Depletion and how it works

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DEPLETION

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Depletion and How it works

Depletion is the last and most important part in the preparation of an contest. The emphasis on a proper program should be "ENHANCING, CUTS, and DEFINITION without loss of MASS". This can easily be done using correct procedures. Depletion is used to force more water into the Muscle. There are two ways of pushing as much water into the cell as possible for a short period of time. (1 week); by altering the electrolyte to balance across the cell membrance so the water will go from extracelludar to intracellular (out to in) position carbing up effectively causing the body to absorb large amounts of glycogen with almost three times as much water. Let me make all this a little easier to understand. Carbohydrates turns into glycogen in the body. Glycogen is stored in the muscle for fuel and the muscle needs fuel to grow. When you take away the glycogen (crabs) from the muscle (this is done with cutting crabs and adding high protein) the muscle, like anything else will get paranoid. Now when you feed the muscle of something that it hasn't had for a couple of days, the first thing it is going to do is take more then it needs to satisfy. This is called "carbo loading".

On This Page
Carbo loading
Diet
Best Depletion
Helpful Tips
Protein
Posing Suits
Potassium loading
Sodium loading
Myths
Tanning Products
Training
Water Balance

Diet

It is generally agreed that if you diet too severely, you lose significant amounts of MUSCLE MASS, as well as some body fat, your metabolism slows down, and you burn less body fat. Because burning fat is a source of energy it will detour form intense work-outs.


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Protein

When you are carbing-up the need for large amounts of protein stops. A daily protein intake of 1 gram to 2.2 pounds of body weight should be sufficient. Because protein causes your basal metabolic rate to increase by 30% due to digestive stress, eat three light protein meals with Amino Acids or Liver Tablet between meals. Amino Acids and Liver Tablets will have very little effect on the metabolic rate because it does not require the digestive stresses.


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Timing

One depletion method will not work for everyone! If you listen to everyone's method on deletion you'll go crazy, plus may come in flat for your contest. Timing is everything in a depletion! Plan your diet, work-out routine, and depletion long before you begin, and stick to it with no changes. It might take two or three different depletions before you learn the right method that will work for your type of body.

Water Balance

There is no argument that excess subcutaneous water detracts from definition, but muscle is more than 75% water. Each gram of Glycogen, or Carbohydrate energy that your body stores as energy for muscle contraction binds with 2.7 grams of water. the more water you have in your body the bigger and harder you will look if you are able to force water into the muscle. The water balance across the cell membrance is regulated by the balance of potassium inside the cell to the sodium outside. When there is an excess of potassium, water is drawn into the cell. By reducing your sodium intake and taking potassium supplements you increase intracellular water. Because the body tries to maintain the potassium/sodium balance, when you restrict your sodium intake too long the body begins to excrete potassium to restore the balance. There fore you should only restrict your sodium for about three days before the contest.


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Carbo-loading

Glycogen depletion followed by glycogen replenishment, which is also known as carbohydrate loading, causes the muscles to increase their water content considerably. When glycogen replenishment is complete, the increased body weight may induce the muscles to feel heavy and stiff. When you have been training and dieting hard for a contest, your body will be glycogen depleted. The body is programmed to over compensate when there is a depletion. It will already be predisposed to store larger than normal amounts of glycogen that you ingest. With proper diet manipulation, you can exaggerate this over compensation ever further by first restricting your carbohydrates intake. Normally, the body stores about 2 grams of glycogen for every 100 grams of muscle weight. But when you become carbohydrate depleted and then take in carbohydrates it will then stored 4 to 5 grams of glycogen per every 100 grams of muscle weight. The results: BIGGER, HARDER, and more DEFINED MUSCLES. Because of the differences from one body to another, only generalizations can be made as to the amount of carbohydrates required to carb up. A 200 pound bodybuilder could use 5,000 to 6,000 carbohydrate calories over a 3 day period in preparation for a contest. The body cannot absorb excessive amounts of carbohydrates at one time. An acceptable rate would be 100 calories of carbs per hour. The body needs approximately 3 days to fully carb up. this means start on the 4th day before the contest. Eating an average of 100 calories of carbohydrates per hour over a 16 hour period will almost equal this amount. Because you will be striving to lower your sodium intake, make sure these foods are free or low in salt content the 3 days before the contest. Because of the extra carbohydrates, you should be drinking approximately three times as much water by "weight" as you are taking in carbohydrates. Use distilled water along with potassium tablets for the 3 days before the contest, and any excess water taken in will just be eliminated.

Water Balance

Glycogen is also stored along with potassium. Therefore, when dietary conditions encourage the depletion of the body's glycogen stores, potassium is also lost. The loss of potassium, which is an important electrolyte, can result in impaired performance and muscle cramping. So, if you go through periods of glycogen depletion, make sure that you maintain an adequate intake of potassium, as well as of the other essential vitamins and minerals. During the last three days before the contest you can take potassium supplements while on your low sodium diet to further create an imbalance. A 200 pound bodybuilder can take 99 mg, tablet 5 times throughout the day. Glycerol can also help glycogen storage. Gycerol is a natural body constituent that can help you superydrate, drawing water into your muscles and body. This product can be use during Carb loading or prior to competition to achieve maximum vascularity.


