Could You Be Under-fueling Your Workouts?
You’re showing up for your workouts, but lately they feel harder than they should. Low energy, lingering soreness, or constant hunger might have more to do with how you’re fueling than how hard you’re trying. Here’s what to look for—and the everyday habit that’s easy to overlook.
Maddy DiCioccio
9/29/20262 min read
Are You Eating Enough to Support Your Workouts?
This is a question I ask all my clients. Most people are significantly under eating or overeating. Think about this, if you finish a workout, get through your workday, and by late afternoon you’re exhausted and thinking about food nonstop your body is likely asking for more fuel!
Eating enough matters whether you’re training for a race, lifting a few days a week, or simply trying to feel stronger. When your activity increases but your food intake doesn’t keep up, your energy and recovery may suffer. Sports nutrition guidance recognizes that adequate food, including all macronutrients, helps support training and recovery.
Signs worth paying attention to:
One difficult workout or hungry afternoon doesn’t mean you’re under fueling, you have to look for patterns, especially if your training has increased recently. Some things to look out for:
You’re running out of energy early in workouts-sessions that used to feel manageable now feel unusually hard.
You’re constantly hungry or preoccupied with your next meal- you may be eating “healthy” foods but still not eating enough overall.
You’re taking longer to recover- soreness lingers, and you feel drained when it’s time to train again.
Your performance is slipping- weights, pace, or endurance are declining despite consistent effort.
You’re getting sick or injured more often- persistent underfueling can affect health as well as performance.
None of these signs proves that food is the main cause, obviously sleep, stress, illness, and the demands of your training all matter. They are many reasons to pause and look at the whole picture, this is also why it's great to work with a coach. They can guide you through these aspects of training and different phases of life.
Start with the gaps in your day
You don’t have to overhaul every meal to make a meaningful change, however, think through a typical training day! Did you work out after a long stretch without food? Did you have a quick snack afterward but skipped lunch because the day got busy? Are you eating the same amount on demanding training days as you do on rest days?
Try addressing one gap at a time. If you train after work, bring a snack (carbohydrate based) for beforehand, such as a banana. After training, make time for a solid meal with both protein and carbohydrates, avoid liquid calories after training. If you’re hungry again soon after dinner, consider whether dinner was satisfying enough in the first place and what you consumed. You should be aiming for a protein, fat, and a carb at all meals; even snacks. These are starting points, not rules...your needs depend on your body, your training, and the your day-to-day life.
Fueling is part of the work
A workout asks something of your body. Food helps you meet that demand and come back ready for the next session. You shouldn’t have to spend every day feeling depleted to believe your routine is working. If low energy or poor recovery keeps showing up, take it seriously.
At Steel Yourself Athletics, the goal is to build a routine you can sustain. That includes training with purpose and eating enough to support the life and workouts you’re asking your body to handle.