Skip to main content
Have a personal or library account? Click to login
Natural bodybuilding without low energy availability: A case study of a “pro-metabolic” dietary approach Cover

Natural bodybuilding without low energy availability: A case study of a “pro-metabolic” dietary approach

Open Access
|Oct 2026
Read online

References

  1. Areta, J. L., Taylor, H. L., & Koehler, K. (2021). Low energy availability: History, definition and evidence of its endocrine, metabolic and physiological effects in prospective studies in females and males. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 121(1), 1–21. doi: 10.1007/s00421-020-04516-0
  2. Buckner, S. L., Jessee, M. B., Mattocks, K. T., Mouser, J. G., Counts, B. R., Dankel, S. J., & Loenneke, J. P. (2017). Determining strength: A case for multiple methods of measurement. Sports Medicine, 47(2), 193–195. doi: 10.1007/s40279-016-0580-3
  3. Chappell, A. J., Simper, T. N., Trexler, E. T., & Helms, E. R. (2021). Biopsychosocial effects of competition preparation in natural bodybuilders. Journal of Human Kinetics, 79, 259–276. doi: 10.2478/hukin-2021-0082
  4. Cichoń, E., Kiejna, A., Kokoszka, A., Gondek, T., Rajba, B., Lloyd, C. E., & Sartorius, N. (2020). Validation of the Polish version of WHO-5 as a screening instrument for depression in adults with diabetes. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 159, 107970. doi: 10.1016/j.diabres.2019.107970
  5. Fagerberg, P. (2018). Negative consequences of low energy availability in natural male bodybuilding: A review. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 28(4), 385–402. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2016-0332
  6. Ficarra, G., Caccamo, D., Rottura, M., Bitto, A., Trimarchi, F., & Di Mauro, D. (2023). Testosterone:cortisol ratio as a predictor of podium in adolescent rowing athletes. Heliyon, 9(11), e22315. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22315
  7. Hagmar, M., Berglund, B., Brismar, K., & Hirschberg, A. L. (2013). Body composition and endocrine profile of male Olympic athletes striving for leanness. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 23(3), 197–201. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0b013e31827a8809
  8. Helms, E. R., Aragon, A. A., & Fitschen, P. J. (2014). Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: Nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 11(1), 20. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-11-20
  9. Helms, E. R., Fitschen, P. J., Aragon, A. A., Cronin, J., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2015). Recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: Resistance and cardiovascular training. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 55(3), 164–178.
  10. Herrmann, S. D., Willis, E. A., Ainsworth, B. E., Barreira, T. V., Hastert, M., Kracht, C. L., Schuna, J. M., Cai, Z., Quan, M., Tudor-Locke, C., Whitt-Glover, M. C., & Jacobs, D. R. (2024). 2024 adult compendium of physical activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 13(1), 6–12. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2023.10.010
  11. King, J., & Lowery, D. R. (2025). Physiology, cardiac output. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470455/
  12. Lundy, B., Torstveit, M. K., Stenqvist, T. B., Burke, L. M., Garthe, I., Slater, G. J., Ritz, C., & Melin, A. K. (2022). Screening for low energy availability in male athletes: Attempted validation of LEAM-Q. Nutrients, 14(9), 1873. doi: 10.3390/nu14091873
  13. Mountjoy, M., Sundgot-Borgen, J., Burke, L., Carter, S., Constantini, N., Lebrun, C., Meyer, N., Sherman, R., Steffen, K., Budgett, R., & Ljungqvist, A. (2015a). Authors’ 2015 additions to the IOC consensus statement: Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 49(7), 417–420. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2014-094371
  14. Mountjoy, M., Sundgot-Borgen, J., Burke, L., Carter, S., Constantini, N., Lebrun, C., Meyer, N., Sherman, R., Steffen, K., Budgett, R., Ljungqvist, A., & Ackerman, K. (2015b). RED-S CAT: Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) clinical assessment tool (CAT). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 49(7), 421–423. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2015-094873
  15. Obmiński, Z., & Opaszowski, B. H. (2011). Chwilowe zmiany we krwi wskaźnika anaboliczno-katabolicznego (T/C) po sesji treningowej u młodych zawodników i zawodniczek podnoszenia ciężarów. Medycyna Sportowa (Polish Journal of Sports Medicine), 27, 55–59.
  16. Oettel, M., & Mukhopadhyay, A. (2004). Progesterone: The forgotten hormone in men? The Aging Male, 7(3), 236–257. doi: 10.1080/13685530400004199
  17. Rossow, L. M., Fukuda, D. H., Fahs, C. A., Loenneke, J. P., & Stout, J. R. (2013). Natural bodybuilding competition preparation and recovery: A 12-month case study. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 8(5), 582–592. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.8.5.582
  18. Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., Van Every, D. W., & Plotkin, D. L. (2021). Loading recommendations for muscle strength, hypertrophy, and local endurance: A re-examination of the repetition continuum. Sports, 9(2), 32. doi: 10.3390/sports9020032
  19. Smith, K. J., & Emerson, D. J. (2014). An assessment of the psychometric properties of the perceived stress scale-10 (PSS-10) with a U.S. public accounting sample. Advances in Accounting, 30(2), 309–314. doi: 10.1016/j.adiac.2014.09.005
  20. Smith, R. E., Smoll, F. L., Cumming, S. P., & Grossbard, J. R. (2006). Measurement of multidimensional sport performance anxiety in children and adults: The sport anxiety scale-2. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 28(4), 479–501. doi: 10.1123/jsep.28.4.479
  21. Tahreem, A., Rakha, A., Rabail, R., Nazir, A., Socol, C. T., Maerescu, C. M., & Aadil, R. M. (2022). Fad diets: Facts and fiction. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 960922. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.960922
  22. Thomas, E., Rossi, C., Petrigna, L., Messina, G., Bellafiore, M., Şahin, F. N., Proia, P., Palma, A., & Bianco, A. (2023). Evaluation of posturographic and neuromuscular parameters during upright stance and hand standing: A pilot study. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 8(2), 40. doi: 10.3390/jfmk8020040
Language: English
Page range: 278 - 286
Submitted on: Aug 14, 2026
Accepted on: Sep 3, 2026
Published on: Oct 27, 2026
Published by: University of Physical Education in Warsaw
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

© 2026 Katarzyna Łożyńska, Joanna Kaluza, Olga Surała, published by University of Physical Education in Warsaw
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.