After strength training, strong appetite. Athlete's appetite appetite is one of the best indicators of training productivity

We are willing to bet that you are training to lose weight, since the issue of increasing appetite after sports is relevant to you. You have worked physically, the body has spent energy and seeks to restore balance with the help of food. Hunger after a workout, especially a well-done one, is a completely normal reaction. Humble yourself. It’s another matter if this norm makes you overeat and ruins all your efforts in the gym. It doesn’t take long to get carried away by strange ideas about the dangers of sports for weight loss. Let's look at the problem.

Hunger after a workout - a call to pay attention to your diet

Ideally, your post-workout hunger pangs should not interfere with your diet. The point is not to look on the Internet for something strict and consisting of one leaf of lettuce and a liter of kefir, and consider it a diet, but to finally understand the body’s energy needs and learn how to competently satisfy them.

When starting a fitness program, we often overlook one simple point. Your metabolism will never be the same once you start exercising regularly and intensely. A fitness professional’s needs for protein, fats and carbohydrates increase. If they are not satisfied systematically, the feeling of hunger will be strong. Especially after training, when general exhaustion is combined with low blood sugar. As a result, the body will still take its toll, you will overeat, and “soul-searching” about your inability to diet will be added to the general stress.

So, an initially incorrectly formulated diet is to blame for our suffering. To start, make sure that:

your diet contains 1.5 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight for light training (3 hour-long group cardio classes with a small strength section per week), or activity with own weight such as yoga and Pilates, up to 2-3g, if we're talking about about regular exercise with weights. It is the lack of protein that most women suffer from. We will happily eat something sweet to cheer ourselves up, and are ready to completely forget about cottage cheese, eggs, meat and fish. And as an argument, we cite the “WHO standard” - 0.8 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight. Remember, this amount is only for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle, but it will “respond” to you with sudden and severe attacks of hunger;
your diet contains at least 40-60 g of oils such as olive, sesame, or fish oil. In addition, you sometimes eat butter, and almost every day - Greek yogurt 5-6% fat, cheeses, beef, finally. A critical lack of fat is a blow to the hormonal system. To avoid it, the body of fans of low-fat diets increases the feeling of hunger. By the way, if you practice cardio more than 3 times a week for 30 minutes, the need for vegetable oils with essential fatty acids almost doubles. That’s why “aerobes” are advised to take a closer look at the Zone diet, and throw the WHO recommendations on the “food pyramid” out of their heads;
you are not inclined to abuse sweets and simple carbohydrates, and do not eat them before class. The popular advice about “eating fruits as a separate meal before training” may be due to some digestive features. But if you eat these fruits, or, for example, drink fresh juice half an hour before training, and during exercise not only lift heavy weights for 5-8 repetitions but also, for example, perform multi-repetition exercises, run, jump and swim, you are more likely to Overall, finish your workout in a state of low blood sugar. Athletes typically take a post-workout protein or protein-carbohydrate drink to speed up recovery. Therefore, they do not notice any special problems with fruit snacks. If you don’t eat after exercise, you should pay attention to “slow” complex carbohydrates - buckwheat, brown rice, bread, and eat them an hour and a half before training.
you don't sit on too low calorie diet constantly. For training people, the recommendations are quite mild - cut no more than 10% of the daily calorie requirement. Do you think fasting days is it good for you? Then practice loading. Moreover, add the same amount of kcal as you “reduced” during unloading. Better yet, use one adapted to your training plan protein-carbohydrate alternation;
You don't train on an empty stomach, at least not on purpose. Yes, training in a “fasted state” can provide several benefits - faster glycogen burning and the transition to fat burning, as well as increased growth hormone levels, and faster muscle recovery after exercise. However, all these “bonuses” are somehow lost against the background of a huge carbohydrate breakfast, which you eat immediately after class to avoid weakness. The question of the advisability of “hungry training” must be decided individually by each athlete. And they are advisable only if you can calmly drink a restorative drink after such a workout and calmly have breakfast with a normal portion size. And you won’t “finish your meals” during the day with the thought of a successful morning workout;
you take additional vitamins. You can treat this however you like, but respect restrictive diet and it is impossible to completely satisfy the needs for vitamins and minerals. Consult your physician regarding “how much and what” you need to add to your regular diet. And do not consider dubious dietary supplements to be an adequate replacement for high-quality vitamin and mineral complexes.

