# The Best Diet for Drug-Free vs. Chemically-Enhanced Bodybuilding



## K1 (Nov 25, 2012)

By Dan Gwartney, M.D.

*The Best Diet for Drug-Free vs. Chemically-Enhanced Bodybuilding* 

What is the best diet for a bodybuilder? To answer that, one must understand what kind of bodybuilder is being referred to, and what goals that bodybuilder needs to reach.

Restricting the discussion to males, due to a number of gender-based differences, there are two basic distinctions in competitive bodybuilding— drug-free vs. chemically enhanced. Collectively, these men progress through a sequence of goal-oriented periods: gaining muscle mass, maintenance with moderate fat loss, pre-competition with pronounced fat loss, competition, and recovery.

It should be clear, even from this very general description, that there will never be a single diet plan that fits every bodybuilder. However, there are certain generalities that can be offered that may enlighten bodybuilders who did not achieve the results they expected previously. For the sake of clarity and brevity, this article will be restricted to the ‘maintenance with moderate fat loss’ period.

What do anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs do, and why is that important to consider for bodybuilders? These drugs bypass the normal regulatory mechanisms that control the metabolism and physiology of the user. All of these drugs mimic natural hormones or neurotransmitters that alter the rate of energy expenditure (calorie burning), as well as the balance between anabolic vs. catabolic processes. In a steady state (when the body is at rest and well-fed), there is a balance between anabolic growth and catabolic breakdown. The scales are tipped toward growth when there is a relative excess of any or all of the primary anabolic hormones; breakdown and loss of mass occurs when the catabolic hormones achieve precedence.

There are any number of examples, but for the purpose of understanding, consider testosterone. A supraphysiologic concentration of testosterone (higher than naturally produced) stimulates muscle hypertrophy; hypogonadism (low testosterone such as experienced with aging) results in muscle atrophy (loss). A lifestyle of overeating and indulgence increases both insulin release and resistance, resulting in weight gain and obesity; prolonged starvation forces the body to release catabolic hormones, leading to the loss of fat and muscle. It is important to understand that nutrients do not increase muscle or fat; rather, it is the action of enzymes directed by hormones that are released in response to changes in available nutrients and energy stores.

Chemically-enhanced bodybuilders use pharmaceutical manipulation to adjust their metabolism— bypassing regulatory feedback that might limit growth, require a greater physical demand to trigger growth, or allow for fat deposition. Anabolic steroids drive an increase in muscle growth. Certain androgens reduce fat mass; growth hormone allows for quicker recovery, induces fat release, and promotes growth in non-contractile protein in muscle. Insulin drives nutrients into muscle (and fat), and reduces catabolic breakdown following exercise. Beta-adrenergic stimulants and thyroid hormone analogs increase calorie burning and fatty acid oxidation (burning fat for energy). Aromatase inhibitors block the conversion of excess androgens to estrogens, promoting fat loss, etc.1-5

These drugs are so effective that they allow a non-disciplined lifter to develop an impressive physique and intimidating power, offering success with a generous margin for error and sloth. In the hands of a dedicated bodybuilder, these drugs have helped to sculpt bodies that defy the imagination of comic book artists and action figure designers.

*‘Enhanced’ Competitors Often Work Harder*

What does this mean in terms of diet? First, by no means does it imply that top bodybuilders are lazy or ‘cheated’ to achieve the gains seen in the last 50 years. Anyone who has had the opportunity to observe or train with champion amateur or professional bodybuilders knows that chemically-enhanced competitors work just as hard as their drug-free counterparts. Chemically-enhanced competitors often work harder, as they are able to recover more quickly, endure higher-intensity resistance training, and higher-volume aerobic exercise. It means that the dietary needs and allowances of bodybuilders vary, depending on the degree of effort exerted, how extreme fat loss is sought while maintaining/building muscle, and what level of chemical enhancement is being used.

For the truly drug-free bodybuilder, the challenge is to prevent muscle loss (preferentially continuing with slight muscle growth) in a catabolic environment. It is essential to differentiate this from general weight loss that the general public seeks. If there is no desire to build or preserve muscle, a ketogenic diet can be followed. While there is a continuing academic drama over what diet is ‘best,’ there is little question that the quickest weight loss and fat loss occurs when following ketogenic or even Atkins-like diets.6

These diets are actually heart-healthy, having certain advantages over the traditional low-fat diet, though there is some concern over increases in LDL (bad) cholesterol. This is likely balanced by decreases in total cholesterol, increases in HDL (good) cholesterol, and reductions in triglycerides (fats).7,8 In fact, a modified Atkins diet using only plant-based proteins appears to alleviate the LDL cholesterol elevation.9 Though these diets provide ample amounts of protein, sufficient to promote muscle growth, there is often an accompanying loss of muscle mass and strength.

