RUNNING →
Level Up Your Nutrition Game With Our Freebies
Alex
I provide nutrition coaching for endurance athletes to improve performance and body composition through a simple and flexible eating style.
Hi, I'm
ATHLETE EATING GUIDE →
PROTEIN →
TRIATHLON →
RECIPES →
PERFORMANCE NUTRITION →
CYCLING →
HOLIDAY & TRAVEL →
PLANT-BASED →
WINTER SPORTS & FUELING →
Explore the Blog
LEARN MORE →
ATHLETE GROCERY SHOPPING GUIDE →
RACE DAY: TRIATHLON NUTRITION PLANNER →
As a sports dietitian, I have seen many runners and triathletes with an intense fear of weight gain. They know they’re under fueled, but being afraid holds them back from eating more. I am here to let you know that this isn’t always the case! Can you eat more without gaining weight? Absolutely.
In today’s article, I will be going over all of the deets on how this can happen as an endurance athlete.
Keep reading to learn more about your body’s starvation response, metabolic adaptation, and eating more (in the right way) could potentially help you!
By the way… if you’re an endurance athlete reading this- you also need to check out my carb loading guide!
I started working with a male ultra-distance trail runner in his late 40’s in early 2021. This awesome dude does year-round high-volume training. You’d think that he’d have no trouble keeping weight off. But alas, over the past two years he’d been experiencing gradual weight gain. About 20 pounds total. He reported that he’d been watching his eating, but his weight continued to trend up.
I calculated his nutrition needs and with his training load, his body needed about 3,000 calories/day.
And he was averaging about 1,800 calories/day.
How do you gain weight at a 1,200 calorie deficit? Well, the answer has to do with metabolic adaptation.
Yes. Our bodies are highly adaptable, including our metabolism. When the body enters into a calorie deficit, our body is really smart about finding ways to survive and will shift to keep things running, including:
In the case of my trail runner, I worked with him to reach 2,800-3,000 calories/day. To eat that many calories day-in and day-out is a lot of work. It takes dedication from morning until evening to fuel your body well. And the results have been spectacular. Within the first month, he lost about 5 pounds. By the 2nd month, he’d lost 10.
The best part? He was running faster and stronger than he has in years. Partly because of the leaner body composition, but also because he’s changed his mindset and composition of his nutrition. He’s fueling for his training, not training so that he can eat more. He’s eating balanced meals and snacks from breakfast until bedtime. Adequate protein. Consistent hydration.
How is it possible for him to eat 1,000 calories more each day and lose weight? Let’s talk about it.
Reverse dieting is a strategy that involves gradually increasing calories over time to allow you to eat more food without gaining weight.
Shifting from under-fueling to aligning your calorie intake with calorie output, the body can adapt back out of that starvation response.
Here is how reverse dieting works for an athlete:
Yes, it’s possible. But, to achieve you need to work through this process gradually to restore that metabolic output.
It’s not a perfect process. Here are a couple of other key factors that can help with performance nutrition success:
Looking to learn more about my eating philosophy as a sports dietitian? Check out my post on what a flexible eating style for athletes is!
Are you afraid to gain weight? Don’t be. There is a balance between fueling adequately to perform well as an athlete and not seeing weight gain.
Do you have follow-up questions? Send me an email at alex@alexlarsonnutrition.com and ask! Seriously, I’d love to hear from you.
If you’re an endurance athlete looking to get started in having more energy and better performance while eating more, you’re in the right place. I’m so proud to be part of the journey of endurance athletes who are able to reach new levels of performance and no longer restrict their eating through my nutrition coaching program.
Fill out the application and let’s talk more about where we can take your nutrition. There is no better time to invest in yourself and your goals as a runner or triathlete!
Alex
I provide nutrition coaching for endurance athletes to improve performance and body composition through a simple and flexible eating style.
Hi, I'm
LEARN MORE →
Athlete Eating Guide
Athlete Grocery Shopping Guide
Race Day: Triathlon Nutrition Planner
level up your nutrition game with these freebies
free downloadS
1
2
3
Planning what goes on your plate.
Putting the right foods in your grocery cart.
Don't let nutrition derail your race.