Yesterday at 9:54pm, an article by Jo Khan was published on ABC News under the health and wellbeing section. The topic of the article? What’s it about? In their opinion, although to the general public, bodybuilders may seem like health & in good shape, this is not reality. They first discuss what even is competitive bodybuilding, as many of their readers do not know. Their following section discusses the effect being stage lean has on the human hormones. Following this, a section dedicated to dehydration & exhaustion. Next is a section on mental health. The final section is a section talking about how bodybuilding isn’t for everyone, but has positives. All of these are interesting sections, so let’s begin.

Their explanation of what competitive bodybuilding is very good. They describe what typically goes on while competitors are on stage, and the typical cutting process prior to the show. It is said that the shorter prep time you give yourself, the worse it’ll be for your body, which is widely agreed upon in bodybuilding circles.

The next section discusses the effect being stage ready can have on human hormones. Many bodybuilding competitors diet so greatly that they approach essential body fat levels, which is the amount their bodies need to simply live. The impact this has on the female reproductive system is mentioned, along with how in natural males competitors, their natural testosterone levels can drop as a result.

The following section is discussing dehydration & exhaustion. It is common for bodybuilders to dehydrate themselves for a show to get the “dry” look, as the appearance of competitors holding water leads to a less conditioned look, hurting their overall physique;. It’s also mentioned how bodybuilders do not feel well mentally going into a show. This has been mentioned by Sadik Hadzovic before when he said to look your best, you have to feel your worst.

Following this, there is the discussion on the impact this has on mental health. It’s stated many competitors can feel empowered going on stage, while others can get body dysmorphia. On a related note, it’s been said that eating disorders can come as a result of competing, one place mentioning this is the iron culture podcast.

The final section is the potential benefits of competing. It is mentioned that there is a belief that if competitors slowly adjust, it can be done safely and improve the health of the individual.

Now time for what I think. Personally, I do not think it is some new discovery that bodybuilding is not healthy. Whether naturally done or with the help of PED’s, getting stage ready is not the best thing for the body to be doing. Many of the points in the article are valid and many competitors deny them. This article mainly discusses the impact of competing on natural competitors, enhanced competitors are a whole different level.

Thanks for reading everyone, I hope you enjoyed.

Article:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2019-05-01/bodybuilding-health-effects-dehydration-starvation-hormones/10971608