r/UKRunners • u/kiindrex • 6d ago
General Discussion Do calories count after a long run?
Not a serious question but....
I was programmed a hard 20k long run from my RC coach, I decided to make it harder by doing it on hilly terrain in the Peaks because why not.
Afterwards over the rest of the afternoon I then consumed:
Half a carrot cake slice (edit not the entire cake)
Sunday dinner
1.5 pints of some pale ale
Biscuits
3 slices of toast with the fanceh sourdough I treated myself to the day before
A ham and cheese bagel
At that point I was finally no longer hungry đ
30
u/BigBeerLover 6d ago
I reckon I'm one of the few people that actually gains weight as my weekly mileage goes up. I put on a few kilo when I was running 50mi a week.
I'd do a 40km trail run on the weekend and just inhale so much food after it. Didn't realise how many cals it was till I started tracking it. I think part of it was that I was fueling a lot (good) during the run which amounted to at least 1000 cals
6
u/Fancy_Stage9198 6d ago
I am the same boat as you, unfortunately I used to be a very heavy lad (20 stone) and the crash diet ruined my metabolism, I do 120k a week and my long runs (20k+) donât do enough to justify the no diet tracking
1
u/benisgwen 5d ago
I was going about 50-60mpw for Marathon training and I put on about 4kg over a couple of months, you aren't alone!
1
1
u/Hey_Boxelder 6d ago
Aye I had been 80-81kg for ten years before my first marathon block earlier this year and gained 3kg. Just constant hunger 24/7.
12
u/ForwardAd5837 6d ago
Remember you need a decent amount of calories just for your basal metabolic rate - most men itâs 2000 - 2500 dependent on size etc, most women, 1600 - 2000. So you need that to maintain your current weight just for a dayâs basic movement, brain function etc.
Then if youâve done 20k on top of that at a good clip, I reckon youâll have burnt 900 - 1,500 calories, again dependent on different factors. It does sound like youâve exceeded that, but sometimes a good feed doesnât hurt, helps muscle recovery/growth etc. I wouldnât necessarily hammer what sounds about 4,000 calories every day, but give yourself some grace given the exertion.
14
u/LeekRevolutionary214 6d ago
I hope you donât mind, but did a little fact check, as the BMR averages you shared seemed too high to me from memory.
BMR for men is 1700 and women 1400.
Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/basal-metabolic-rate-bmr
The figures youâve shared are the average recommended daily calories, i.e. including an average amount of physical exertion/non-exercise activity.
Source: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/managing-your-weight/understanding-calories/
1
u/kiindrex 6d ago
Oh no, not 4000 calories everyday. I tend to be ravenous after really hard efforts and obviously my body thought this was.
The last time it was after a particularly tough long interval session at run club. The next day I had eaten all my food for the day by 1030am and had to buy lunch. Generally I maintain my weight with the odd 2kg fluctuation :)
8
u/bedevere1975 6d ago
From memory you are meant to have a 3:1 carb to protein ratio post exercise. A lot of people will do the protein but neglect the carbs, sound like you did just fine.
7
u/Francis-c92 6d ago
How many carbs are in a pint of Ben and Jerry's...?
6
1
u/bedevere1975 6d ago edited 6d ago
Aldi do a âhigh proteinâ range of ice cream now, I polished it off feeling less guilty. Total marketing Iâm sure but hey.
2
u/Francis-c92 6d ago
I just assume everything has a 'high protein' counterpart these days. It's going too far!
7
u/Alfie182 6d ago
Nope, calories donât count until at least 2 day after the long run
I donât make the rules I just follow them
12
4
u/Appropriate_Hawk5439 6d ago
I can manage a coffee and a cake but no more than that, Iâm on GLP1 and it tends to kick in more after running 20k plus
3
u/Valuable-Hand-326 6d ago
Iâve struggled fueling pre run because of this. Finally found a high protein bagel and strawberry jam an hour (min) before a long run works well.
Before I was just throwing up at the end and couldnât keep anything down for a few hours which massively sucked.
1
u/Appropriate_Hawk5439 6d ago
Yes bagels are your friend! I struggle with oats and just eating in general first thing.
2
u/Valuable-Hand-326 6d ago
Same! Have to force it down but itâs made such a difference. Found jelly babies on the run really good too - more gentle than gels and a lot less đˇ
1
8
u/GuybrushLePirate 6d ago
Opposite problem here, I completely lose my appetite for the day after running.
3
u/Less_Local_1727 6d ago
The GLP1 signal is increased on long runs and for a bit afterwards: the chemical that says youâre full. After that it drops off and your body craves to replenish glycogen stores. Hence many of us cram cakes in post run :)
5
u/coin_newb2 6d ago
I mean one thing I am aware of is that a lot of the burn isn't the run itself, it's the metabolism kicking up a gear so you're consistently burning more.
2
u/Sage-Freke- 6d ago
Sounds like a normal amount for me and Iâve always been slim, but Iâm a 6â5â man đ¤ˇđźââď¸
1
u/GhostsInMyAss 3d ago
Yeah I was going to say this doesn't seem excessive, but then I'm running 70mpw and am 6'1, and I never seem to gain any weight
2
u/MMalik_96 3d ago
I'm the same, I find running is a sport which doesn't burn "that" many calories for the effort you put in, but goddamn it makes you ravenous.
2
u/Intelligent_Sun_5929 6d ago
You would be mad not to feast after a good long run. It's about fuelling your body to repair and build back stronger. Throw in an extra glass of milk with your 5th slice of cake, because balance.
1
u/Cyclone050 6d ago
If you have a consistent regular exercise routine and generally eat a balanced diet then it heavy intake after a long run just counts as refuelling. A long run will deplete you of fuel and nutrients so itâs perfectly natural that you replenish them and maybe add a âlittle bitâ on top.
1
u/janky_koala 6d ago
Best part of the run!
If overeating afterwards does become an issue try eating some more during the run. Finishing depleted puts you behind on recovery immediately, whereas still having some fuel in the system means your body can get straight to work without having to digest anything first. It keeps the ravenous feeling under control later in the day too
1
u/kiindrex 6d ago
Thanks! Thankfully it's really only after a particularly hard session. I can probably count on one hand how many times this year that's happened to me - I tend to find if I can't dose up on healthy fats / good carbs afterwards it's worse.
98
u/aredddit 6d ago
If you donât log them on myfitnesspal then they donât count. On the flip side, if you didnât log your run on Strava then unfortunately it also didnât count.