Hello Runner,

Welcome back to your weekly moment of endurance nutrition!

Happy Weekend!
How was your week?

I had a good week. It felt like it went by really fast.
Last weekend, I went to the conference I mentioned in my previous email and attended a workshop on scientific articles. It was intense, but necessary.

The conference was a good opportunity to learn about nutrition brands from Spain and some REALLY interesting products, but I thought the presentations were pretty weak. Oh well, you can’t have it all in this life.
Besides that, I worked a lot this week and kept up with my training.

Today I'm going to talk about another mistake that many runners make, which is eating less (that is, creating a calorie deficit) on rest days (or on days when they don't have a running session).

Whenever I start working with a runner, not only do I notice that they don't eat enough carbohydrates, but I also notice that many of them skip meals on their rest days. And that's a BIG mistake.

A rest day might involve fewer kilometers (after all, we still need to walk), less sweating, and a lower immediate energy expenditure, but the body is still repairing tissues, replenishing fuel stores, adapting to training, and preparing for the next session. 

And all of these processes also need fuel to take place. Along with rest, restorative sleep, adequate hydration, and low stress levels.

The most recent scientific evidence, including the International Olympic Committee's 2023 consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), supports an approach to nutrition that provides enough energy across the training cycle, not just on days when an athlete is running.

Runners do not necessarily need the same number of calories every day. Energy needs can change with training load. However, rest days should not automatically become low-calorie days, and runners should not deliberately underfuel simply because they are not exercising that day.

This is how I explain it to the runners I work with:

Eating less than you need on rest days

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affects your body’s recovery  

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which will affect your next workout

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and will create a vicious cycle that will prevent you from making progress.

→ Once my runners understand why they need to eat well on their rest days, they take their meal plan more seriously.

Of course, when we have a personalized plan tailored to our needs, everything is easier. But there are three foolproof rules that runners who don’t (yet) have a plan can follow to avoid nutritional deficits on their days off.

Do not automatically skip breakfast, miss lunch, or remove your usual snacks just because you are not running. A consistent pattern of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks as needed makes it easier to meet your daily requirements.

Make meals satisfying by combining carbohydrate-rich foods with protein. 

Carbs: bread, oats, rice, pasta, potatoes, couscous, and fruit.

Protein: meat, eggs, yogurt, fish, tofu, and legumes.

This supports glycogen restoration, tissue repair, and overall energy intake.

If you struggle to eat enough, keep easy options available. 

Try yogurt with honey and granola, a banana with peanut butter, toast with eggs and avocado, or a smoothie made with milk and fruit.

You don't need to count every calorie. Focus on eating enough, choosing a variety of nourishing foods, and listening to your body's needs.

Your food intake doesn't need to be the same every day. You might need more energy on a long-run day than on a lighter day.

A rest day isn't a day to starve yourself or punish yourself for eating more during training, nor is it an opportunity to deliberately create an energy deficit. 

Your body is still recovering from the work you've already done and preparing for what's next.

Remember that food supports your health, your recovery, and your ability to keep doing what you love.

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