Why bb'ers switch to fish before contest?

[guga]

I've watched waay too many videos with pros now to not notice that pretty much every single one of them switch from meat to fish the closer they get to a contest. Most recently I watched a video with Phil Heath on flex where he said he gets "thinner skin" by eating fish.

Is there some scientific explanation for this switching of protein sources? The only thing I can come up with is that the fish they eat has less fat in it than beef... but would eating really lean meat vs. fish make any difference? If so, why?

[Idealer]

I don't know. Fish is lower fat, and because of that less calorie dense. Higher in omega three which is associated with fat burning, heart health, insulin sensitivity, brain health and god knows how many other health benefits.

Like I said I don't know for sure. A lot of body building tradition seem to be just that, tradition.

[jeyna]

Certain types of fish are very lean and cheap sources of protein per gram. Fish tends to digest more easily than red meat so the stomach is not as prone to swollen stomach for the weeks leading up to a show, but as much as anything probably just because it has worked for many others for years so they follow what they are told...

[Armani]

http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/106/3/289.full

[Edz]

http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/106/3/289.full

I didn't know about the leptin sensitivity, neither the correlation between high leptin and cardiovascular disease. This is great, thanks!

[hulk]

"Consumption of cod and weight loss in young overweight and obese adults on an energy reduced diet for 8-weeks.
Ramel A, Jonsdottir MT, Thorsdottir I.
SourceUnit for Nutrition Research, Landspitali-University Hospital & Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland. alfons@landspitali.is

Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In a cross-European study it was recently shown that consumption of cod increases weight loss in men and also has other positive health effects. The aim of this study was to investigate whether cod consumption increases weight loss and improves cardiovascular risk factors in a dose dependent manner during an 8-week energy restriction diet in young overweight and obese healthy adults.

METHODS AND RESULTS: In this dietary intervention 126 subjects (20-40 years, BMI 27.5-32.5 kg/m(2)) comprised the group given energy-restricted diets (-30%); they were prescribed an identical macronutrient composition but different amounts of cod: the control group were given no seafood; group 1 were given 150 g cod 3 times a week; and group 2 were given 150 g cod 5 times a week. Anthropometric measurements and cardiovascular risk factors were assessed at baseline and endpoint. Body weight decreased after 8-weeks (5.0+/-2.9 kg, P<0.001), also waist circumference (5.0+/-3.2 cm, P<0.001), BMI (1.65+/-0.95 kg, P<0.001), systolic (3.4+/-8.9 mmHg, P=0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (2.4+/-6.9 mmHg, P<0.001), triglycerides (1.26+/-0.567 mmol/L, P=0.030) and insulin (1.21+/-5.31 mU/L, P=0.025). The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome dropped from 29 to 21%. According to linear models weight loss was 1.7 kg greater among subjects consuming 150 g 5x/week compared to the control group (P<0.015). The trend analysis supported a dose-response relationship between cod consumption and weight loss (P<0.001), but changes of other measured cardiovascular risk factors were similar between the groups.

CONCLUSION: A dose-response relationship between cod consumption and weight loss during an 8-week energy restriction diet is found and 5 x 150 g cod/week results in 1.7 kg greater weight loss in young overweight or obese adults than a isocaloric diet without seafoo"

Seems Cod fish works better than regular fish.