Hungry after running .

Is it common to be extremely hungry after a run? I usually have a protein shake before but I'm usually still hungry afterwards. I just started running two weeks ago so I can lose the ten pounds that I gained .

Replies

  • Joanna2012B
    Joanna2012B Posts: 1,448 Member
    Oh hell yes I am hungry after my run!!!!
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Depends on how much you run, but yes it's normal, your body wants calories so it doesn't have to burn fat stores. I tend to work out fasted; I drink a pre-workout and an intra-workout with BCAA's but no food until after. Then directly after I eat breakfast which is complex carbs and protein. I find it's much easier to push myself harder fasted than it is on a full stomach, and I burn fat while working out because there's nothing else for my body to burn except muscle, and the BCAA's protect that hopefully.
  • Tonetta_g
    Tonetta_g Posts: 9 Member
    Thank you both. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong. I usually wait till after my run to eat. The only thing before is my BSN shake.
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    edited August 2016
    How long is your run and what time of day do you do it? If it is 5km or less, I would not eat anything more than maybe a small tub of yogurt or half a banana (and then only if it is early in the morning on an empty stomach...)
    If you do it later in the day, save the protein shake for after - it is very easy to eat too much when running.....
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    No, it's just you and every other runner in the universe!

    It's worse when you're new to running as your body hasn't really built up it's ability to store glycogen (just one of the many adaptations we go through).

    I'm ok after my mid-week runs (usually around 10km fasted) but usually ravenous after my long runs on Sunday, especially in the latter stages of training for a race (longest, so far, is half-marathon & olympic duathlon).

    Depending on how close to your run you're having the protein shake it may not be making much of a difference (protein takes a while to digest) you may be better off having a banana before the run and then the shake afterward.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    you mean, rungry?!

    Oh yes!
  • Tonetta_g
    Tonetta_g Posts: 9 Member
    astrampe wrote: »
    How long is your run and what time of day do you do it? If it is 5km or less, I would not eat anything more than maybe a small tub of yogurt or half a banana (and then only if it is early in the morning on an empty stomach...)
    If you do it later in the day, save the protein shake for after - it is very easy to eat too much when running.....


    I usually run anywhere between 6:00 am and 8:00 am. And I run an hour to an hour and a half.

  • Tonetta_g
    Tonetta_g Posts: 9 Member
    Thank you and I will start drinking the shake after my run instead of before.
  • DoubleG2
    DoubleG2 Posts: 123 Member
    If you are running over :60, you likely need to eat before AND after your run. Consider a half of a bagel with a tablespoon of peanut butter and banana :20 to :30 before your run. Post run protein shake is a good idea and will aid recovery. I personally go for a few over-easy eggs. Runners World has some good guidelines on how to fuel your body:

    http://www.runnersworld.com/fuel-school/increase-your-mileage-not-your-weight

    Happy Running!
  • pomegranatecloud
    pomegranatecloud Posts: 812 Member
    Yes. I'm usually hungry after if I run more than 6 miles.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    I swim 4 miles in the morning. A scoop of Combat about 40 minutes before. But sometimes I really look forward to those eggs in my cooler when I get to the office.