UNIVERSITY Contest Prep Fatigue Management Lesson Overview • • • • • • • How to make the process enjoyment vs suffering What is REDs syndrome Making Nutrition effective Making cardio effective Making training effective Making lifestyle effective Managing REDs side effects Enjoy the Process and Outcomes • The focus on an outcome over the process is much less rewarding as you miss the value in self development • Outcome focus also makes processes much less enjoyable and more of a checklist • Love what you • However, points of prep will be hard, and a level of suffering will happen • You will reach a point when easy fat loss stops, and we must dig hard to keep getting to show level leanness • No secrets to getting stage lean it does come down to calories and calories out, which means low food and high cardio is realistic • We must embrace being uncomfortable, no one changes being comfortable • When we get to these points of slowed fat loss and high fatigue, we have strategies in place to make variables just as effective but keep perception of “suffering” lower • This suffering can be rooted around Relative Energy Deficiency-in Sport (RED-S) Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) IOC statement of common adaptation to low energy availability (low body fat and low energy intake and/or high energy expenditure) Mountjoy 2018 Barriers are Present Within Suffering • Extreme dieting can cause a great drive for binge eating • Bodybuilders typically display more binge eating patterns than noncompeting counter parts • Daily tracking of calories and body weight can exacerbate disordered eating and decrease mood • These mental and physical challenges present barriers to being ”successful on stage” • Lack of adherence can root from dieting too “hard” or too long • Lack of preparation of not dieting long enough or hard enough • Mentally this process can decrease confidence in small failures of the process which breaks people to quit • Rigid non-flexible approaches can drive a lot of the difficulty in a successful prep • This process will be hard, but we want to set up an athlete to be successful as possible and make the process as effective but “easier" when needed Managing Training Fatigue Contest prep is an inevitable rise in fatigue and decreased recovery ability Autoregulate load/reps/volume just like in any other phase This is no excuse to wuss out when times get tough You will be fighting to uphold load and reps at some point on prep Start of prep training creates less protein synthesis response Recovery is higher, less protein break down End of prep Training is harder to carry out to achieve the same stimulus Recovery is diminished and protein degradation is higher Throughout prep we must account for less recovery and need to uphold stimulus Managing Training Fatigue Strategy 1: Low set volume per session as needed to maintain performance Remove cardio heavy metabolic work (super sets, high reps) Remove set extenders (rest pause, failure forced reps) Strategy 2: Split training session volume into more frequent sessions to shorten the session Push Pull Off Legs OFF into Push Pull delt/arm legs off Or Push Pull legs Off into upper lower off Strategy 3: Switch exercises to fewer fatiguing movements that require less stabilization Start of Prep: Deadlift Mid Prep: Machine Good morning End Prep: back extension Strategy 4: Deload week can be utilized mid prep to take the foot off the gas and recharge Cardio Fatigue Management Between HIIT vs Moderate Intensity Steady State vs Low Intensity Steady State there is no superior option from a fat loss aspect Viana 2019 However, time efficiency is much greater with higher intensity, but these higher intensity can generate more fatigue The higher intensity cardio done concurrently with resistance training can impeded lower body hypertrophy and strength gains Sabag 2018 Why even cardio as a competitor? This is purely to create an energy deficit and offset metabolic changes and decreases in NEAT as you become leaner Large decreases in NEAT during dieting are usually reason for fat loss stalls (Prep gets harder, you move around less) Cardio Fatigue Management Primary Strategy • Low Intensity Steady State (LISS) Cardio and Steps • Lowest impact is stay active and increase step count (LEAST FATIGUEING AND negligible impact on hypertrophy) • Also enjoy podcast, music, outdoors, spouse or friend • Later stage of prep focus on step count increases when recovery is low and muscle break down is high Secondary Strategy • Moderate Intensity Steady State (MISS) Cardio • Select the cardio modality that mimics resistance training range of motion like cycling or the ARC trainer, incline treadmill has application • Limit high impact/eccentric cardio (jogging, stepmill, etc) • Keep moderate intensity cardio sessions to 20-30 minutes in duration Increase frequency as needed • If done on the same day as weight training, moderate intensity cardio hours before or after weights • Moderate and HIIT cardio session number should NOT exceed the number of weight training sessions per week Cardio Fatigue