One of the pivotal effects of ketogenic diets is the suppression of fasting and postprandial (after eating) insulin. Insulin is often thought of as the ‘storage hormone,’ but it also plays a significant role in muscle growth, as demonstrated by its popularity with professional athletes and bodybuilders. Exercise and fasting cause muscle to break down to release amino acids to the rest of the body, to meet the energy demands by shuttling certain amino acids into fuel (ATP) production. Insulin stops this breakdown. Ketogenic dieters lose the anti-catabolic protection of insulin, but some protection is offered by the anti-proteolytic properties of ketones.10 Chemically-enhanced bodybuilders often inject a fast-acting insulin immediately after their workouts, along with a meal high in carbohydrates and quickly-absorbed protein.

To put the “meat” of the article in a concise summary, a fairly straightforward set of recommendations are given for the drug-free and chemically-enhanced bodybuilder, respectively. For the purpose of this discussion, it will be assumed the bodybuilders are 200-220 pounds and approximately 10-16 percent body fat.

Drug-free bodybuilders need to focus on preserving muscle mass and making their metabolism as anabolic as possible, during a period of slight caloric deficiency to promote fat loss. This means placing the body in a protected, catabolic state. Fat loss in the absence of lipolytic or thermogenic drugs requires a hypocaloric diet, which means eating fewer calories than the body burns. If there are not enough calories to supply every tissue type (organs, muscle, fat, etc.), then the body will cannibalize muscle and fat to supply energy and amino acids to maintain critical functions.11 It is essential during such a time that sufficient protein be ingested to provide the amino acids needed for vital functions, body maintenance and preferentially, muscle growth.

While plant-based proteins are wonderful for health and there are many studies supporting their use in athletes, comments by many drug-free bodybuilding men suggest that soy and other plant-based proteins do not support strength or mass well while dieting, as compared to whey, casein, egg- or meat-based protein.12 It is important that protein intake be the focus of a drug-free diet. While the protein can be ingested throughout the day, it is critical that a quickly-absorbed protein is consumed immediately post-workout, and preferentially, pre-workout as well. A slow-releasing protein prior to sleep may offer additional benefit.

*Carbs, Sleep and Fat Burning*

Carbohydrates are the preferred energy source for most of the organs and tissues of the body. They have a potent effect on the metabolism, both in the short-term and long-term. Carbohydrates stimulate the release of insulin, which blocks stored fat release from fat cells; insulin also affects the muscle metabolism, switching the preferred fuel from fatty acids to sugar burning.13,14 For the drug-free bodybuilder, it is necessary to control insulin, keeping its concentration low throughout the day— with two exceptions. There are two metabolic ‘windows’ where a drug-free bodybuilder should take advantage of insulin’s anti-catabolic effect— early morning and post-workout.

Sleep is the only time most bodybuilders fast for any significant amount of time. During the night, the body still burns calories and spends several hours relying on stored sugar (glycogen) and fat. After several hours, the body is primed for fat burning but also is at its most sensitive to insulin’s signal. The best way to take advantage of this is to perform some low-intensity cardio before eating breakfast, then consuming a fair portion of the daily carbohydrates during breakfast. A mix of fast- and slow-releasing carbohydrates is best, such as oatmeal with berries. Restricting carbohydrates outside of breakfast and post-workout will prevent elevated insulin when the body is in a ‘storage’ state (sitting at a desk, watching television, etc).

Post-workout, muscle cells are much more receptive to sugar (glucose) for a period of up to 2 hours, allowing any sugar intake to be shuttled preferentially to the muscle which has been worked.15 Fortunately, this tissue (working muscle) creates a demand for more oxygen— opening up arteries that supply oxygen, but also the nutrients absorbed from a meal. A high-glycemic post-workout drink is best at this time, and can be very generous in terms of the number of grams of carbohydrates.

