Signs You May Not Be Eating Enough to Support Your Training

As athletes, we’re taught to focus on the details: hitting paces, tracking mileage, perfecting form, optimizing recovery. But one of the biggest factors impacting your performance that is often overlooked is your daily nutrition beyond the workouts.

Whether you’re chasing a new PR, building strength, or just trying to feel better during workouts, fueling enough is the foundation. Yet most athletes think they’re eating plenty when they’re actually running on empty. So read on for some red flags that your current energy intake may be too low for your training volume.

1. You’re more tired than your training plan should make you

Feeling tired after a hard session is normal. Feeling wiped out after easy days (or all the time) isn’t. Low energy availability (when your intake doesn’t meet your body’s needs for both training and basic functions) and low carbohydrate availability (when your carb intake is insufficient for your respective needs) can make you feel sluggish, heavy-legged, and unmotivated. You might start relying more on caffeine or pushing through fatigue that never really lifts. If you are starting to notice that RPE creep upwards across all runs, your body might be telling you it needs more fuel.

2. Your workouts stop improving (or even get worse)

One of the first signs of underfueling is stalled progress. Maybe your splits plateau, your power output drops, or you can’t hit intensities that used to feel easy.

When energy is limited, your body shifts into “survival mode.” Instead of building fitness, it starts conserving resources (slowing muscle repair, hormonal function, and metabolism). You can’t train your best in a low-energy state, no matter how well you plan your workouts.

3. You’re losing your hunger cues

This one’s tricky as many athletes assume that if they’re not hungry, they don’t need food. But chronic underfueling can actually suppress hunger hormones like ghrelin, making you feel less hungry even when your body desperately needs energy.

If you go hours without feeling hunger or often “forget to eat,” that’s a red flag. Sometimes the best thing you can do for performance is eat even when you’re not hungry (yet).

4. You’re getting injured or sick more often

Nagging injuries, recurring illnesses, or stress fractures are often the body’s are a glaring sign of underfueling. Energy is required for daily tissue repair and immune health, not just for training. When energy intake is low, recovery from small daily stressors (like microtears in muscles) slows down. Over time, that leads to breakdowns that no amount of stretching, foam rolling, or mega vitamin C dosing can fix.

5. Your mood and motivation take a dive

Food affects more than muscles; it also affects your brain. Low carbohydrate intake and energy deficits can make you irritable, anxious, or emotionally flat. If you’ve lost your usual excitement for training, are constantly frustrated with your performance, or feel mentally foggy, your fueling might be part of the problem.

6. You’re constantly thinking about food

If you’re always planning your next meal, scrolling food content, or feeling out of control around snacks, that’s your body’s hunger drive trying to get your attention. Athletes often label this as “lack of discipline,” but it’s actually biology. Your body is wired to protect you and it’s just doing its job.

So how do you start eating enough?

• Ensure you are eating 3 meals + 2-3 snacks per day. Eating consistently throughout the day helps to ensure you have ample opportunities to meet your nutrition needs and avoid within day energy deficits.

• Don’t fear carbs. They’re your body’s preferred energy source and key for endurance, recovery, and hormone health.

• Plan fuel into your day. Waiting to eat “when you have time” often means missing windows your body really needs energy.

• Use performance feedback. Better energy, fewer cravings, and improved recovery usually mean you’re on the right track.

  
  

The bottom line

Eating enough is just as important as logging miles and crushing workouts on your training plan. Giving your body what it needs to perform, recover, and feel good is of utmost importance. You can’t expect peak output from a system that’s running on empty. If you’re not sure where to start, reach out to schedule a consultation. I would be happy to create an individualized nutrition plan to meet your specific needs and crush your goals!