Ideal racing weight / BMI for runners
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So, I think there's something key hidden here. Can you train well at that "low" weight? Personally, when I've been scraping the bottom of the "healthy" BMI range, I've been prone to hypoglycemia and I get too sluggish to train well, or I skip runs that don't line up perfectly with my meals and snacks.
Anecdotally (I'm an ultrarunner), the ladies and I seem to notice that the thinnest among us tend to get injured more often, and we've been wondering if the extra layer of fat is somehow helpful with recovery. But that could be coincidence.
Interesting observation about low weight and increased rate of injury. I wonder if there is relating to differences in nutrition between the medium-weight and low-weight runners? I.e. More calories and protein to help with post-run healing...just a thought?
For me personally, I definitely find that I can train better at my current weight than when I was heavier. When I had a BMI of 26.6 running felt impossible (but I was also very out of shape and ate cr@p). At BMI 24.0 running felt okay but I was still pretty sluggish. Now at BMI around 21-22 range I feel much more efficient and energetic on my feet. But I don't know, really, if that's because I've been running longer and have built up my weekly mileage, or if that is truly due to the weight loss itself.
Either way, what I'm at right now seems to be good. Maybe I'd see improvements if I got down to BMI around 20.0 but maybe I'd start to get more hypoglycemic and/or injuries...so staying as is seems like a good plan for now at least :-)
It was 20ish and below where I was hypoglycemic.... but that's "race weight". The 21-22 range is a good place for me because I can train harder. But I'm never going to win anything, KWIM?0 -
So, I think there's something key hidden here. Can you train well at that "low" weight? Personally, when I've been scraping the bottom of the "healthy" BMI range, I've been prone to hypoglycemia and I get too sluggish to train well, or I skip runs that don't line up perfectly with my meals and snacks.
Anecdotally (I'm an ultrarunner), the ladies and I seem to notice that the thinnest among us tend to get injured more often, and we've been wondering if the extra layer of fat is somehow helpful with recovery. But that could be coincidence.
I've recently read a couple of books & articles on athlete nutrition that provided some interesting information behind this for women endurance athletes. They were written or edited by Dr Louise Burke who is the head of Sports Nutrition with the AIS (Australian Institute of Sport). The books were comprehensive enough for anyone wanting to learn to follow and some of the chapters are available online.
The Complete Guide to Food for Sports Performance or Clinical Sports Nutrition0 -
Can you tell me more, Bounce2?
If you take a look at some of the women who are winning ultras, SOME of them appear to be in the BMI 18/19 range.... but most look like (and some even report this) they are in the 21/22 range. It could be that the talent pool isn't as great in ultrarunning as in marthoning right now, but it could also be that we really need the extra fat!0 -
Can you tell me more, Bounce2?
If you take a look at some of the women who are winning ultras, SOME of them appear to be in the BMI 18/19 range.... but most look like (and some even report this) they are in the 21/22 range. It could be that the talent pool isn't as great in ultrarunning as in marthoning right now, but it could also be that we really need the extra fat!
So I'm not sure if you could use the links I sent via PM or if they were useful or not, but I suggest that if you have access to a University library or know someone who has, looking into more current research by Anne Loucks could be beneficial (or for the OP on ideal BMI).
Perhaps look here:
Energy balance and body composition in sports and exercise
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0264041031000140518#.UtcnGdJDuSo
The female athlete triad: Components, nutrition issues, and health consequences
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640410701607320#.UtcnUNJDuSo
Low Energy Availability in the Marathon and Other Endurance Sports
http://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-200737040-00019
Energy availability in athletes
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640414.2011.588958#.Utcn5tJDuSo
If nothing else these articles are interesting to anyone interested in sports science/nutrition
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Can you tell me more, Bounce2?
If you take a look at some of the women who are winning ultras, SOME of them appear to be in the BMI 18/19 range.... but most look like (and some even report this) they are in the 21/22 range. It could be that the talent pool isn't as great in ultrarunning as in marthoning right now, but it could also be that we really need the extra fat!
So I'm not sure if you could use the links I sent via PM or if they were useful or not, but I suggest that if you have access to a University library or know someone who has, looking into more current research by Anne Loucks could be beneficial (or for the OP on ideal BMI).
Perhaps look here:
Energy balance and body composition in sports and exercise
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0264041031000140518#.UtcnGdJDuSo
The female athlete triad: Components, nutrition issues, and health consequences
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640410701607320#.UtcnUNJDuSo
Low Energy Availability in the Marathon and Other Endurance Sports
http://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-200737040-00019
Energy availability in athletes
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640414.2011.588958#.Utcn5tJDuSo
If nothing else these articles are interesting to anyone interested in sports science/nutrition
Wow, thanks! I didn't get a PM, BTW.
Yes, I do have access to a university library. I'm a biology professor!
But that makes me embarrassed because I really had no idea that there was a body of research to back up what my ultrarunning lady friends have been saying. 0 -
It's all good, I was procrastinating the other day instead of writing my thesis and came across these. The other links were just to Australian research that the head of the AIS sports nutrition had been associated with. I'm not sure that you will find exactly what you are looking for but hopefully there is some information there that will help or some references within the articles that will lead you in a better direction.0
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My current BMI is 21.5 and I am doing the absolute best running of my life. My BMI calculated at 5' 7.5" and a weight of 138-140 pounds.
Now my doctor advised me not to lose any more weight. However, I do wonder if I was to get down to 135 or 130, how much faster would I become... and would it mean the difference between a BQ or not?
RIght now, I am focused on better training to get faster. But the topic of ideal weight does hold my interest. Especially if I could drop weight just for 1 goal race, and be able to BQ just once.0 -
I have a bmi of 26.6 at the moment, and to be honest it is embarrassing being seen out running. When I have been 21lbs lighter I got close to a 2hr half marathon. Can only dream of that at the moment. I have body fat percentage of 44 which obviously why I am so slow.0
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Stick with it Marathongirl1 - it will be worth it in the end!
Very interesting topic - I know that I was MUCH faster with a BMI of around 20 than now - there again, I was also training and eating better too! I do think it's easier not carting around extra weight and when I got my *rse back into gear my joints felt like they were feeling the extra weight as well.
I do however get thoroughly cheesed off with my work colleagues (who are generally sedentary and think I'm mad for exercising at all) commenting on my weight and saying that I'm too skinny when I'm at proper running weight, they just don't understand that I want to run well, it's not an image thing! GGGRRR!0
