A proper diet can improve body composition and performance in the gym, but many strategies used for fat loss or competition are often unsustainable long-term. (1) In bodybuilding, where extreme dieting is standard, athletes frequently incorporate off-seasons focused on maintenance or bulking diets to help recover. Prolonged, intense dieting can disrupt hormones, deplete energy, and negatively impact health. How does one mitigate damage caused by extended fat-loss phases?
Reverse and recovery diets can reset and restore balance after a strict diet. Dr. Eric Helms, PhD, CSCS, recently highlighted the differences between these approaches and how to know which is better when a dieting phase concludes.
Reverse Diet vs. Recovery Diet
Reverse and recovery diet are two widely used approaches following a bodybuilding competition. Often called “the diet after the diet,” reverse diets maintain leanness while gradually increasing caloric intake and reducing cardio.
Reverse dieting operates on a spectrum, ranging from a slow to moderate calorie increase to a cardio decrease. However, it’s not always true that reverse diets result in a caloric deficit.
Recovery diets prioritize rapid restoration of physical, psychological, and social well-being to improve strength, energy levels, food preoccupation, sleep, libido, and hormonal balance. These diets can foster a healthy mindset as gradual body changes occur without the obsessions of competition preparation.
Like the reverse diet, the recovery diet is on a spectrum, with recommendations ranging from moderate to significant increases in caloric intake and decreases in cardio, depending on the athlete’s needs. For example, the dietary approach for a Men’s Physique athlete will differ from that of a Men’s Open bodybuilder. Both methods offer tailored strategies to meet the demands of post-competition recovery.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) When Dieting
It’s impossible to precisely measure energy expenditure during dieting, but it can be estimated based on factors like calorie intake and body weight. Prolonged energy deficits and significant weight loss can influence these predictions.
Research has shown a 15% gap between predicted and actual energy expenditure due to metabolic adaptation. This discrepancy stems from the body’s greater efficiency at defending against weight loss than weight gain.
Metabolic changes impact an athlete’s adaptive thermogenesis. Although basal metabolic rate (BMR) is often in the spotlight, the most variable component is non-resting energy expenditure. Large caloric deficits result in significant shifts in total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), which can reduce energy availability and increase risk for Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S).
RED-S may persist after the diet ends, influencing athletes’ feelings and post-diet strategies. Research indicates that declines in energy expenditure, which encourage weight regain, extend beyond the active weight loss phase. (2)
Reverse dieting aims to gradually increase calorie intake, restoring TDEE from its adapted state toward normal levels. However, Helms suggested that only reverse dieting for lean athletes is unlikely to restore TDEE or energy availability fully.
Why Reverse Diets Don’t Work
Reverse diets can fail because of the complex behavior of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate body weight. Leptin triggers processes in the hypothalamus that drive the physiological changes associated with weight gain and loss. Leptin is effective at preventing weight loss, but far less efficient at stopping weight gain. People with common forms of obesity aren’t typically leptin-deficient; they have high levels of circulating leptin but are resistant to its effects.
Leptin levels are closely correlated with body fat. Studies show a 0.85 correlation across nearly 300 participants spanning normal to obese weight ranges. Hormones, environmental factors, and nutrition significantly influence body weight. (3)
Reverse diets might fail because of the concept of a low intervention point, meaning some individuals struggle to reverse diet without negative consequences. Dr. Helms shared a personal example from 2019, when he experimented with reverse and recovery dieting.
After competing in a bodybuilding show in April and peaking in June, Dr. Helms followed a strict reverse diet to maintain a shredded physique without gaining fat. While he achieved the desired aesthetic, the process left him physically and mentally drained. While reverse dieting can yield visual results, it’s not always sustainable.
“Until I had put body fat back on — about 22 pounds — I just didn’t feel better. I felt progressively better, but not back to normal,” said Dr. Helms. When he implemented the recovery diets with his clients, their success rates improved. “We started to see 60, 70% success rates,” Dr. Helms explained.
When Reverse Diets Are Needed
Reverse dieting may be essential for bodybuilders who earn their pro card and must compete within a year. This involves gradually increasing their weight to above stage level and drawing closer to their intervention point. By maintaining a higher calorie intake and body fat percentage, they can strategically diet down in preparation for their pro debut.
It is a terrible experience, but at least you know you’ve got that show again, and it helps them with adherence.
—Dr. Eric Helms
What Recovery Diets Shouldn’t Be
A recovery diet is not an excuse for unchecked binge eating. Research indicates that excessive overeating during recovery can have negative consequences, including higher rates of weight gain, which may hinder certain aspects of the recovery process.
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References
- Beck, K. L., Thomson, J. S., Swift, R. J., & von Hurst, P. R. (2015). Role of nutrition in performance enhancement and postexercise recovery. Open access journal of sports medicine, 6, 259–267. https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJSM.S33605
- Rosenbaum, M., Hirsch, J., Gallagher, D. A., & Leibel, R. L. (2008). Long-term persistence of adaptive thermogenesis in subjects who have maintained a reduced body weight. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 88(4), 906–912. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/88.4.906
- Considine, R. V., Sinha, M. K., Heiman, M. L., Kriauciunas, A., Stephens, T. W., Nyce, M. R., Ohannesian, J. P., Marco, C. C., McKee, L. J., & Bauer, T. L. (1996). Serum immunoreactive-leptin concentrations in normal-weight and obese humans. The New England journal of medicine, 334(5), 292–295. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199602013340503
- Trexler, E. T., Hirsch, K. R., Campbell, B. I., & Smith-Ryan, A. E. (2017). Physiological Changes Following Competition in Male and Female Physique Athletes: A Pilot Study. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 27(5), 458–466. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0038
Featured image: @helms3dmj on Instagram