Not only does a high-glycemic meal rapidly provide sugar to replenish the stored glycogen, but it also shuts down the release of stored fat. At first this may sound negative, but if the metabolic demand remains high and much of the incoming sugar is being diverted to glycogen storage post-exercise, the muscle cell is forced to rely on the small amount of stored fat contained within the muscle cell, as stored fat is no longer being released by fat cells.16 By reducing stored intramuscular fat, over time, the muscle cell becomes more sensitive to insulin— allowing it to respond to the anti-catabolic protection more vigorously.

Another recent study announced at the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society revealed findings that consuming a high-sugar load (75 grams of dextrose, similar to many sugar-laden drinks) reduced testosterone by 25 percent, and a negative effect on testosterone remained 2 hours later.17 This supports a 2005 study that found men who switched from a diet relatively high in fat to a low-fat diet experienced a significant reduction in total and free testosterone.18 Whether this represents a balance between anabolic processes (insulin vs. testosterone) or some yet-to-be-recognized regulatory pathway is unknown.

Fat is a dietary necessity, but it has suffered from too great a generality. Dietary fat is not pre-destined to become body fat; it is an excellent source of energy and certain fatty acids act as precursors to messenger signals. Fish oils may act to reduce inflammation, but for the drug-free bodybuilder, this is not necessarily a positive.19 Only recently has the role of muscle cell inflammation in hypertrophy (muscle growth) been appreciated.20,21

A diet high in fish or fish oil may blunt the hypertrophic effect of exercise, making it more difficult to attain or maintain muscle size. It has been noted in Muscular Development several times that what is good for bodybuilding is often bad for health. This seems to be true with components relating to cardiovascular health and longevity, such as the examples of fish oil and resveratrol.

Animal fat is high in saturated fat and is an excellent source of arachidonic acid, which is a fatty acid that can be converted into pro-growth chemical messengers called prostaglandins.22 However, the arachidonic acid signal is suppressed with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and fish oils.23

* Dr. Dan’s Diets*

The basic diet for a 200-pound drug-free bodybuilder looking to lose fat at a moderate pace while maintaining (or possibly building) muscle is as follows:

Slightly hypocaloric: roughly 2,400 calories per day, assuming 30-45 minutes of low-intensity cardio and 45-60 minutes of resistance training. This will stimulate fat loss without being overly catabolic to lean mass.

Macronutrient ratio: 25/45/30 by calorie (carbohydrate/protein/fat). This will provide ample carbohydrates timed appropriately, without maintaining elevated insulin throughout the day. Forty-five percent of protein supplies slightly more than 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Fat should be sourced from animals (including egg yolk) or olive oil, with minimal fish oil exposure (one or two fish-containing meals per week).

The chemically-enhanced bodybuilder can utilize a greater ratio of carbohydrates, as he is manipulating the release of stored fat and maintaining a high metabolic rate— as well continuing anabolic growth via a combination of drugs. If fat loss is being accelerated (such as with growth hormone) in the presence of metabolic rate boosters (i.e., clenbuterol, thyroid hormones), then insulin concentration does not need to be modified through diet. In fact, there may be a greater demand for insulin, as growth hormone use can lead to a state of insulin resistance.24

Chemically-enhanced bodybuilders may benefit from a higher carbohydrate load to promote the anabolic effect of higher volume and intensity training, along with a number of drugs. Of course, greater protein intake is also necessary, shifting the balance of calories away from fat and toward the other two macronutrients.

Assuming that a chemically-enhanced bodybuilder is promoting the chemical release and burning of stored fat, he can consume a maintenance number of calories or greater, promoting lean mass accumulation. As the anabolic ‘signal’ is created to an exaggerated degree by the drugs, there is more of a margin to allow for anti-inflammatory fish oils (and NSAIDs, if necessary). Thus, a chemically-enhanced bodybuilder’s diet would differ as follows:

Maintenance or slightly hypercaloric diet: roughly 3,000-3,200 calories per day, assuming lipolytic and thermogenic drugs are used. 30-60 minutes of low-intensity or interval cardio and 45-60 minutes of resistance training daily.

Macronutrient ratio: 35/50/15 by calorie (carbohydrates/protein/fat). This provides a greater amount of carbohydrates and protein to provide the nutrients necessary to respond to the anabolic environment, while allowing for a sufficient intake of fats, including anti-inflammatory fats.

Undoubtedly, many will argue the points here or raise the issue of supplements that are thermogenic/anabolic/hormone modifying. There are a number of issues that create individual variability (work-related energy expenditure, genetics, stress, level of drug use, etc). This article is intended only to offer a starting point for discussion and guidance.

*References:*
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