It’s episode 208 and yes, you’re right, that means it’s been four years of episodes coming out weekly, every single . And guess what? In typical iron culture fashion, we completely forgot it was our 4 year anniversary while we recorded this episode. But, dear listener, that’s because we were totally focused on YOU, bringing you the latest news in the iron game, from the final Sheffield roster now that the wildcard picks are complete, to the recent USPA controversy, to a new study published on physique contest preparation. Next week, we’ll have our belated 4 year anniversary, but this week you get to enjoy another MONSTER episode.

00:00 Intro: what is it? Reviewing reviews

07:50 Revisiting/clarifying menstrual cycle-based approach to training

Iron Culture Ep. 207 - Is Menstrual Cycle Periodization Evidence-Based? (ft. Lauren Colenso-Semple) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esHslB5IOQA

16:32 Back to the reviews

24:00 A detailed IPF Sheffield Powerlifting Championships 2023 summary and update

52:04 The bad news in Powerlifting… 

1:02:57 Intermission with another 5-star review

1:05:26 THE STUDY: Physiological adaptations during contest preparation

Helms Isola 2023 Weight loss induces changes in adaptive thermogenesis in female and male physique athletes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36645885/

Eric’s ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eric-Helms-2

1:24:00 What Eric would like to see in this area of research

de Moraes 2019 Carbohydrate Loading Practice in Bodybuilders: Effects on Muscle Thickness, Photo Silhouette Scores, Mood States and Gastrointestinal Symptoms https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31827362/

1:31:48 Closing out