Understanding Hunger Cues, Mindful Eating and What that Means for Runners
Listening to your hunger is important. Being mindful about what and when you eat is also important. And both are things I work with clients on all the time.
The practice of “mindful” and “intuitive eating” has become a topic of interest in both the runner and nutrition world over the past few years. And while I subscribe to many of their core concepts and helping clients to practice them IRL (here’s a great article that dives into both), I thinks it’s important – as with anything – to know that it’s not the only way to do things nor is it right for all occasions.
As runners and endurance athletes, we have different needs than the general public. Sometimes we need to eat when we aren't hungry to get the most out of our training. Let me say that again: it's OK - and often even necessary - to eat when you aren't hungry.
Why? If you only listen to your hunger cues to eat, you may miss out on multiple windows of opportunity to enhance recovery post workout or to optimize your workout performance. If it feels weird or uncomfortable, it's OK. TBH it's absolutely normal to not have much of an appetite before or after some bouts of training. But recognizing when to eat and how it will impact your training can make or break your success and longevity in the sport.
Here are some real-world examples:
Scenario 1: you wake up and have a hard workout planned first thing in the morning (hello track Wednesdays!). Or you plan to workout hard right after work around 4pm - and lunch was at 12 pm. Skipping breakfast or even a pre workout snack means skipping the chance to get the most out of that workout by exercising on empty. And possibly putting your body under additional added stress it doesn’t need.
Scenario 2: you know you should fuel up ASAP post workout. But you feel nauseous, like eating is the last thing you want to do or you are too tired or busy to care. Stop! It's completely understandable to not want to eat after a particularly tough workout or long run. Your body hasn't been too focused on the gut during exercise as it's prioritized getting the blood and oxygen you need for exercise to the muscles to WORK. But fueling up - with carbs plus protein and re-hydrating - in the first 30 min to 1 hour - is essential to assist with recovery and those much desired training adaptations. Skip it and you put yourself at risk of under-fueling, injury or even illness.
This doesn’t mean you have to stick to a strict eating schedule or plan. It just means recognizing when you need to eat to properly fuel for and recover from training and when it’s more appropriate to listen to your hunger cues and be more mindful.
So what the heck do I mean by hunger cues? Is your stomach growling? Are you low on energy? Do you feel shaky, have problems focusing or are you irritable (i.e., hangry)? These are all classic hunger cue signals. Experience any of these and it’s most likely time for a snack or meal!
Here's what I recommend: definitely check in with your hunger levels and be as mindful as possible during regular mealtimes. That means turn off the TV. Put the phone away. And take the time to really enjoy what you are eating. But also remember to take into account workout timing and refueling as part of the bigger picture when training. If you are hungry, eat. And if you aren't but you know you should, also eat. Your body will thank you!
If you struggle with mindfulness, understanding hunger cues, or knowing what/when/how much to eat pre-, during and post-workout, then as always – reach out! I’m currently accepting new clients and would love to work with you!
Mindfully enjoying one of my favorite’s: ice cream!