In part 1, I presented the results of a data collection with 81 athletes from amateur and professional bodybuilding, all of whom provided data on the course of their peak weeks.
The typical preparation week, which differs from the usual "diet week" in terms of nutrition and training for the majority of all competition athletes, focuses primarily on targeted manipulation of the carbohydrate, fluid and electrolyte balance.
Today it is a matter of critically evaluating this practical approach and comparing it with available scientific data.
Peak week planning - the evaluation
As in previous studies on this topic (7, 9, 11, 14), the work of Chappell et al (53) shows that manipulation of the carbohydrate and water balance is the most common approach during peak week, accounting for 93.8% of all athletes.
What scientific evidence is available to us here?
Strategy number 1 - unloading and loading with carbohydrates
Scientifically comprehensible
Many practices follow the classic pattern of 3 days of targeted carbohydrate restriction followed by 3 days of carbohydrate loading (9, 17).
Training interventions such as high volume strength training or high intensity cardio training aim to deplete muscle glycogen stores.
As the human skeletal muscle lacks the enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase, it is unable to make glycogen once stored available again to maintain blood glucose (18).
The alternation between unloading and loading phases promotes higher glycogen formation as well as improved glycogen transport and thus overall a higher glycogen concentration in the muscle. This process is technically referred to as muscle glycogen supercompensation (19).
Animal studies (20 - 22) provide evidence of an upregulation of the enzyme glycogen synthase, an increased occurrence of GLUT-4 glucose transporters and an increased insulin sensitivity over 48 hours in exhausted muscle tissue.
Defining the right amount
With a daily intake of 8 to 10.5 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight, muscle glycogen supercompensation has already been demonstrated (18, 24), albeit in endurance sports.
For a 75 kg bodybuilder, this would correspond to an amount of 600 to 785.5 g of carbohydrates per day or a total amount of 1800 to 2362.5 g over 3 days. If the intake significantly exceeds this target, the risk of "bloating" increases, which is how the scene describes a watered-down appearance (11, 12).
If too few carbohydrates are consumed, the chance of muscle glycogen supercompensation is reduced. A one-day carbohydrate loading phase combined with high-intensity sprint training can also trigger muscle glycogen supercompensation and is therefore a possible alternative to the above-mentioned scheme. The carbohydrate intake here is in the range of 10 - 12 g per kilogram of body weight (25, 26).
It is difficult to determine the appropriate amount for bodybuilders based on existing studies, as on the one hand we are talking about bodybuilders and not endurance athletes with a different proportion of muscle mass and on the other hand, appearance is more important than performance on competition day. From the point of view of observing appearance, there is a lot to be said for a somewhat longer loading phase. This is underlined by the "wisdom in bodybuilding" of not training on the day or a few days before the competition in order to "free up" the muscles.
Furthermore, sprint training as a high-intensity measure would only empty part of the entire skeletal musculature, while upper extremities in particular would not receive any unloading effect. On the other hand, 3 days of unloading with a high training volume is an enormously stressful affair that could be significantly mitigated using the 1-day strategy, provided you find a way to empty all glycogen depots accordingly.
This still needs to be considered
As the total calorie intake is reduced by restricting carbohydrates, it is advisable to increase protein intake on these days for caloric balance but also for a certain satiating effect (23). The intake of high amounts of fat for loading with carbohydrates appears unfavorable.
Although Lambert et al (27) found no real performance-reducing effect and although muscle glycogen supercompensation was still possible, the combination nevertheless led to a reduction in the number of insulin and glucose receptors on muscle cells.
Conclusion
There is a conclusive scientific basis for unloading and recharging with carbohydrates, although it comes more from endurance sports and less from bodybuilding. There are several approaches to achieving muscle glycogen supercompensation. Athletes and coaches should proceed individually and carry out tests to evaluate the methods for each athlete.
Strategy number 2 - Manipulation of water and electrolyte balance / vitamin C
Carbohydrates store fluid in the muscle
The increased and reduced intake of carbohydrates also changes the intake of fluid during the peak week. Initially higher intakes are reduced over the days leading up to the day of the competition.
It is known from studies by Balon et al (9) and Reale et al (29) that between 2.3 and 7.8 ml of water can be stored in the cell per gram of glycogen. Based on an assumed storage capacity of approx. 462 g glycogen for a 75 kg bodybuilder, this would correspond to a quantity of 1000 to 3600 ml. Based on this figure, the intake of larger amounts of water is justified for a higher intake of carbohydrates.
Targeted dehydration "natural" only possible to a limited extent
Athletes report quantities in the range of 8 to 12 liters per day (106.6 to 160 mg per kilogram of body weight for an athlete weighing 75 kg). Such high amounts of fluid also promote so-called polyuria, i.e. an increased urge to urinate, which is intended to ensure that excess water leaves the body as part of the subsequent reduction in water intake (29, 30).
The problem with any dehydration measure is that muscle is also largely made up of water. Too little fluid in the entire body therefore always impairs the desired muscle fullness (31). Muscle glycogen supercompensation provides some protection against a flat appearance, as water stored with glycogen is retained there until the glycogen is used up with muscular exertion.
