How do I know if I am under-fueling?

How do I know if I am under-eating?

As runners, food is our fuel. It provides us the energy we need to consistently put in the training and make progress in our fitness. But it can be hard to know how much food we need for the amount of training we are doing and if we are eating enough to maintain a healthy body that can carry us for miles and miles while we all do the thing we love…running!

The reality is that under-eating, intentional or otherwise, can cause changes in our body, mood and thinking. Most people assume losing weight or having a “visible” change in your physical appearance is the only sign of under-eating, but there are other changes you might notice irrespective of weight change.

There are a few signs of under eating in runners that I want to break down for you.

Lower immunity

If you are someone who is constantly fighting sickness, whether it be a common cough or a cold, this could be a sign that you are not consuming enough calories for the output you are giving. With less energy, our immune systems can become compromised and unfortunately can’t fight against illness as well as they should. This is an obvious sign you should check in on your fueling strategies in and around training.

Change in performance in your sport

None of us like to feel as though we are plateauing in our performances. If you’re putting in consistent training but aren’t seeing any results, or potentially are even declining, this can be a message that you aren’t fueling your systems the way they need to be to reach their potential. So if you’re seeing that flatline in progress, reassess both training and nutrition and don’t miss out on the gains.

Poor concentration and lower mood

Our food is not only our energy source for our physical performance but for our mental ability too. If we are under-fueled, our ability to process and regulate emotion and concentration can become sacrificed. If you’re someone feeling frustrated with your inability to stay focused, it might be a signal to check in on your input vs output of energy.

Frequent injuries

Injuries are a big one when it comes to underfueling as a runner. Especially if you’re increasing your intensity and mileage but not increasing your energy, you’re putting your body at risk from both an underfueling and overtraining (in terms of not recovering well from a lack of nutrition) perspective. Are you seeing the physio regularly? Are you constantly sore? Assess your food intake and consider increasing it to help prevent future injuries.

Poor recovery time between runs

Nutrition is a recovery aid and if we are not providing our bodies with an adequate amount of it, we are sacrificing the necessary recovery between training sessions. Signs to look out for is taking longer than usual to back up training, not feeling motivated or energised to complete training sessions, or constantly feeling tired in training from the previous run.

Deficiencies

Due to the limited nutrition that is available to the body, it is common to see women runners falling into states of deficiencies, such as iron deficiency.  When we are in training and clocking up miles, our bodies are put under intense pressure, and if we are not replacing or refueling throughout the training block, it can occur that we lose the ability to absorb or process key minerals. Iron deficiency is unfortunately incredibly common amongst women runners, but it is important to look at your overall energy intake when working through the causes of an iron deficiency.

A change in your cycle

Lastly, and importantly, a sign of underfueling for women runners can be interruptions or a complete loss of period. As the female endocrine system is so reliant on our energy systems, if there is a lack of fuel being supplied to the body, the endocrine system can become inconsistent and cause irregularities in our hormone function, and our periods. As a naturally menstruating woman runner it is key that you track your cycle and if you begin to see any irregularities in length, check in on your training load and nutrition. If this continues it is important to seek professional support from a women's health expert.

RED-s

All of the above can be warning signs of under-fuelling, with long term under-eating leading to a condition called relative energy in sports, or RED-s, which requires treatment from various health professionals (usually sports clinicians, a sports Dietitian, physiotherapist and often a psychologist).

A question that can be valuable to ask yourself if you are not sure if you are eating enough is “would I be happy if someone I was responsible for was eating what I am in a day, and doing all the things I do every day?”. Most people have the confidence to feed someone they love but can struggle to make decisions about feeding themselves.

Nutritional Requirements

Everyone has different nutritional requirements and training goals. So it is difficult to give nutrition advice prescribing “enough” food for you in this format. Looking at your own diet, ask yourself:

• Do you eat every 3-4 hours or are you skipping meals/snacks?
• Do you eat during exercise sessions longer than 60 minutes?
• Do you restrict specific food groups?
• Do you have diet limitations such as vegan eating which might make it more difficult for you to eat enough?

If the questions above raise concern for you then it could be worth seeking support from a Dietitian who can help you with a diet assessment and action plan to fuel your potential. And remember, there is nothing more empowering than reaching your goals and fulfilling your potential. Food is fuel for achieving those future dreams and goals.