LOL this is what I look like when I get dehydrated - please tell me this is not the worst running pic you've ever seen?!?!
You're not alone if running in the heat totally zaps your appetite, but its not a good excuse to skip refueling after a hard workout!!
I am a fair skinned, freckly lady who does NOT do well in the heat and every summer I feel like it takes me weeks and weeks to acclimate. My appetite plummets and my ability to rehydrate and refuel is impacted by the toasty temps of July and August in NYC.
Why is this happening??? Basically, our body internalizes that hot temperatures as a major stressor to the system. When our body is super stressed, it does not prioritize digestion/hunger since it thinks you're getting chased by a lion (stopping to pick berries while a lion is huntin' ya down would not have worked well for our ancestors, lol). But here's the thing - we are the crazy people putting our body through the stress of hot & humid runs, and we want to CARE for our body by refueling!
After all, refueling is linked with improved performance and recovery... which is why you should consider applying for a spot in my Food Freedom Fit Fam group! It is PERFECT for you if you're an athlete training to run fast this fall. It doesn't hurt to apply ;) You've got nothing to lose!
So here's how to handle suppressed appetite...
Do whatever you can to get into rest & digest mode before you eat. Maybe this means you take a cold shower, drink a bunch of water/sports drink and sit down in a comfortable, cool place to eat.
A lot of times, we rush home and we run into the hot kitchen to cook ourselves something. We are rushing around, hot, sticky and that does not help our body CALM DOWN so we can get back into 'rest and digest.'
2. Stick to liquids or smoother foods. When our digestion is slowed because our appetite is suppressed, its hard to sit down to a meal that requires lots of chewing. Remember, after it gets into our belly, our stomach has to continue churning to break it down before moving it onto the next part of digestion in our small intestine. We can help our body out by sticking to foods that are already in a liquid(y) form like oatmeal, smoothies, yogurt parfaits or soups.
3. Can you have something planned out for that post-run meal? Can you do some prep work ahead of time so that meal time can be more relaxed when you get home? It seems silly, but cooling off and getting calm will help your appetite wake up! It's hard to do that if you're running home and rushing around the kitchen with a crew of hungry kids begging you to make breakfast. See if you can delegate some of the breakfast work to your partner so you can do what you can to relax before sitting down to that post run meal.
Again, just because you're not hungry, DOES NOT MEAN your body does not require fuel. The post-run meal is ESSENTIAL to facilitate building new muscles (= stronger bod and faster metabolism), recovering faster and boosting performance. If you're tired of trying to figure out how to optimize performance, then you need to apply for Food Freedom Fit Fam because community and guidance is always the key to becoming better :)
Comments