Otherwise, don't look at working out as a way to burn and save calories. Remember that exercise only works with a balanced and sports-appropriate diet, and do not hesitate to seek advice from a professional nutritionist if something goes wrong. There is no magic pill for sports hunger in nature, only a balanced diet and a balanced, competent approach. Listen to yourself, and remember that hunger is normal, but “loss of appetite” is a sure sign of overtraining, at least for strength sports.

Elena Selivanova

Do you feel brutally hungry after exercise? This means something is wrong. After training with the correct load, the appetite does not remind itself.

If after classes you are attacked by the desire to empty the refrigerator, this means that you have chosen the wrong load or diet. If the load corresponds to your physical fitness, and the diet corresponds to the training conditions, then you will want it 40-60 minutes after exercise, and the “wolfish” hunger will come no earlier than an hour and a half later. What leads to gluttony after fitness and how to get rid of this effect?

PATIENT #1. Workout on an empty stomach. This is a problem for those who exercise early in the morning or immediately after work.
What's happening. So, you go for a run in the morning. By this point, you have not eaten for at least 8, even 10 hours; your body has already digested the previously received food and “applied” the energy received from it. There is now a minimum of glucose in the blood - our “gasoline”. But you still start moving. How do muscles work? They will be able to start using fats only from the 5th-7th minute of movement, and completely switch to them from about the 20th. Therefore, now they are using up glycogen (carbohydrate reserves), which is “stored” in the liver. By forcing your muscles to do this, you are squeezing carbohydrates out of your body. And when you finish your run, your body will crave sweets so fiercely that you won’t be able to get rid of them with porridge (long-digesting, complex carbohydrates). Quickly digestible, simple carbohydrates - sweets - will be used, or rather in the mouth, and there will probably be more of them than needed.
How to avoid. Yes, it’s very simple - eat. If you study in the evening, after work, then it is best to have porridge (without oil), muesli, grain bread with fruit 40-60 minutes before class. For those who go to work out as soon as they get out of bed, it’s more difficult because you don’t have time to digest breakfast. You need food that is high in carbohydrates, but one that is digested very quickly. The easiest way is to drink a glass or two of fruit juice, then within 5-10 minutes you will be able to run, swim or start walking. Marmalade and marshmallows are possible, but they must be washed down with water. Bananas are great for some people.

PATIENT No. 2. Too much long workout. The problem is for those who study for more than an hour and a half. Usually it lies in wait for lovers of long walks or bicycle walks, as well as young mothers and dog owners who spend 2-3 hours on their feet.
What's happening. We all know that to lose weight you need moderate intensity exercise. It is during such periods that the body works “on fats,” that is, burns them. After a month or two, such workouts become easy for us, we walk (swim, ride a bike) with pleasure and extend their time. Fats burn, but so do carbohydrates. And, as in the previous case, when we finally come home, the body is “empty” and requires replenishing carbohydrate reserves.

Since the fat reserve is also partially wasted, fat cells also send hunger signals. The brain requires both sweet and fatty foods at the same time.

How to avoid. Take food with you. After about 40-60 minutes, have a snack, carbohydrates will begin to enter the blood, then the body will have no reason to panic. If you are seriously involved in fitness, then special sports drinks with carbohydrates (sugar, glucose, fructose) will be useful to you. It is better not to quench your thirst with regular sweet soda; if there is nothing else, dilute it with non-carbonated mineral water and drink no more than a glass per hour in several doses. Regular tea with lemon and a reasonable amount of sugar is also good. Or honey with lemon juice, diluted with water. If you are just walking and not training, then take food with you, not drink - fruit, for example. And immediately after a walk (workout), eat porridge with skim milk, muesli with low-fat yogurt, or vegetables with a piece of lean meat - in general, complex carbohydrates and protein.

PATIENT #3. Cold air training. Those who walk the dog for a long time, jog, or ride a bicycle are forced to go outside. And don’t think that “cold air” means frost. Excess appetite works up at a temperature of +100-150. By the way, training in the pool also falls into this group.
What's happening. In a cold environment, the body spends energy not only on movement, but also on maintaining body temperature. On the one hand, this is good: mainly fats are used “for warming”. On the other hand, their emergency consumption forces the body to send SOS signals: “It’s winter, there’s nothing to warm up with!” Therefore, after training, we feel a brutal appetite, and we are drawn exclusively to fatty foods.
The body freezes much faster in a pool or river than in the air.

