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Julio Lopez

Professor Oscar Martinez

English 1301-108

November 19, 2023

Analysis of rhetorical strategies used in Achieving an Optimal Fat Loss Phase in

Resistance-Trained Athletes: A Narrative Review

Simultaneously losing fat while gaining muscle is one of the most commonly desired

objectives in bodybuilding. Both bodybuilders and sports nutritionists often debate on what the

best methods are to lose fat and reduce the amount of muscle mass that is lost during the

weight-loss phase. “Achieving an Optimal Fat Loss Phase in Resistance-Trained Athletes: A

Narrative Review” by Ruiz-Castellano and colleagues, written in 2021, is a narrative review that

focuses on finding the best strategies for the loss of fat mass in resistance-trained athletes.

Ruiz-Castellano and colleagues effectively argue their positions on the best methods for the loss

of fat mass by using several rhetorical strategies including using data from other experts and

researchers, listing off the databases used to conduct research, and specific vocabulary targeting

bodybuilding and sports nutrition communities.

The article brings in data from other experts and researchers in order to appeal to the

reader and establish the credibility of the data shown. In the materials and methods paragraph,

the authors mention that the information researched and gathered for the article was found in

several databases; later on in several paragraphs the article mentions some of these research

articles when discussing a certain topic. To cite data from another expert the article includes the

name of the expert and the topic that their research focused on; this allows for the seamless

integration of the data while showing the information that the authors of the article gathered to
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reach their final conclusions. An example of this comes from the article’s section on protein:

“Another reason high-protein diets are proposed for a fat loss phase is their effect on satiety

[70,71]. Dhillon et al. published a recent meta-analysis in which they concluded that high-protein

meals increased the feeling of fullness to a greater degree than meals lower in protein [72].” The

way in which this data is organized and presented to the reader of the article allows for the

successful integration of an expert’s data, adding to the credibility of the essay

The article includes a list of the databases used in order to further prove the credibility of

their research. The materials and methods section of the article includes a list of the databases to

establish where they got their information from; furthermore, the article adds to the credibility of

the research by informing the reader the use of reference lists were employed to further

investigate the selected papers. This information can be seen in the following statement: "A

structured search was carried out in the PubMed, Epitesmonikos and Scopus databases, using

descriptors as the Medical Subjects Headings (MeSH), entry terms and natural vocabulary

related to the aim of the study (Appendix A). In addition, reference lists were used for further

search of the selected papers for related references.” The inclusion of the name of the databases

used also allow for further credibility to be established and the power for the reader of the article

to establish for the credibility of the article themselves. This information effectively settles any

doubts the reader might have had about the credibility and reliability of the research that was

used for the article.

The article uses vocabulary that is familiar to the specific bodybuilding and sports

nutrition community in order to establish trust and reliability. The use of certain vocabulary

specific to the bodybuilding and sports nutrition communities ensure the article appeals to

athletes who practice resistance-training and people who take interest in sports nutrition while
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providing the reader with the illusion that the authors of this article have experience in the field.

The article also mentions the vocabulary they are using and where they got it from in the

materials and methods paragraph indicating that the authors of the article have also done their

research. Several instances of this vocabulary can be seen throughout the article such as “fat

mass”, “exercise activity thermogenesis”, “resting metabolic rate”, “branched-chain amino

acids”,and so on. By using this vocabulary, the authors of the article can be sure to appeal to their

intended audience and establish their credibility by ensuring they have some knowledge of the

vocabulary that is used in the bodybuilding community and sports nutrition community.

“Achieving an Optimal Fat Loss Phase in Resistance-Trained Athletes: A Narrative

Review” by Ruiz-Castellano and colleagues, is an article which focuses on providing the best

nutritional strategies for the loss of fat mass in resistance trained athletes. Using several

rhetorical strategies, the article is able to appeal to the intended audience and establish the

credibility of the author and the evidence which was used to reach their final conclusion. The

article utilizes data from other experts to appeal to the reader and establish the data's credibility;

the data also provides the background to how the conclusion of the article was reached, further

enhancing its credibility. The article provides the list of databases which the authors used to find

the research for their articles; additionally, the article informs the reader that an extended search

into the credibility of the article was done via reference lists. The article utilized vocabulary

which appeals to the bodybuilding and sports nutrition community to enhance its appeal towards

the article's intended audience, and give the illusion that makes the authors of the article sound

experienced. The rhetorical strategies used allow the article to garner more attention from the

bodybuilding and sports nutrition communities by establishing the article as a reliable and
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credible source. The rhetorical strategies used also allow the authors to argue their position on

what they believe are the best methods for the loss of fat mass in resistance-trained athletes.
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Work cited

Ruiz-Castellano, Carlos, et al. "Achieving an Optimal Fat Loss Phase in Resistance-Trained

Athletes: A Narrative Review." Nutrients, vol. 13, no. 9, 2021, pp. 3255. ProQuest,
https://go.openathens.net/redirector/tamiu.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/
achieving-optimal-fat-loss-phase-resistance/docview/2576470753/se-2,
doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13093255.