30 Seconds SummaryShould you program diet breaks while cutting?
- Diet breaks during cutting are often believed to enhance muscle retention, fat loss, and diet compliance, but a new study challenges these claims.
- The study involved 54 strength-trained women on a 6-week high-protein fat-loss diet, split into two groups: one with diet breaks and one continuous diet.
- Both groups trained 3 times a week, with similar total training volumes, but the diet break group trained for 2 additional weeks with reduced session intensity.
- Results showed no significant differences in body composition, resting metabolic rate, or most eating behaviors between the continuous diet group and the diet break group.
- Minor findings suggest diet breaks might reduce 'disinhibition', potentially aiding long-term diet adherence, but this result is considered unreliable.
- Overall, the study suggests diet breaks merely pause diet progress without offering benefits in metabolism, hormones, or body composition.
- Recommendation: Instead of incorporating diet breaks, adopting a slower, more consistent dieting pace may be more beneficial for body recomposition.
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Menno Henselmans