45 minutes of breaststroke or water aerobics in standard (+27º) temperature water makes you feel hungry.

Because of this, winter swimming is contraindicated for those losing weight. It directly provokes the accumulation of subcutaneous fat, and the walruses that gave it its name are direct confirmation of this.
How to avoid. To avoid losing too much heat, you should train in cold air with a hat, gloves and warm socks. If you are going to be outside for a long time, take a carbohydrate drink with you. And after training, eat carbohydrate foods with fats, otherwise the body will not calm down. For example, porridge or grain bread with a small amount butter, some dates or dark chocolate.

PATIENT #4. Too intense workout. Most people who are losing weight know that they should not exercise excessively. However, there are still fans of “high heart rate” and heavy barbells. After working hard for a couple of months, they discover replenishment on their sides.
What's happening. Impact sports will not protect you from extra pounds if you don’t watch your diet. The higher your heart rate, the more carbohydrates you burn per unit of time. Of course, after 5-7 minutes of exercise, fats are also called upon to produce energy, but much more carbohydrates are still burned. The result is a feeling of brutal hunger with a particularly strong craving for sweets.
How to avoid. The most sensible thing is not to train to the point of exhaustion. But if you really want to have a blast, then take some fruit with you. Citrus fruits, apples, and kiwi contain vitamin C and fiber; they will help “calm” the sweet tooth that has awakened in you after exercise. After them, eat something protein and low-fat, for example, skim cheese or a piece of lean meat.

Claudia LOBANOVA
Consultant: Dmitry LAPKIN, sports doctor(Magazine "Lose Weight Correctly")

Over one year old

You are training. With full dedication. Sparing no effort. And by the end of the classes, they are quite satisfied with the number of calories burned. But a raging appetite is ready to reduce your efforts to nothing. But according to Shape experts, there are available methods prevent hunger pangs after exercise.

You diligently burned calories during training, and upon returning home from the gym, you are ready to slow down at the nearest store and eat everything that first comes into view. And right there, without leaving the cash register. “Most often, the cravings will start within an hour after exercise and will follow you into the next day,” says Lauren Antonucci, R.D., a sports nutritionist.

In fact, research shows that most exercise can actually suppress your appetite. During and immediately after exercise, production of the hunger hormone ghrelin is suppressed, while levels of PYY, the satiety hormone, are increased, explains Barry BROWN, Ph.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Health and Wellness. physical culture at Colorado State University. - But after a while your appetite will work out. new strength. This is why you feel especially hungry after a long run. Interestingly, blood tests showed slight fluctuations in these hormones in men and quite large ones in women. That's why physical exercise especially increase the appetite of the weaker half of humanity. “And this is understandable: when female body feels that too much fuel has been burned, it wants to make sure you quickly restore those reserves it needs to keep its reproductive system healthy,” Brown explains.

But you can make changes to your diet and exercise routine to prevent this sabotage.

Don't reward yourself with food

“I worked out hard, I deserved it,” is the thinking of many who tend to overeat after a workout, explains Kayla Eastines, a fitness blogger. “And although I believe in reward tactics, resorting to such rewards regularly means overeating and not losing, but gaining weight.”

“To our clients during acute attacks of hunger after physical activity I advise you to eat no more than half the calories burned during training. That is, if you burned 300 kcal on a run, allow yourself a meal weighing no more than 150 kcal, says Don Jackson Blatner, a nutritionist and author of The Flexitarian. “But instead of getting those 150 calories from a vitamin drink, which, like any liquid, is poorly filling, eat an apple cut into slices and topped with nut butter.”

And don't wait to have a post-workout snack. Trying to “endure” hunger, a little later you will choose not the most healthy foods to satisfy it. “So instead of eating low-fat yoghurt, you end up snapping and ordering a 600-calorie brownie from the nearest cafe.”

Choose the right products

If you indulge in a piece of pie with a glass of soda after a workout, no wonder you're hungry! Eating refined foods with lots of sugar not only has no nutritional value for the body, but also does not help the body recover after a workout. Sharp jumps in blood sugar will lead to the fact that within an hour you will be hungry again. “Choosing the right post-workout snacks is of utmost importance,” says Brown. — I advise my clients to choose a dish that combines complex carbohydrates and proteins. It could be tuna with a whole grain cracker or a banana with peanut butter.”

