Is Your Beach Body Killing Your Performance?

Apr 8

Whether you participate in elite athletics or you are a weekend warrior, it is important to consider how alterations in your diet can impact your training and performance goals.

It is the time of year where the sun is out, beach towels are calling, and all of a sudden your social media fee is packed with “six-week shred” programs and “beach body diet” secrets. We have all seen the transformation photos and had that sneaking thought of “maybe I should follow this because I do want to look like that…” It is tempting. I know. DON’T DO IT.

Before you start following that individual and letting your self esteem slip every time you scroll across their page, let’s talk through this one. The standard “beach body routine” is lying to you. And if you fall for it, it isn’t just your summer photo-op at risk — it is your entire competitive season, your performance, and your long term health! Let’s dive into the BS…

The Problem with “Aesthetic” Diets for Athletes

What makes a diet good for aesthetics and performance are often fundamentally different.

The standard beach body routine that is being sold to you online is often extreme, short-term, and highly restrictive. The goal of this diet is rapid fat loss and is built around severe caloric deficit. This works for shrinking your body, sure. But at what cost?

Don’t crunch your carbs
“Carbs are the enemy” is typically the mantra of these quick-fix fat-loss diets. But as an athlete Carbs are your primary energy source. Especially if you are a high-intensity athlete doing explosive movements and needing to sustain endurance for more than 60 minutes, carbs are king! When you drastically slash carbs you deplete your carbohydrate stores in the body which leads to the infamous “bonk”. Sure, you might look a little leaner by cutting carbs, but your training intensity crashes. Your 5k time slows Your vertical jump height drops Your recovery is garbage. You aren’t a leaner, better athlete. You are a hungry and tired one.
Bye bye muscles
While most of these diets will push protein, the extreme caloric restriction puts your hard-earned muscle in a precarious spot. When your body is in that big of a deficit, it doesn’t just tap into fat for energy the way these diets claim. Another fuel source that your body uses is muscle and it LOVES to break down this highly metabolic tissue when it thinks it is starving. As an athlete, why the heck are you doing all of those grueling workout sessions in the name of building muscle just to break it down?? Not only will you be sacrificing your gains, you are also increasing your risk of injury. Doesn’t seem like a worth while trade off to me.
Hangry much?
Your hormones are a sneaky consequence that none of those “get shredded” diets ever acknowledge. Severe, long-term caloric restriction is a stressor. Your body literally thinks it is starving. And your body responds to this kind of stress by raising cortisol. That same influencer giving you their “six quick steps to a six pack” is probably also talking about cortisol somewhere in their channel…but refusing to admit that their diet plan is actively increasing yours!
Elevated cortisol does a lot of fun things like increasing fat storage (specifically around your midsection), interfering with restorative deep sleep, and suppressing testosterone. In women, this can lead to irregular menstrual cycles which is devastating to bone health. As if all of that wasn’t enough your mood will also tank, you feel burned out, and recovery is non-existent. Long-term you are going to reduce your training capacity and potentially create health problems.

Elizabeth, I Hear you BUT I Want Those Abs!!!

Have your cake and eat it too! You can have a great physique and optimal performance. You just have to be smarter on your approach and not fall for the gimmicks that seem too good to be true.

1. Make Carbohydrates Strategic, Not Taboo

Instead of cutting carbs, learn to fuel for the work you have coming up. This means eating more carbohydrates on heavy training days and a smaller portion on rest or light days. The quality of carbs matters as much as if not more than the quantity. Swap your potato chips and fries for sweet potatoes, rice, and whole grain crackers.

2. Optimize, Don’t Restrict

Instead of focusing on what you need to removed, focus on what you can add to optimize your performance. “I need 25-30g protein after this workout” “I need to get enough antioxidants through fruits and vegetables”. Taking an addition mentality instead of a subtraction mentality can help you to fill up on more of the good stuff!

3. Listen to Your Body, Not an Influencer

A good diet feels good. It should give you consistent energy, fuel powerful workouts, and aid in recovery. If you are constantly irritable, exhausted, or sore your diet is not a good one! I don’t care what the scale or mirror says, your body is a more important metric to listen to!

Looking Good is Only a Small Part of Being at the Beach

That “perfect” beach body achieved through an unsustainable and restrictive diet is temporary. For an athlete, it is also a trap that leads to long term performance declines, increased injury risk, and potential health consequences.

You are not a fitness model whose job is to look a certain way. You are an athlete, and your job is to do a certain thing — run faster, jump higher, lift more, and perform at your absolute best.

Even if you do achieve that temporary beach body, are you truly able to enjoy the beach if you are tired, irritable, and injured? Instead why not fuel for performance and longevity while also feeling energized and having fun doing it? It is your choice but I know which one I would choose…