It’s a subject that few wish to touch upon.

There’s a bit of a phenomenon going on in the bodybuilding realm, one that was never really present in the Golden Age of 70’s bodybuilding. The distended gut. It’s something that has grown more and more prevalent since the 80’s into the 90’s and beyond. But what the hell is the cause behind some of the distended abdomen that we see in current day bodybuilding? We have a list of theories on the matter.
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Food

Every bodybuilder knows that if they want to pack on size and muscle then diet is going to be a major factor. You’ve gotta eat big to get big is the school of thought and really, if you’re looking to compete on the pro level, then you’re going to have to eat and eat a whole lot. The problem with that is you’re packing your stomach with tons of carbs, proteins, and fats. It’s definitely not the major reason for distension, but it does have something to do with it. Unlike the competitors of yesterday, most bodybuilders in the open weight division are mass monsters weighing more than 250 lbs.

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Growth Hormone

Probably the biggest culprit behind the distended gut is none other than the usage of growth hormone. It’s a subject that many people want to avoid, but GH as well as steroids are definitely a part of the sport that won’t go away. To get to such a massive size it’s going to take more than just eating protein and lifting weights. The thing about GH is that it doesn’t just grow your muscles, but it can have an effect on your organs as well. The internal organs, in this case the intestines and the stomach, can grow along with your muscles causing the abs to push out and protrude.
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Insulin

Growth hormone on it’s own can cause the massive change in muscle growth, but once you combine that with insulin, then you’re going to see some major changes. Insulin became more and more popular in the 80’s and would prove to be an effective tool for getting blood flow into the muscles. This would provide great gains for any bodybuilder. When it’s combined with GH then the results end up being twice as effective. This goes for the muscle growth you’ll find in the abdominal wall and with the inclusion of GH the organs will push against the muscle and cause the stomach to bulge.

The distended gut seems to be a feature of the bodybuilder that’s here to stay whether you’re a fan or not. It may not be to everyone’s liking, but as long as opinions go unchanged then the look is likely to stick around. If you regulate your behavior it’s possible to avoid the gut completely, but there’s obviously a risk/reward factor involved that you must be willing to face.

What’s your thoughts on the distended gut? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

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