“Eating protein after a workout helps your muscles recover, and these nutrients are also great for filling you up, preventing you from overeating later in the day,” says Antonucci. — Healthy fats

will also delay new attacks of hunger. For breakfast, choose eggs with avocado, and for dinner, eat chicken and vegetables with olive oil. If you don't get nutrition within 30 to 60 minutes, you're more likely to overeat throughout the day."

Fuel up during long workouts

If you're going to be training intensely for more than an hour (for example, if you're training for a marathon or triathlon championship), make sure to eat the right snacks during your workout. “It could be a sports drink or a gainer (read more about this on page XX),” says Antonucci. “A banana and water will have the same supportive effect, but it’s just inconvenient.” Aim for 100 calories from carbohydrates and electrolytes for every additional 30 minutes after the first hour of exercise. But if your workout lasts no more than 45-60 minutes, refrain from any drinks other than water: your body does not need extra calories.

Remember to rehydrate your body

"Most people don't drink enough water before, during and after exercise," says Blatner. — If your body does not lack fluid, you can easily withstand an hour-long workout medium intensity and don’t go eat immediately after leaving the hall.” “It’s very important to drink a lot of water during training,” says Kayla Itsines. Weigh yourself before and after exercise to measure fluid loss, and make it a habit to drink the same amount of water during exercise.

Exercise before your main meal

This can really help combat overeating, as exercising before your main meal reduces the number of unwanted snacks. In this case, allow yourself a small pre-workout snack (banana or yogurt) so that you will be energized and not feel too hungry during or after your workout. It is important that your post-workout meal contains sufficient calories and nutrients. So if you're working out before breakfast, don't just stick to fruit, make some oatmeal, top it with a generous portion of berries, and top it off with yogurt.

Workouts against hunger

ConductHIIT-classes three times a week

Complex, intense workouts force blood to bypass the gastrointestinal tract and go straight to the muscles. This suppresses the production of ghrelin and slows down the absorption of food in the intestines. Such training also weakens the brain's responses to signals from the gastrointestinal tract, and food seems less desirable and tasty to you. A study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that people who did 30 to 45 minutes of HIIT exercise on a stationary bike each week ate 120 fewer calories after exercise than those who pedaled at a moderate pace. “You can turn any cardio session into a HIIT workout by alternating 30-second bouts of vigorous activity with 30 to 60-second bouts of moderate activity,” says Timothy FAIRCHILD, a senior lecturer in exercise physiology at Murdoch University and co-author of the study. Another study found that women who ran for an hour did not eat more than usual after exercise, but those who walked the distance overeated afterwards.

Sit less, move more

A study published in the journal Appetite found that those who jumped rope for 30 minutes craved less fatty foods than those who spent the same time on a bicycle. Researchers hypothesize that the gut vibrations caused by jumping reduce ghrelin production. This applies to running and any other workout in which your stomach is forced to bounce in time with the movement.

Stay on dry land

Swimming may be less effective for weight loss than any type of land-based exercise. This is proven by a study conducted by scientists at Loughborough University. During the experiment, they found that after a swim lasting more than an hour, athletes experienced an increase in appetite. Previous studies have found that water temperature is also a factor, with people consuming 44% more calories after exercising in 20-degree water than after exercising in 32-degree water. "If your pool isn't heated, jump into a sauna or hot shower immediately after your workout," says Enette Larson-Mayer, Ph.D., assistant professor of dietetics and nutrition at the University of Wyoming. “This will help curb hunger.”

Boris Zimin, sports doctor, company expertokfit. ru

“Combating post-workout hunger is necessary not by testing the body’s strength, but by a properly structured diet. The trick is to maximize your nutrient intake while minimizing calories. Immediately after training, eat a portion of low-fat cottage cheese or drink a dose of BCAA. The next morning after an intense workout, if you have a strong appetite, you can take a thermogenic (a fat burner whose action is based mainly on increasing heat production) before breakfast or before lunch - it will help suppress your appetite. You can also take fiber and inulin supplements. For snacks between meals, choose bars with a protein content of 30-40%.”

