Hello Runner,
Welcome back to your weekly moment of endurance nutrition!
Happy Weekend!
How’s everything this week? I hope all is well with you!
I've had a good week, but with a few challenges! Tuesday was a public holiday in Catalonia, so even though I went for a run, it was a day that allowed me to rest.
Anxiety hit this week, but I think I managed to cope well!
Tomorrow is the Mercè race (10k) here in Barcelona, and I'm going to run it. Wish me luck :)
A common misunderstanding I come across far too often in my practice is athletes eating often throughout the day, but not eating ENOUGH!
This can stem from broad advice such as ‘eat every 2-3 hours’ or ‘increase the frequency of meals’, without further explanation of how these meals can be made to meet nutrient needs!
Unfortunately, Undereating is a common practice followed by athletes to achieve body composition goals.
The issue is that Undereating (or low energy availability) can lead to impaired coordination and concentration, decreased muscular strength, decreased training response, and, for females, can cause irregular or loss of menstrual cycle.
Not long ago, a client came to me complaining of fatigue and constant muscle pain, lack of motivation to start training, headaches, and cravings in the late afternoon.
We reviewed her food diary, and I came to some conclusions. But mainly that this client was undereating for her energy needs.
See the food diary below.
Now, the steps I took to help her meet her needs:
With a few small changes, we increased the energy density of this diet, adjusted the macronutrients, and included a recovery meal after long runs.
Now this client eats more, has more energy for training, recovers better, no longer feels cravings, has not gained weight, has less fatigue, no longer has headaches, and feels more motivated.
Plus, she continues to follow a healthy diet, which was what she wanted.
If you are struggling to hit your performance or body composition goals, it can be a good indicator that you’re not meeting your needs to support training demands.
Remember → eating often does not = eating enough.
Wishing you a great weekend and week ahead!
Here’s to health and good runs⚡️
Ana Paula Alonso