Last week we talked about some of the reasons why runners fall short in the fueling department. This week, I want to focus more on the physical and mental signs of underfueling. Our bodies have some obvious and not so obvious ways of telling us they need more energy, and being in tuned to what exactly they are can be super helpful in getting you back on the right track (pun intended!).
me well-fueled before a 10 mile race
You may be underfueling (intentionally or unintentionally) if:
You’re not sleeping well
Poor nutrition status and underfueling can greatly affect sleep and sleep quality. If you find you’re waking up a lot through the night, unable to fall asleep, or are woken up by hunger pangs, chances are your fueling may be off (by a little or a lot!). While I will always encourage my clients to eat when they’re hungry, even if it’s at 2:00 a.m., hunger in the middle of the night is usually a sign that you are missing key nutrients during the day.
You keep getting injured
This is a big one! We’ve talked a bit about how important refueling after runs is to help your body recover and rebuild for the next effort. Now, just think about what could happen if you consistently don’t refuel properly and regularly skimp on meals or snacks. Your body can become broken down, soft tissues more likely to become inflamed, irritated or torn, and bones much more likely to fracture. Chronic injury, especially stress fractures, are a good reason to take a look at and make changes to nutrition, and if needed, your relationship with food and your body.
Your period is irregular or has stopped all together
Full stop here. It is not ok to lose your period when you’re a runner. I’ve heard about some competitive runners or coaches saying that losing your period means “you’re training hard or doing things right” and this could not be further from the truth. Our periods are like a vital sign, and when they’re off can provide insight into what might be going wrong mentally or physically in the body. In the case of many female runners, periods stop because they aren’t eating enough to support their running and other body functions, and the reproductive system is one of the first to shut down to conserve energy for the more essential ones like breathing, digesting food and keeping your heart beating. Oftentimes disordered eating or eating disorders come into play here as well. If missing periods (called amenorrhea) and the reason why they are missing go unaddressed, you become at risk for bone loss, injury, poor cardiovascular health, mental health struggles, and infertility, to name a few. We’ll talk much more about periods and running in future posts.
You are cranky
Inadequate fuel also affects the brain and cognition, not to mention blood sugar. The brain needs a minimum of 150 grams of carbohydrate per day to function, and if you’re running a lot and restricting foods, it may not be getting what it needs to help you think clearly. Pile that on top of feeling “hangry” from hard runs, restriction and low blood sugar, and you’ve got yourself a very cranky, moody runner. All of which can greatly affect quality of life, but can easily be turned around with proper fueling.
Your runs feel terrible
Maybe this one is a no brainer, but bears repeating. If your runs are feeling consistently crappy, it’s time take a good look at your nutrition. Of course, this one could also be because of training demands or overtraining, but underfueling quite simply can result in your body not having adequate energy to run as fast or as well as you want it to. Running is supposed to be hard, but it shouldn’t feel insurmountably awful all of the time.
When to seek help
I will always advocate for seeking professional (i.e., a registered dietitian) help when addressing underfueling and the reasons why it may be happening. Even if you’re just really confused, and given the plethora of different kinds of nutrition information in the virtual world this is not uncommon, an RD can help you navigate through the noise and focus on what’s important for you.
For information about working with me, please visit my website!