Runger | Managing Hunger After Workouts

Do you have increased weight? Irritability? Mood swings and a intense peanut butter cravings? Started working out more and always hungry?!

You too may be suffering from runger {running induced hunger}, also related to, but not the same as hanger {anger induced by hunger}. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can get help.

9 out of 10 Keto advocates will tell you to eat copious amounts of fat and 9 of out of 10 Plant Based athletes will tell you to eat more green vegetables, while 10 out of 10 runners will tell you they run to eat pizza.

Runger is a very real issue and one to be taken seriously. Side effects may include:

• Moodiness
• Heightened sense of smell in food courts
• Increased awareness of sugary foods hidden in cabinets
• Obsessive meal planning during runs
• Daydreams of pizza, ice cream and other fatty foods

This is not to be confused with HANGER…that is a whole different post.

Runger in Action

It’s true. I used to suffer from runger.

After completing a 20 mile run, my husband would find me in the kitchen with one arm deep in a box of Lucky Charms the other in Power O’s, a green smoothie mustache and a wild look in my eyes that caused him to back out of the room slowly. Don’t anger the beast.
Here I was blasting thousands of calories and watching the number on the scale go up.

Runger was making me cranky on a lot of levels and I had enough. I wanted a solution, but was tired of the answer “run less”.

Does running increase appetite?

This was the first thing I wanted to understand. And the answer has changed over the years! Initially, any increase in workouts whether duration or intensity is sending stress signals to your body. It recognizes this output and wants to keep you in homeostasis, so it’s going to increase your hunger levels.

Overtime that actually fades and the hunger we are sometimes left with is due to a QUALITY of calories. Your body will continue to tell you that it’s hungry when it wants NUTRIENTS not just calories. And of course, as you increase miles and ask more of your body, you need even more nutrients.

There had to be another way to continue training without being ravenous the day after long runs…and there is. Here’s what I’ve learned over many years of running from some great sports nutritionists to manage hunger during marathon training.

Runger Prevention

Please beware that depending on the runner an episode may occur directly after a hard effort or possibly 2 days later!! Now, I’m happy to say by following a few simple rules I’ve largely eliminated runger episodes.

What to Eat After a Long Run?

It’s not just about calories to refuel, the right calories will help tamp down hunger by giving your muscles exactly what they need to repair and signaling to your brain that you’re stocked up on nutrients. Yup, sorry but the pizza or cookie might just be prolonging the hunger.

If you aren’t hungry right after a long run it’s still a good idea to slurp a green smoothie with protein powder. While you might think you are “saving calories”, this usually causes stronger hunger and cravings later in the day when you might be less likely to make a good choice.

According to Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N:

I love the nutrition of my smoothie, but chewing helps me feel satisfied and full.

So here is my post long run refueling plan:

Immediately post run:

Green Smoothie with 1/2 apple, 1/2 scoop Vega Protein, 1 cup spinach, 1 cup kale + whatever veggies I have on hand from celery to broccoli to sliced beets. (sounds strange, but it all comes together well)

Get more ideas here: 17 Protein Packed Post Workout Smoothies 1-2 hours post run:
Now, I’m ready to eat because I’ve had my shower, stretched and on some really great days soaked in a hot Epsom Salt bath. This could be overnight oats or 2 eggs scrambled with veggies and slice of sourdough bread.

Checkout 97 high protein breakfast ideas. Because YES that protein is key to keeping your sugar cravings at bay, maintaining muscle mass and encouraging recovery.

After that I try to let hunger guide me and maybe I eat less on the day of my long run because I’m not hungry and a little more the next day when runger peaks, while I’m resting. It’s a balance and a good way to practice listening to hunger instead of trying to beat it down.

What to Drink After a Run?

You’ve heard it before, but being dehydrated can trick your body in to thinking it’s hungry. Since long runs, especially in the summer, are going to dehydrate you no matter how on top of things you are remember to keep sipping water and electrolytes for the rest of the day.

We tend to think electrolytes are just for during the run, but they’re a great option pre and post run as well. Again, I’m a fan of that green smoothie to kick start that hydration with veggies and protein!

Read the ultimate guide to running hydration >>

Fueling During the Run To Prevent Hunger

Shoveling down too many gels during your workout can first lead to stomach pains, but later to possible hunger because of sugar swings.

That’s another reason to try moving towards whole foods to fuel your run or at least ensuring that post run you get the fiber and protein noted above to help stabilize blood sugar. We know that those swings cause you to have cravings and tell your body it needs food, even after you’ve eaten more than you burned on the run!
If you love your gels {they are convenient} try doing what I do on race day, which is spreading it out over a few miles.

Instead of taking in all the sugar at once, consider it a slow drip. Science has actually shown just a bit of the sugar taste in your mouth will stimulate the body as much as taking the calories, so you may get a bigger boost by spreading it out!

Ideas for fueling your workouts with whole foods>>

Are you Eating Enough Calories? Eat More.

Wait aren’t we trying to stop weight gain?! Yes, but if you aren’t eating enough calories to fuel your endurance training it’s going to blow up in your face. As stated by Nancy Clark, RD CSSD:

When that hunger hits and you’re trying to not reach for a quick sugary snack, here are some balanced ideas:

• Apple with nut butter
• Banana ice cream with protein powder
• Cottage cheese with berries
• Hard boiled egg with sourdough bread {sourdough helps digestion}

One tip that helped me tremendously, was to focus on eating more at your meals with a good balance between protein, carbs and fat. This is going to stave off the cravings for sugar. The body needs carbs to fuel your activity and without them cravings arise, but the balance of protein is key! A great thing I learned from metabolic testing.

Increase Your Usage of Fat for Fuel

Your body can either use fat or carbs for fuel.

Most runners don’t spend enough time building their base to teach the body to use fat, which helps to lower your reliance on carbs during the run and sugar cravings after the run. It’s not that we don’t need to fuel during the run, but probably a lot less than you expected…and that means less of your body trying to digest food and run.
Learn more about this in my low heart rate training plan >>

Be Honest About the Hunger Cause

Emotional hunger is something we’ve all experienced…maybe it’s reaching for chocolate during a stressful workday {why do people keep candy on their desks?!} or it’s a lack of hunger during turmoil at home.

You could also be playing this game with your running…you worked hard, you deserve a reward right??
Well that’s not totally wrong, it’s ok to enjoy the cookie or the pizza or the cake or whatever your food of choice might be, but maybe not a serving meant for 6 or on a daily basis. Check in with yourself before indulging to see if it’s hunger or an emotional reward and then it’s a practice of deciding when it’s worth the calories and when you might just need an apple.

Read 10 more tips for managing hunger during marathon training >>

Do you suffer from runger?

How do you prevent over eating during heavy training?

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