Hello Runner,

Welcome back to your weekly moment of endurance nutrition!

Happy Weekend!
How are you?

I'm doing well. My week has been pretty hectic. I worked a lot and trained well. I had to get everything done ahead of schedule because a nutrition conference was here in Barcelona yesterday, and it continues today. Plus, later today I have a 5-hour class focused on scientific articles.
The conference isn't about sports nutrition, but if there are any important insights on general nutrition, I'll share them in the newsletter soon.

Today I’ll talk about some signs that your training is overpowering your nutrition, and what to do to fix it.

When a runner transitions from preseason to in-season, it’s normal for training intensity to increase and become more consistent; they also start doing more training in zones 3, 4, and 5 and focus on performance and recovery.

The in-season phase is when runners must follow a stricter, more controlled diet; when they’ll test nutritional strategies for long races; when they’ll decide what to eat before races; in short… this is the crucial moment to finalize the plan for the big day.

During this season, runners give it their all in the races ahead. And it’s precisely during this phase that training can outpace nutrition, and things can start to go off the rails.

Some signs may indicate that your nutrition is falling short and isn't keeping up with your training.

Pay attention if:

Your easy pace starts to feel difficult, your intervals get slower, or you have trouble maintaining your planned running pace.

Inadequate carbohydrate intake can leave you without enough energy for demanding workouts (intervals, fartlek, and long runs).

Sometimes a runner is meeting their daily calorie goal but isn’t consuming the amount of carbs they need.

In addition, over time, an inadequate total energy intake can also interfere with recovery and adaptation.

What to do: Eat a meal or snack rich in simple, easily digestible carbohydrates before demanding sessions, and plan your nutrition (intra-run nutrition strategy) for longer runs (over 60 minutes).

Heavy legs, persistent pain, poor-quality sleep, and a feeling of exhaustion before your next workout may be signs that your recovery isn’t keeping up with the pace of your training.

Your body needs energy, hydration, and enough carbohydrates and protein to replenish energy stores and repair tissues, especially on non-training days.

On rest days, nutrition is just as important. Your body needs energy to recover properly and be ready for your next workouts.

What to do: Eat a proper meal (rich in carbs and protein) right after your workout, eat every 3–4 hours, and don’t be afraid to schedule a lighter day when fatigue sets in.

You may start well, but suddenly lose your rhythm, have trouble concentrating, or feel as if your legs have lost all their strength.

This can happen when your carbohydrate stores are insufficient to meet the demands of your workout. Even if you don’t feel the need, refuel. Waiting until you feel exhausted to start refueling is usually already too late.
Here, the rule takes precedence over your intuition.

What to do: Practice consuming carbohydrates during longer runs. A common starting point for sessions lasting about 1 to 2.5 hours is 30 to 60 grams per hour, adjusted to your needs and tolerance.

Recurrent injuries, persistent bone pain, frequent illnesses (colds), headaches, stress, irritability, 

and/or exceptionally slow recovery warrant attention. An inadequate diet during the in-season can compromise tissue repair, immune function, and bone health.

What to do: Do not continue training despite pain and recurring symptoms. Reevaluate your diet and training load, and seek medical advice if symptoms persist. Suspected bone stress injuries require immediate evaluation. 

Unexplained weight loss, feeling cold all the time, mood changes, menstrual irregularities, or reduced libido may indicate that your body is not receiving enough energy.

These signs can occur in runners of any sex. They should not be dismissed as an inevitable consequence of training hard.

What to do: Make adequate food intake a priority and seek support from a sports dietitian or healthcare professional if these changes persist.

Stay alert because underfueling does not always produce immediate symptoms. Sometimes, performance gradually declines while fatigue and injuries become more frequent.

Over weeks and months, persistent underfueling may impair training adaptation, affect hormonal function, and increase concerns about bone health and recurrent injuries.

The consequences can extend beyond the next training session. Prolonged problems may disrupt an entire training season, force us to miss races, or require a lengthy recovery period.

As training volume increases, your nutritional needs change too. Eating more on demanding days is to prepare properly. Don’t think this is a failure of discipline. 

If you are persistently tired, struggling to recover, experiencing recurring injuries, or noticing hormonal changes, please speak to a qualified healthcare professional. 

These symptoms can have several causes, and early assessment is important.

Let me remind you that good nutrition is not separate from training. It is part of training.

Scientific References

Any questions or something you would like to share? Drop me an email

Wishing you a great weekend and week ahead!

Here’s to health and good runs⚡️

Ana Paula Alonso