is possible… it will eventually reach a point of diminishing returns. Here’s why!

Listed above are three examples of easy-to-prepare, high-protein breakfast ideas that satisfy several nutrition fundamentals, including —>

When it comes to A-listed supplements creatine is top of the list, being one of the most researched and evidence-based ergogenic aids on the market. However, for some people this white powder is still mysterious and questionable… as it often raises concerns of water retention, kidney health, dosing protocols and the like.

Bodybuilders spend months and years remaining hyper-focused on a specific goal, and will build up immense anticipation and excitement for show day. However, when they step off stage, it’s normal for heightened emotions to return to baseline and for competitors to feel slightly lost with no clear direction.