Extreme calorie restriction phases in bodybuilding often trigger episodes of binge eating, severe edema, and rapid weight gain after the competition.

noli's read

Abbey Sharp's analysis is based on physiological and psychological phenomena that are well-documented in high-level athletes. Research, particularly observational studies on bodybuilding competitors (e.g., Helms et al.), confirms that severe restriction leads to metabolic adaptation and a marked increase in ghrelin, the hunger hormone, promoting compulsive eating behaviors during recovery. Regarding edema, it is common during rapid refeeding following severe dehydration and carbohydrate restriction, as the body then stores more water with glycogen. While the prediction of a precise weight gain (20 lbs) is an illustrative estimate rather than a scientific certainty, the risk of weight rebound is solidly supported by literature on energy deprivation. This phenomenon, often referred to as 'post-contest rebound,' is a consistent adaptive response of the human body to a period of artificial starvation. The claims are therefore not exaggerated in light of clinical reports frequently seen in this field.

the sources

No named source held this one up — that absence is part of the verdict.