Bodybuilding: How to reduce anxiety and stress?

Few people can escape stress in our complicated modern lives. Nearly 2 out of 3 French people are stressed, according to a 2023 Ipsos survey. And athletes, for all their discipline and resilience, can't escape it either. Between intensive training, competitions, the pressure of goals and the constraints of everyday life, stress can be a major brake on training. And bodybuilding is no exception, making it difficult to gain or maintain muscle. Fortunately, there are effective strategies for managing stress and minimizing its effects. This is what we'll be looking at next.

Stress and bodybuilding don't mix

Chronic stress can be detrimental to muscle gains in bodybuilding because of its effects on the body, hormones and morale. When a person is stressed, the body releases cortisol, a catabolic hormone that breaks down muscle proteins for energy, reducing protein synthesis and muscle gain. High cortisol levels in athletes inevitably lead to reduced strength and muscle mass.

Chronic stress also leads to systemic inflammation, which impairs muscle recovery and promotes the onset of disease. There's a lot of talk about stress-induced illness, and it's no myth. Chronic stress degrades the activity of the immune system.

What's more, stress disrupts sleep, the importance of which for recovery is well known. Among other things, lack of sleep reduces the production of growth hormone (GH) - secreted mainly at night - a hormone essential for tissue regeneration.

Stress can also alter your appetite and disrupt the way you eat and your caloric intake, leading to under-eating - and difficulty gaining muscle - or over-eating - and fat gain.

To top it all off, stress affects motivation and training performance. Stressed athletes tend to be less regular and decrease the intensity of their sessions.

To optimize muscle gains, it's therefore crucial to manage your stress to minimize its deleterious effects on the body and maximize your results at the gym.

How to combat stress ?

Afterwards, you'll find practical, accessible solutions to reduce stress and anxiety in a sustainable way.

1 - Incorporate breathing and meditation techniques

We don't think about it right away, but the problem often starts in the head. To reduce cortisol, you have to act on the brain, not put too much pressure on yourself and not let yourself be overwhelmed by stress. Easier said than done!

Breathing techniques to calm the mind are particularly effective. These techniques slow down breathing, increase oxygenation and signal the brain to go into "rest" mode. For example, cardiac coherence and abdominal breathing are simple and effective methods for reducing stress.

- Cardiac coherence is a technique that involves rhythmic breathing (generally 6 breaths per minute, i.e. 5 seconds of inhalation and 5 seconds of exhalation) to synchronize heart and breathing rhythms. It balances the nervous system, reduces cortisol and promotes a state of calm. In practice, inhale deeply through the nose for 5 seconds, exhale slowly through the mouth for 5 seconds, all for 5 minutes. Use 3 times a day.

- Abdominal breathing is deep breathing that engages the diaphragm, inflating the belly on inhalation and retracting it on exhalation - the opposite of thoracic breathing. It activates the vagus nerve, stimulates the parasympathetic system, lowers the heart rate and calms the mind. In practice, lie down with one hand on your stomach. Inhale through the nose, inflating the belly (4 to 6 seconds), then exhale slowly through the mouth, drawing it in (6 to 8 seconds). Repeat for a few minutes.

Meditation is all about focusing on the present moment, and it's a powerful tool for reducing anxiety, releasing tension and promoting recovery. There are plenty of apps offering guided meditations for beginners. Give it a try! It doesn't take much time, but the impact on your stress and performance is far from negligible.

2 - Prioritize sleep and recovery

As you know, sleep is the time when your body rebuilds muscle fibers and regulates your hormones. Stress disrupts sleep and creates a vicious circle: the less you sleep, the more stressed you are, and vice versa. For athletes, sleep is not something to be neglected. Quality sleep reduces cortisol and increases testosterone and growth hormone (GH), thus muscle gain. Try to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep, and do what you can to improve the quality of your sleep. It's pretty simple to implement, at least less so than an optimized program or mass gain nutrition! Here's what to do:

• Go to bed and get up at set times. No screens at least 2-3 hours before bedtime, and no stressful activities. Relax! A hot shower, gentle stretching or reading.
• Don't play sports too late at night.
• For deep sleep, the room should be dark, cool (18°C) and quiet. A good mattress will prevent you from moving around too much and waking up "broken".
• In terms of nutrition, eat light and easily digestible food in the evening, and not too late! No coffee, tea, alcohol, etc.
• For supplements, melatonin, ashwagandha and magnesium can help.

Muscle recovery is also important. Build active rest days into your schedule to avoid overtraining, which amplifies stress.

3 - Exercise: the antidote to stress

For athletes, training is a powerful stress-reliever. Everything seems less serious after a good session of barbell squats or deadlifts! Any sport - including bodybuilding - releases endorphins, the feel-good hormones that make you more resilient. But be careful not to overdo it, as too much intensity can be counterproductive, especially if you're naturally stressed. Keep a balance in your practice. If you feel tired, achy or demotivated, take action by reducing your training. Normally, a well-structured program will include periods when you're pushing hard and others when you're taking it easy to recover.

In terms of training, the basic recommendations for sedentary people are to do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise (walking, yoga, cycling), 3 times a week; and/or a yoga or tai-chi type activity. If you're already an athlete, it's up to you to manage as best you can. For weight training, 3 to 4 sessions a week are sufficient. More is not recommended if you're in stress mode.

If you're not in the right mood for your sport, diversify your activities. Fed up with the gym? Opt for outdoor activities. Training outside (Street Workout Park) or running in nature brings a change of scene and exposes your body to natural light, which regulates your circadian rhythm and improves your mood.

To apply all this to your bodybuilding routine, here are a few ideas:

• Monday: Weight training (full-body) + 5 min of cardiac coherence beforehand.
• Tuesday: Mobility session + stretching.
• Wednesday: Full-body training + post-workout meditation.
• Thursday: Light cardio (walking or cycling, no more than 30 min).
• Friday: Full-body training + massage/wellness.
• Saturday: Rest and relaxation
• Sunday: Nature activities.

4 - Adopt "zero stress" nutrition

Eating a healthy, balanced diet - how simple is that? Eating a balanced diet is the key to training performance. To limit cortisol, you really need to make an effort at the table and limit junk food. Which junk food? Processed foods packed with fast sugars, saturated fats, alcohol and caffeine. These are bad for your figure, energy and blood sugar levels, and can even increase anxiety. We need to focus on quality foods, proteins: meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes, but without overloading because of the acid-base balance, vegetables and fruit, easily digestible cereals and legumes rich in fiber, good fats (olive oil, avocado, dried fruit, seeds, etc.)

For an athlete, diet influences energy, recovery and even mental state. The right diet can make a big difference. Swallowing too much sugar is bad for everyone, and can affect morale. Even children bottle-fed with sugar become restless, irritable and impulsive. They find it hard to calm down..

Certain nutrients are particularly effective in reducing stress. Here are the most effective:

• Magnesium: regulates cortisol and promotes muscle relaxation.
• Vitamins B6, B9 and B12: involved in the production of serotonin and dopamine, which regulate mood.
• Omega-3: reduces inflammation and fights stress.
• Vitamin C: lowers cortisol and boosts the immune system.
• Tryptophan: AA precursor of serotonin, promotes calm.
• Probiotics: good for the gut, positive for mood.
• Zinc: modulates stress and supports brain function.

Finally

For a sportsman or woman, stress is not just a mental issue; it has a direct impact on performance, recovery and sporting results. By adopting anti-stress nutrition, breathing and meditation techniques, quality sleep and a balanced approach to exercise, you can free yourself from stress.