this is from my article
Bodybuilding.com - Layne Norton - A Unique Combination Of Science And Experience Based Pre-Contest Advice.
"I have heard it a hundred times. "I looked great the week before the show, but I looked "(flat, bloated, etc) or "I was holding too much water." People often believe they can trick their body by using extreme techniques the last week before the show that will make them look super shredded. The truth is, if one has dieted properly, what they do in the last week will not make or break their show.
Few people win a show by tricks they use in the last week of pre contest prep. However, many people lose a show by using these extreme techniques. These techniques I speak of stem from myths that have been perpetuated by bodybuilders who use large amounts of anabolic steroids.
These Methods Include But Are Not Limited To:
Drastic carb depletion followed by drastic carb loading.
Days of water depletion.
Massive potassium loading.
Laxatives.
Diuretics.
For bodybuilders who use large amounts of anabolic steroids, these methods are needed to shed water, as anabolic steroids will cause one to
retain large amounts of water extra-cellularly (outside the cell or subcutaneously). For a bodybuilder who doesn't use androgens, this type of preparation is a bit too extreme.
You can think of the body as a pendulum. It will stay in equilibrium unless pushed. You can push your body in one direction and you will experience a certain effect for a while, but eventually the pendulum will swing back in the opposite direction and you will experience the opposite effect.
For example, if one were to cut water intake drastically they would at first experience a great deal of water loss, but as the body senses water levels dropping, it will release anti-diuretic hormones which will cause the body to retain more water. On the other hand, in some cases we can use the body's reactions to our advantage. "
Many competitors practice the technique of water depletion. Water depletion consists of reducing one's liquid intake to practically nothing as they approach the contest. Not only is this practice very dangerous, it is also ineffective. Muscle tissue consists of 70% water.
If one restricts water intake drastically, they will lose muscle fullness and appear flat onstage. In addition, reducing water will increase the likelihood of muscle cramps while onstage (this happens quite frequently and is very embarrassing).
Some competitors believe water is what causes them to appear smooth. This is not the case. Water retention intracellularly (inside the cell) will cause one appear hard and full. Subcutaneous (under the skin) water retention however, causes one look smooth.
When the body senses a drastic restriction in water intake it will release anti-diuretic hormones that cause subcutaneous water retention. This makes physiological sense: the body senses it is not getting enough water and releases hormones that cause water retention to prevent dehydration. The result is muscles that appear look flat; from lack of water intracellularly, and soft; from retaining water subcutaneously.
The competitor's goal is to maximize intracellular and minimize subcutaneous water retention. Part of this can be accomplished via proper carbohydrate depletion and repletion as discussed earlier. However, to maximize the impact on the body's water distribution will require manipulation of sodium intake.