Sodium and potassium
The targeted manipulation of sodium intake should also help to remove subcutaneous water from the body. In this context, sodium alone is never considered, but always potassium as well. As extra- and intracellular cations, both regulate the fluid balance of the cells (32). The kidneys are also involved in maintaining osmotic pressure and fluid balance by either excreting more sodium and potassium or retaining more depending on the situation (33). There is consensus that the addition of electrolytes to water improves overall hydration, while a loss of electrolytes promotes fluid loss and a reduction in blood pressure and plasma volume (29, 34).
The Aceto-Peak-Week (11) recommends reducing sodium 3 to 4 days before the competition. On the other hand, sodium is involved as a co-transporter in glucose uptake in the small intestine (35). Thus, limiting its availability could inhibit the absorption of larger amounts of carbohydrates. Overall, there is still a lack of sufficient research results due to the lack of complexity.
Vitamin C
Finally, the use of high doses of vitamin C should support diuresis and remove excess subcutaneous water (36, 37). However, excessive intake is known to cause gastrointestinal problems.
Chronically increased intake promotes acidification of the urine and increases the risk of urinary kidney stones (38). An increased excretion of ascorbic acid and urine can already be expected with doses of over 200 mg of vitamin C daily, which is why it is obvious that the effect desired by bodybuilders already occurs with much lower doses than often practiced (39).
On the other hand, there is a risk that a diuretic effect triggered by vitamin C during the loading phase with carbohydrates will stand in the way of muscle glycogen supercompensation. For the sake of completeness, high-protein diets are also known to acutely and chronically increase glomerular filtration rate (40).
Conclusion
Consuming more fluid on loading days with carbohydrates promotes uptake into the muscles and thus the effect of muscle glycogen supercompensation and for this reason appears to make sense. Dehydration measures taken during this time work against the main goal. When manipulating sodium intake, the potassium balance must always be taken into account. Both control the fluid balance and also the fluid distribution.
Strategies on race day
High-carb for high muscular load during posing
On the day of the competition, a large proportion of athletes report the targeted intake of high-glycaemic carbohydrates close to their stage performance. As large amounts of skeletal muscles have to perform isometric contractions simultaneously for several minutes during the stage presentation and the glucose requirement for this is extremely high, this strategy makes sense (41).
Fast carbohydrates are also frequently administered again during the "pumping up" of the muscles 30 to 60 minutes before the start of the competition (10, 12) (42). However, such a strategy does not promise any noticeable added value when muscle glycogen stores are full.
High sodium for "thick veins"
Acutely administering high amounts of sodium leads to an increase in plasma volume and blood pressure, which is why there is theoretically an advantage for the appearance desired in bodybuilding (43, 44).
Alcohol dehydrates and reduces excitement
Alcohol is generally avoided during competition preparation. On the day of the competition, however, athletes expect it to have a diuretic effect as cited in specialist literature (3, 11, 45). For some athletes, alcohol certainly also makes them a little less nervous and thus has the psychological effect of making them feel less self-conscious on stage.
Avoid fiber
Avoiding fiber-containing foods to prevent bloating and maintain a slim waistline In fact, fiber stores fluid in the digestive tract when ingested and (29) further promotes the absorption of sodium and fluid from the intestine into the blood via the formation of short-chain fatty acids, which is why this measure is generally considered sensible at this time (46).
Conclusion
There are also some very sensible strategies on the day of the competition that can have a positive effect on presentation and appearance. For this phase in particular, it is also extremely important to carry out tests with athletes before the day of the competition in order to be able to assess how the individual responds to the respective strategy.
Doping-free vs. doping
Peak week strategies can cause severe stress for athletes. If poorly or insufficiently planned individually, they can even have a negative impact on the athlete's appearance on the day of the competition (6, 8). What has been elaborated here for doping-free bodybuilding does not necessarily apply to doping athletes (47). Both anabolic androgenic steroids and the use of diuretics can result in a noticeable change. Steroids in particular are known to increase fluid retention (48). The use of prescription substances also increases the risk of dangerous shifts in fluid and electrolyte balance and even death (49 - 51).
Conclusion
Peak-week planning for doping athletes usually looks different from that of non-doping athletes. The use of prescription drugs always increases the risk of side effects during such a week (consider again the 14.1% from Part 1).
Summary
After reviewing the available literature and comparing it with common approaches, it can be said that achieving muscle glycogen supercompensation is one of the most important goals during peak week. The intake of carbohydrates, fluids but also sodium and dehydrating substances either promote or inhibit this process and must therefore be well coordinated. Carbohydrate availability also plays a role on race day itself.
In conclusion, it can be emphasized once again how individually each athlete responds to the measures listed for a peak week and how important it is to take an individual approach here. The wrong parameters at the wrong time in the wrong combination can inevitably lead to the athlete's entire preparation being ruined this week and punished with poor form on race day.
I hope that this article provides all readers with the information they need to do a good job as a coach and to critically evaluate the work of the respective coach as an athlete.
Best regards
Holger Gugg
www.body-coaches.de
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