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Sodium Loading

When high levels of sodium are consumed the body conserves potassium in order to maintain a balance. Therefore, if you eat reasonably high levels of sodium a week before going on a low sodium diet you will naturally have high balance more pronounced. The movement of the water into the cells will be more pronounced. Sodium loading does not have to be excessive to work, and is not recommended for more than one week due to its association with disease like hypertension. Soy sauce is a natural source of sodium.

Training

Because training burns up large amounts of muscle glycogen, and this is what you are trying to store, back-off from heavy training. Starting on Sunday through Wednesday use high-rep training. On Thursday to Saturday switch to intense posing routines. Avoid heavy aerobic exercises.

Five Different Depletions

One piece of boiled skinless chicken every two hours for sixteen hours with one gallon of water per day. Two days before contest, eat no protein with high carbs such as: 1/2 baked potato w/skin, stream brown rice or fruit every two hours with 1 gallon of sodium-free water per day and one potassium tablet with each meal.

Keep proteins high with less carbs (one portion of protein to one portion of carbs) for one week before the contest with one gallon of water per day. Two days before contest eat no protein with high carbs such as: potato, fruit, vegetables with one gallon of sodium-free water per day.

Start depleting 10 days before the show. Protein deplete on 6 oz. of white tuna pack in water every three hours for three days with one gallon of water pre day. Carb up for two days with stream or baked potatoes and rice with one gallon of water per day for two days. Then deplete again the same way.

Begin seven days of deletion on Saturday. Eat 90% protein consisting of white tuna pack in water and white chicken such as breast and whey protein powder with 10% carbs such as fruit or fruit juices. Drink one gallon of water up until the last day. Then eat only carbs with no protein with one gallon of sodium-free water. Take one potassium tab with each meal.

One week before contest. High repetition workouts, high protein, low-carbs, high sodium, with light aerobes. Then three days before contest, no sodium, 10 glasses of distilled water, with potassium tablet with each meal a total of 5 a day. No weight training, only intense posing followed by light aerobics, and 100 calories of carbs per hour for approximately 16 hours per day. Two to three fat burners after each meal.

Helpful Tips

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Always drink at least one gallon of water everyday until the last couple of days then switch to distilled water. Distilled water is truly the only sodium-free water. Sodium retention water under the skin. Drinking a gallon of water a day not only flushes out toxins, but excess water under the skin as well. Since the muscle is mostly water, distilled will supply the muscle with more water, which is needed for that full look.

Never restrict water for more then two days. It could be fatal. When you are not supplying the body with fresh water it will hold onto water. Old water hold onto toxins that pass through our body on a daily bases, this causes water retention , which will give you that flat look.

Always use potassium and/or minerals with carbing phase or just before a contest. Potassium will not only work as a natural diuretic, but will also help irregular heartbeat, respiratory, muscle contractions and kidneys and prevent cramping.

Never use prescription diuretics. Strong diuretics not only deplete the water out of the body, but will deplete the water out of the muscle, which can leave you with a flat look.

Keep sodium fairly high during the beginning of depletion until the third day before your show. Sodium will help put water in the body. The last three days doing a sodium-free diet is a method call extracelludar to intracellular position (out to in).

Little to none amounts of dairy products the last three weeks before a show. Daily products not only contain high fats, but can bloat you up and cause gas.

Do not eat a new food or take a new supplement just before a contest. Different people often react differently to foods and supplements. New foods, supplements, and depletion methods should be tested weeks before an contest. Before a contest, eat just foods and take supplements that you know your body will handle well.

Add a insulin enhancer such as Chromium or Vanadyl Sulfate, along with Isoformin the last three days before a show. Increasing Carbs and insulin can help Vascularity, Muscle Pump, and keep the muscle hard and full.

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MYTHS that hasn't been proven to work

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Drinking wine before competition, this may or may not be affective. True alcohol does intensify heat, but not vascularity. True a alcohol will work as a diuretic the night before. True the sugar in the alcohol will probably give you a headache.

No sex before competition. One of the biggest myths yet. If anything one should continue intercourse up until the last day. Sex relieves stress & tension. Again remember every one is different, so if sex leaves you weak and drain, don't do it.

Drinking a lot of water can make you hold more water? Wrong - The more water you drink the less you retain.

No food the night before or the day of the contest. How can you possibly do intense posing, under hot lights, just after a depletion without fuel? Eating carbs the night before and just before the contest will give you much needed fuel for intense pose down. Fruit contain electrolytes were as candy bars don't. Just avoid dairy products, they might cause gas and bloating.

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This web site is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.


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