Objectives: To compare the pre-competition nutrition practices of Lithuanian elite international-level (IL) and national-level (NL) bodybuilders.
Methods: Sixteen male bodybuilders (n=8 per group) were enrolled. The IL group comprised individuals achieving 1st to 4th place in the World and European Championships organized by the IFBB, whereas the NL group ranked between 1st and 6th place in the national championships. Body mass and diet data were obtained via a questionnaire. A repeated-measures ANOVA was performed using time as a within factor and group as a between factor.
Results: Both groups experienced a reduction in body mass during the pre-competition phase (p<0.001), which was slower in the IL than in the NL group (p=0.048). Both groups exhibited a reduction in caloric (p<0.001), carbohydrate (p<0.001), and fat (p=0.006) intake relative to body mass, but not in protein intake. Nevertheless, the IL group had a higher intake of calories (p=0.015), protein (p<0.001), but not carbohydrates relative to body mass vs. the NL group.
Conclusions: The Lithuanian IL and NL bodybuilders both reduced calories by cutting fat and carbohydrates during pre-competition. The IL group maintained higher calorie and protein intake, resulting in similar body mass loss but at a slower rate than the NL group.
Keywords: Calories; Carbohydrate; Dieting; Fat; Protein.