Long Distance Running and Appetite

ksludwig

Runner Question: yesterday I did 9 miles (my longest to date :bigsmile: ). It was a warm evening and when I got home I was not really hungry. I ate what I could, drank 2 bottles of water, and felt like I was about to burst. In the past, when this has happened after a long run, I have woken up starving the next day. This morning I woke up feeling hungry, but no more than normal. I know I did not eat enough calories last night to compensate for what I burned. My thought is maybe the hunger will hit me later today?

Did you experience this when you began running longer distances? Any tips or pointers from the distance runners out there?

BrianSharpe

I find it varies from run to run.

When I was training for my half marathon my long Sunday runs got up to around 20km. I prefer to run in the morning so I'd have some toast & peanut butter a couple of hours before heading out and used a couple of energy gels on the longest runs and there were a couple where I was famished when I got home and a couple where I wasn't. Typically I was less hungry on warmer days (I find I eat less in the summer in general)

Monitor how you feel, if you're feeling more fatigued than usual by this evening you'll know why. It might not hurt to try and consume some extra carbs at lunch today just to make sure you're replenishing your glycogen stores.

Congrats on hitting 9 miles!

ksludwig

Thanks for the feed back!

jacksonpt

I think it varies person to person, but for me, the longer and more intense the workout is, the longer it takes for me to feel hungry. After a serious race it can take several hours before the thought of food doesn't make me want to puke. But once I do get hungry, I can eat a house!

rybo

Mine varies also. I typically did long runs early and never with any food before hand. Although once I got home I'd have a good breakfast the real hunger hit me later in the day or even the next day. It all just depended on the day. I couldn't really predict it.

MissFit0101

I usually get super hungry the day after a long run. I find it very difficult to eat soon after doing a long run. Even later in the day once I eat, it's a normal amount of calories usually. The next day it always hits. It's different for everyone though.

bstamps12

Yeah, I get super hungry the day after. I'm okay with going over on that day because I know it balances out between the 2 days. I usually do my long runs early and by dinner i'm able to eat quite a bit to start replenishing my fuel. Protein shakes and other high-calorie foods are a must.