Under-fuelling is one of the most common issues I see among endurance athletes. It can lead to decreased performance, increased injury risk, and long-term health problems. Identifying the signs of under-fuelling is the first step in addressing this issue. But so many people miss the early warning signs and actually misinterpret them, pushing them further into the realms of energy deficiency.
1. Persistent Fatigue and Lack of Energy
Feeling consistently tired, despite adequate rest, is a classic sign of under-fuelling. As athletes, this can be a really difficult one to pay attention to; we EXPECT our training to make us tire, we EXPECT it to be hard and take its toll. But there is a limit where you simply aren’t recovering properly, where your battery just isn’t capable of recharging. Your body requires a certain amount of energy (calories) to support your training regimen. If your intake is insufficient, you’ll likely experience a lack of energy, both in and out of training. If you are under-fuelling, an unhappy coincidence might also be disturbed sleep, so you then have a double whammy impairing your recovery and energy levels between sessions.
2. Unintended Weight Loss
While adjusting body composition might be something you’re currently considering or working toward as part of a larger health goal, as an athlete, it’s important to get the balance right. Unintended weight loss is a sure-fire sign you’re not taking enough energy in to fuel your lifestyle and if this is the case, you’re probably starting to lose muscle and quality connective tissue and skeletal structure too. It’s important to note that not everyone will experience weight loss despite under-fuelling. Why? Well most athletes under-fuel by such a margin they end up in a less obvious cycle of “binge and restrict”, whereby they end up eating so much at one time after digging themselves into a whole, they almost compensate their way out of weight loss, without having had the benefits of fuel on board for specific sessions, or indeed getting any of the nutrient dense foods in they need.
3. Difficulty in Recovery
If you’re finding you’re just not recovering like you used to between sessions – perhaps that heavy legs feeling is worsening more than it should or simply persisting for longer than it should, it might be time to take a glance at your nutrition habits. Under-fuelling means you’ll be missing out on the essential building blocks to get the benefit from your training through rebuilding a stronger body.
4. Decreased Performance
This is a fairly obvious one, but if you’re trying to maximise the benefits of your tough training regimen, there is zero point in trying to get them done without having the fuel in the tank to push yourself. Likewise, on race day, same applies. If the results are slipping and it doesn’t match up with the training you’ve set yourself, take a little nosey at what you’re eating and seek advice as to how you could improve it to see the boost you’re looking for!
5. Increased Susceptibility to Illness
One of the tell-tale signs I see in athletes when they’re not getting enough nutrients in, is the repetitive strike down with every bug on the block. The immune system is one of the systems most greatly impacted by a lack of nutrition and so failure to feed yourself will often result in the frustrating signs of consistent and frequent illnesses that hamper your training efforts.
6. Changes in Mood and Concentration
We’ve all been hangry…but if this mood is seemingly more frequent or mood swings seem more obvious and turbulent, this could be a simple response from your body showing you you’re under-fuelled. Sadly, those around you might notice your increase irritability before you do…
7. Hormonal disruptions
For women, this could look like changes in regularity of menstrual cycles. But for both sexes, it can also look like low libido as sex hormones are held back while the body says “we have more important things to concentrate on guys!!”
Addressing Under-Fuelling
If you recognise any of these signs and think you might be under-fuelled, here’s where you need to start with getting your energy levels back on track:
- Increase Caloric Intake: This could be simply adding some additional snacks around training and/or increasing meal sizes. It can be useful to use a tracker when you first start out, just to get to grips with what actual calories and you-sized portions look like. Word of warning though, make sure you engage the right advice to make sure what you’re aiming for is the right target as most apps won’t properly assess your calorie targets given your active lifestyle, so it could leave you even more confused!!
- Monitor Your Health: Keep an eye on your weight, energy levels, and performance. Ultimately, this is what you’re looking to change. You could also consider some of the online blood testing services available such as sports blood tests for athletes and get the appropriate screening done to do a deep dive on any obvious deficiencies in sex hormones which could be a consequence of under-fuelling, or nutrient deficiencies which could also be rectified with dietary changes.. They can also give you support from sports-doctors and dieticians to give you the right advice if there is a problem found.
- Prioritise Recovery Nutrition: Consuming a mix of carbohydrates and protein soon after training can help kickstart the recovery process. Don’t feel you need to eat a big meal immediately post-training if you can’t stomach it, but recognise that actually eating ANYTHING just to get some calories inside you, will help you to fuel properly with real food and quality nutrients later on.
- Stay Hydrated: Water and electrolytes are too often overlooked as part of the nutrition puzzle. Being under-hydrated can also lead to symptoms similar to that of under-fuelling, whether it be fatigue, lack of focus or even GI symptoms.
- Rest and Recovery: Ensure you’re getting enough sleep and incorporating rest days into your training program to allow your body to recover fully.
Remember, nutrition is not just about eating; it’s about eating with purpose.
If you want to find out more about your own nutrition profile and perhaps how we could increase your energy levels and your performance, why not consider my 6 week nutrition booster? To get started, book in your FREE no obligation intro call here.