The Study
Effects of fat loss and low energy availability on the serum cardiometabolic profile of physique athletes
This study watched a group of athletes as they lost fat and ate less, then saw what happened to their blood. It found that their blood changed in good ways while they were dieting—but that doesn’t mean dieting caused those changes. Something else, like how much they slept or how stressed they were, could have caused it too.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
When athletes cut calories and train hard to get lean, their 'good' cholesterol goes up and inflammation goes down — but only while they're dieting.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 566 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1These changes are good for heart health while they last, but since they disappear after weight regain, the diet doesn't give lasting benefits — it's like a temporary glow-up.
- 2Body fat dropped 19.5% → 8.3%.
- 3HDL cholesterol and particles increased.
- 4VLDL triglycerides dropped 78% with fat loss.
- 5After eating more for competition, triglycerides shot up.
- 6After 5 months of eating normally again, everything went back to normal.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
Year
2024
Authors
I. Jouhki, H. V. Sarin, M. Jauhiainen, T. O’Connell, V. Isola, J. Ahtiainen, J. Hulmi, M. Perola
Related Content
Claims (5)
When physique athletes consume more energy during competition week, triglyceride levels rise rapidly in all types of lipoproteins, including HDL, even as other cardiometabolic markers improve, showing that lipoprotein triglycerides quickly respond to short-term increases in energy intake.
When physique athletes lose fat, their HDL and VLDL cholesterol levels improve temporarily, but these levels return to their original state after 5 months of regaining weight, showing no long-term improvement in heart and metabolic health from short-term dieting.
When physique athletes lose body fat, a blood marker called glycoprotein acetyls, which indicates low-grade inflammation, goes down and stays low for at least a week even after they eat more calories, showing that this marker reflects body fat levels more than recent calorie intake.
In physique athletes following a 5-month fat-loss diet and exercise plan, levels of protective cholesterol particles rise, harmful fat-carrying particles and inflammation markers fall, and this change is linked to a reduction in abdominal fat.
When physique athletes lose body fat, a decrease in abdominal fat is linked to higher HDL cholesterol, larger HDL particles, and lower VLDL triglycerides.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.