Anabolic diet

The Anabolic Diet made its entry into the world of sports nutrition and health in 1995, thanks to Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale. This Canadian doctor, who was a world-class powerlifter in the late 1970s, not only had a background in molecular biology and genetics but was also active in sports medicine and nutrition.

You may have already read numerous explanations and articles about Dr. Di Pasquale’s thought process behind the creation of the Anabolic Diet. Therefore, in this article, we will focus on more important and practical aspects of this diet that might be more beneficial to you.

According to Dr. Di Pasquale, the strategic increase and decrease in carbohydrate intake can lead to greater fat loss in the body while preserving as much muscle mass as possible. This makes the Anabolic Diet a favorite among many athletes who are concerned with losing weight without sacrificing muscle tissue.

In traditional diets, all three macronutrients—carbohydrates, fats, and proteins—are utilized, and in the Anabolic Diet, calorie intake is not restricted because the body needs calories to maintain muscle mass. Thus, in this diet, the body’s metabolism is altered in such a way that it burns body fat while consuming a normal amount of calories.

The Anabolic Diet consists of three main phases: the Stabilization or Induction Phase, the Bulking Phase, and the Cutting Phase.

Stabilization or Induction Phase: In this phase, calorie intake is equal to 18 times your body weight in pounds (one pound equals 454 grams). The goal of this phase is to adapt the body to a low carbohydrate intake and to stabilize it throughout the diet.

Bulking Phase: The primary goal of this phase is to reach your desired and ideal weight. According to Dr. Di Pasquale, to achieve the ideal weight, it is better to add 15% of your target weight (in pounds) after bulking. This is because the cutting phase follows the bulking phase, and this adjustment can make fat loss in that phase easier.

Cutting Phase: This is the calorie reduction phase, known in bodybuilding as the “cutting phase,” which typically occurs in the final days before a competition. During this phase, calories are reduced to shed fat, allowing athletes to get as lean as possible for the competition.

In the Anabolic Diet, it is recommended that during the cutting phase, calorie intake is reduced by about 500 to 1,000 calories compared to the induction phase. This phase should continue until the desired body fat percentage, usually less than 10%, is reached.

The Anabolic Diet is generally based on food cycling, meaning low carbohydrate intake during the weekdays and high carbohydrate intake on the weekends. This low-carb/high-carb cycle ensures that the body uses carbohydrates as its primary fuel and replenishes the energy expended during intense workout days on higher-carb days.