How does the metabolism of a distant runner work?
ByIm in track and curious to know how your metabolism changes when you start running long distances every day. How can I improve it because I feel like Im burning out.
I don't think the metabolism is so much a factor as your training is.
Typically, endurance, and ultra endurance athletes are able to burn fat as a fuel at a higher exertion level than non endurance athletes. This helps, as fat is a great energy source.
Any training plan, for sprinters, marathoners, weight lifters, any athletes, will naturally increase the bodies metabolism. You are expending more energy, therefore you need to take in more food, and your body learns to process it more efficiently.
If you are feeling burned out, try taking a break. Do you run every day? Do you vary your workouts to do speed work, weight training, along with the distance work? Are you recovering correctly? After any workout you need to eat and drink immediately after, or as close to it as possible.
If you are just starting out doing long runs, you will be pretty tired, a lot of demands on your body that it hasn't had to cope with before. As long as you ramp up, get good recovery, and stay healthy, you will improve.
1 Comments
June 24th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
I don't think the metabolism is so much a factor as your training is.
Typically, endurance, and ultra endurance athletes are able to burn fat as a fuel at a higher exertion level than non endurance athletes. This helps, as fat is a great energy source.
Any training plan, for sprinters, marathoners, weight lifters, any athletes, will naturally increase the bodies metabolism. You are expending more energy, therefore you need to take in more food, and your body learns to process it more efficiently.
If you are feeling burned out, try taking a break. Do you run every day? Do you vary your workouts to do speed work, weight training, along with the distance work? Are you recovering correctly? After any workout you need to eat and drink immediately after, or as close to it as possible.
If you are just starting out doing long runs, you will be pretty tired, a lot of demands on your body that it hasn't had to cope with before. As long as you ramp up, get good recovery, and stay healthy, you will improve.
References :
Great article, unfortunately have to pay to read it or find someone who subscribes: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7122/pdf/4441000a.pdf
I highly recommend reading this presentation, you can run a marathon on 3 workouts a week!
http://www.furman.edu/first/FIRST_RunThreeDaysandFinish.pdf
Information on recovery:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/07/990713073730.htm
http://www.cptips.com/recvry.htm (it's written by a cyclist, but applies to any athlete)