What’s the Difference Between Anabolic and Catabolic?

Over the past few years there have been many people who are starting to get excited with the new words in the fitness industry. Many people are starting to follow new and unique diet plans that require fasting, high carb intake and everything in between.

Anabolic is a new term that has been used to describe strength and power – similar to the effects that anabolic steroids would provide. On the other hand, these are terms used by sports scientists and exercise physiologist to maximize the strength and recovery of particular individuals.

Catabolic is another term that has more recently begun to enter the mainstream discussion.

The question is, how do these terms differ and what are the most effective ways to maximize your strength with this knowledge.

Anabolic vs Catabolic

These two terms may seem like they are similar but they couldn’t be more different. While anabolic is a term you should be shooting for during your training, I can wholeheartedly say that catabolic is something you will want to avoid.

Anabolic is a term used to describe the growth of tissues or cells.

When something is becoming anabolic it means it is growing at a very rapid rate. When we break this down into the discussion of muscle tissue development we see that anabolic is something we would want to shoot for.

I mean, who wouldn’t want to grow stronger with the use of anabolic gains?

Catabolic on the other hand is nearly the complete opposite. Technically the definition of catabolic is the breakdown of cellular tissue.

In other words, catabolism is the process of decreasing muscle development. Catabolic is something you would for sure want to avoid during your training.

Now that we have a basic understanding on the differences between anabolic and catabolic you may be wondering how you can maximize anabolism and avoid catabolism.

Here are the most effective ways to make the most of your anabolic potential, while limiting catabolic waste.

Eat Regularly

The importance of a regular stream of nutrition to your muscles is perhaps the most important aspect of any workout plan. You can work out as much as you want but without the food and complete nutrition to help you balance your intake of food you are no better than the average joe. In fact, a lack of nutrients could even make you enter into injury territory.

Eating on a regular basis with foods that are composed of clean sources of calories is essential to your success in the gym and in life.

Stay Hydrated

This is mostly to avoid catabolism. When it comes to catabolism a cell that breaks down tissue will always do better when there is a lack of hydration. You should always do your best to consume 3-4 litres of water daily and try to avoid high-sugar drinks as these will only serve to promote inflammation.

Supplement L-Glutamine

There is perhaps no better amino acid to supplement to help limit catabolic detriments. L-glutamine has the unique benefit of limiting muscle wasting. In other words, glutamine helps to stop you from entering a catabolic state by proving the muscles with a base level of fuel to push the workouts.

Supplementing with a complete supplement that features l-glutamine in a dosage of around 3-4g is perfect for ensuring that you are not entering a catabolic state and you can enjoy training to your limits.

Fasting Can Be Good

This is a question that a lot of the keto and intermittent fasting people have for the strength community. When it comes to powerlifting and strength training you really will not be able to maximize your potential on a high-fat diet, but you can still do pretty good.

Fasting in this sense could be a good way to maximize anabolic gains from the perspective of fat loss. It is important to note that consuming a high-fat diet that contains more fat than carbs can cause you to enter a temporary catabolic state as the muscles search for the energy they can use to power contractions.

Avoid Sodium

This is an obvious one, but sodium really has a relatively unimportant role to play in the body. Yes, there is a certain amount of sodium that may be required to help with sodium balance in the body, but an overconsumption of sodium (like most people have from processed foods) can lead to dehydration and entering a catabolic state.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Perhaps the most important aspect of avoiding catabolism is to get plenty of sleep. I can never emphasize the overall importance of sleep in your strength and life.

Sleep is the main mode of recovery for your body – without proper sleep, your body will struggle to perform in the gym and eventually will begin to start entering a catabolic state.

This catabolic state will become harmful to your body and will become a huge detriment to your overall strength and muscle development. Do yourself a favour and try to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night – perhaps, even more, depending on your workouts and diet.

Try An Anabolic Alternative

If you are super keen on making strength gains and really want to maximize your anabolism but are not interested in anabolic steroids it could be time to try an alternative.

There are a bunch of products available online, but when it comes to anabolic gains without any of the nasty side effects on of the top products will always come with Testogen. Not only does this product contain ingredients that are built to elevate testosterone levels, but it also contains essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals to balance hormones and allow for the best possible growth.

Avoid catabolism and boost anabolic gains with Testogen. You can find more information about Testogen here.

Bottom Line

Those of you who have been looking into all the various ways to build muscle and develop a stronger foundation may start to realize that there is a little more to it than just working out.

Yes, training hard is important, but the fuel you put in your body and the rest you provide will serve as the real bread and butter to success.

Do your best to avoid processed foods, sleep 8 hours a night, supplement with glutamine – do anything and everything you can to maximize your strength, because at the end of the day, when you hit your new personal best all this hard work and diligence will be worth it.

Related: Turn your body into an anabolic machine with the power of nutrition!

Gabriello Ianniruberto

Gabriello is a writer and strength expert best known for his science-based and practical approach to Exercise Physiology, Nutrition and Strength. After serving in a directors position for The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Gabriello moved towards writing to help more people understand the importance of living a healthy life. Gabriello’s writings have been published in several languages on some of the largest health and fitness websites helping people learn, grow and understand the complex components of optimizing human performance in a simplistic way.

Gabriello also takes on specialized, high-performance athletes who are in need of strength, mobility and conditioning programming to optimize their fitness through his Earned Fitness program.

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