IF YOUR RUNNING ROUTINE IS LEAVING YOU FEELING DEPLETED, OR YOU FEEL CONSTANTLY LACKING IN ENERGY, THESE NUTRITION AND LIFESTYLE TWEAKS COULD MAKE THE WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

WORDS: CLAIRE CHAMBERLAIN

STAYING HEALTHY

ALIGNED WITH YOUR TRAINING?

If you run regularly, as well as doing weekly strength and conditioning work, you probably expect to feel strong, fit and energised, yes? However, some people end up feeling permanently run-down, often resulting in fatigue, niggles, illness and injury.

If this resonates with you, it could be that, while you’re putting a lot of thought into your running sessions, you’re not giving the same attention to your recovery, or you may not be planning your nutrition correctly. In short, your lifestyle might not be aligned with your training.

Read on to find out how everything from nutritional deficiencies and dehydration to sleep deprivation and overtraining might be negatively affecting your running… and how small changes could have a big impact!

VITAMIN AND MINERAL DEFICIENCIES

If you generally eat a fairly balanced diet, it’s likely you are eating enough macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and healthy fats) to adequately fuel your training. However, when it comes to micronutrients – those all-important vitamins and minerals – it could be a different story. If you’re feeling low in energy, despite having a good level of fitness, or keep succumbing to minor illnesses, you may have a deficiency.

“The most common deficiencies I see in runners who eat a balanced diet are iron and vitamin D,” reveals Renee McGregor, a performance and eating disorder specialist dietitian, and author of Training Food (£10.99, Nourish Books). Symptoms of both low iron and vitamin D are fatigue, lethargy and a depressed immune system. Low iron levels can result in increased shortness of breath, while low vitamin D can cause poor recovery and increased muscle pain. Both impact performance.

Deficiencies in B12 and other B vitamins may also arise in those who follow a more restricted diet, such as a vegan diet. Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include a pale yellow tinge to your skin, pins and needles, a sore and red tongue, mouth ulcers, changes in the way you walk and move around, disturbed vision, depression, changes in the way you think, feel and behave, and a decline in your mental abilities, such as memory, understanding and judgement.