Management Tertiary Strategy • High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) • Select the cardio modality that mimics resistance training range of motion like cycling or the ARC trainer • Allow 48-72 hours before lower body resistance training • Moderate and HIIT cardio session number should NOT exceed the number of weight training sessions per week • Female Consideration: Higher recovery capacity than males; lighter body weight needing longer durations or higher intensities • Fasted vs Fed Cardio: Fasted cardio offers limited to no advantage over fed state cardio • Fasted cardio can be perceived harder in a morning state (wakefulness, hydration status) • If fasted, limit yourself to low and moderate intensity cardio A serving of protein prior may have metabolic advantages for fat loss and limit muscle protein breakdown if you need long duration times Schoenfeld 2014 • Prioritized sleep over waking earlier for cardio (sleep=fat loss) • Caveat is PED/Supp enhanced fasted cardio via HGH, Clen, yohimbine HCl, Carnitine Nutrition Fatigue Management There is a psychological and physiological component to nutrition in prep One aspect is how you feel, the other is how you perceive the situation around those feelings The psychology of a person can dictate the approach that may increase psychological stress and make dieting feel “harder” Regimented Dieter • Less experienced competitor • Anxiety around options • Highly neurotic • Needs to trust the process • Caters well to structured meals and tight food tracking • Less educated on food tracking • Poor reliability in biofeedback Flexible Dieter • Experienced competitor • Self developed for biofeedback • Low emotional response to changes positive or negative • Educated on food tracking and high autonomy • Can trust biofeedback (hunger, energy levels, full vs flat) • Understands stage leanness Nutrition Fatigue management Regimented Dieter Best with food-based plan Educate to build confidence for great flexibility Start with food based macro-options Flexibly Dieter Macro Numbers provide only Ability to select food sources Variety keeps prep fun and interesting Ability to shift macros to times of peak hunger Other Strategies Diet breaks around times of high life stress on prep or travel Refeeds on high physical and mentally demanding days Cheat meals on weekends or when able to be social Cyclic Dieting Approaches Common Prep Issues Food Focus Stay busy with work Avoid food shopping online Constipation Low fiber, low volume diet, decrease GI motility Keep fiber intake at 14g per 1000kcal Keep water intake 1oz per lb of body weight Decreased mental focus, mood, lethargy Structure busy times around best mental state Shift meals around those time to support productivity Relaxation and naps when needed Track steps to keep energy output up Common Prep Issues Poor Sleep Review Sleep Lecture Taper fluids down towards bedtime Keep last meal with veggies and high food volume for hunger Loss of Menstrual Cycle Not much can be done Potential diet breaks and cycle calorie approach delayed loss Increased Hunger Stick to meal timing and structure Increase high volume foods like salads Hot and cold beverages High protein intake Increase water consumption Common Prep Issues Increase in Cold Decreased body fat root issue Dress in layers Hot fluids Libido Loss PEDs or HRT therapy Stay communicative to partner Continue date nights Increased Insecurities Body image is more scrutinized Focus on feedback from coach and support network Limit time comparing to others and social media Lightheaded/Dizzy Monitor blood glucose Shift food around times of low blood glucose Blood pressure decreases, stand up slow, increase hydration and sodium References Mountjoy M, Sundgot-Borgen JK, Burke LM, Ackerman KE, Blauwet C, Constantini N, Lebrun C, Lundy B, Melin AK, Meyer NL, Sherman RT, Tenforde AS, Klungland Torstveit M, Budgett R IOC consensus statement on relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S): 2018 update Br J Sports Med 2018 Jun;52(11):687-697 doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099193 PMID: 29773536 Sabag A, Najafi A, Michael S, Esgin T, Halaki M, Hackett D The compatibility of concurrent high intensity interval training and resistance training for muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis J Sports Sci 2018 Nov;36(21):2472-2483 doi: 10.1080/02640414.2018.1464636 Epub 2018 Apr 16 PMID: 29658408 Viana RB, Naves JPA, Coswig VS, de Lira CAB, Steele J, Fisher JP, Gentil P Is interval training the magic bullet for fat loss? A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing moderate-intensity continuous training with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) Br J Sports Med 2019 May;53(10):655-664 doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099928 Epub 2019 Feb 14 PMID: 30765340 Schoenfeld, B.J., Aragon, A.A., Wilborn, C.D et al Body composition changes associated with fasted versus non-fasted aerobic exercise J Int Soc Sports Nutr11, 54 (2014) https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-014-0054-7