In contact with

Many people complain that after training they are tormented by severe hunger, but they think that if you eat, then all your efforts will go down the drain. What to do? It happened to me too when I went to the gym before I understood nutrition.

Rule No. 1 for everyone losing weight: Start playing sports and training when you have established your diet and quality of nutrition.

Without this, you will only waste your energy, nerves, time and money. If after training you feel very hungry, you are doing something wrong, because... at the right approach the appetite will remind itself no earlier than after 40 – 90 minutes.

Let me also remind you about how to eat properly before and after fitness classes: you need to eat 2 hours before (a regular meal with complex carbohydrates), and immediately after training (30-40 minutes) - protein (cottage cheese, boiled meat).

The difference between true hunger and normal appetite is that you feel hungry, but you don’t notice weakness.

Causes of hunger after exercise and how to avoid them

Reason #1. Workout on an empty stomach. This is mainly practiced by those who exercise in the morning, immediately after work, and by those who think that they will lose weight faster this way. There is nothing useful for losing weight in this opinion, and on the contrary, it is harmful. So, if you go for a run in the morning, then at least your body has not received food for 8-10 hours, if after work, then 4-6 hours pass. Muscles work from glycogen reserves (this is a supply of glucose), fat is consumed from about 20 minutes of training. But by this time, glycogen reserves are already minimal, and during the workout the body begins to experience a lack of glucose, and, ultimately, will force you to replenish carbohydrate reserves, not with diet foods, but with sweets in excess. What to do? You need to eat before training. If you work out in the morning, fruit juice will be the best and fastest source of carbohydrates. It is better if it is freshly squeezed fruit juice - it is digested as quickly as possible and provides a portion of glucose. If classes are scheduled after work, then porridge and fruits rich in carbohydrates (bananas, for example) are suitable. Try it, find what suits you best.
Reason #2. The workout is too long. This threatens those who study for more than 1.5 hours. To lose weight, moderate-intensity training is necessary, during which time the body “burns” fat. But carbohydrates also “burn” along with them. So after long workout The body requires a replenishment of not only carbohydrates, but also fats. What to do? Eat a mid-workout snack. You will need sweet fruits, special sports products and drinks.
Reason #3. Cold air training. These include classes at temperatures of +10...+15 degrees, as well as in the pool. With them, energy is spent not only on movement, but also on maintaining body temperature, that is, to warm up. Therefore, after long swims, we feel a strong need for fatty and high-calorie foods, which are designed to restore subcutaneous fat, spent during training. What to do? Dress warmly. When the temperature drops, carry out outdoor activities wearing a hat, a warm jacket and gloves. And do not extend your workouts in the pool for more than 30 minutes.
Reason No. 4. Too intense workout. The higher your heart rate and load, the more and faster your glycogen reserves will be spent, of course, and fats will be “burned”, but there will be more carbohydrates. Therefore, after a short period of time, you will end up with a situation similar to reason No. 1 - the result is a lack of glucose, severe hunger, and cravings for sweets. What to do? Know your limits. A 1-1.5 hour workout of medium intensity is ideal for weight loss. But if you really want to “give it your all,” take fruit with you for a snack, and after training, eat cottage cheese or a piece of boiled meat.

Often those who want to lose weight rush from one extreme to another: after sedentary lifestyle life immediately begin an intensive training program in an attempt to get rid of excess weight. I have already written why too frequent and too intense training is not needed for good results. At the same time, we know that it is the amount of food we eat that directly affects our weight and appearance. The translation provides an excellent explanation of why intense and exhausting workouts only interfere with getting yourself in order.

Have you seen those cool T-shirts with the words “I run to eat pizza”, “I run because I like beer”, which generally sums up the way many people think about the relationship between nutrition and training.

Who hasn’t imagined during a workout that after conquering himself or herself, some tasty treat awaits him or her?

But what happens when our workout routine causes us to constantly overeat? Many of us associate regular fitness training with... healthy eating and a lean, flexible frame, but perhaps to your surprise, the relationship between exercise and overeating actually has more biological and physiological basis than it might seem.

But I need to replenish the glycogen in my muscles... Right?

If you are starting a new one training program or add more complexity to your current program, your caloric needs will increase to support post-workout recovery and maintain glycogen stores. Usually our body clearly hints at this to us, naturally increasing appetite after exercise. But is it possible that after training we eat more than is actually physiologically necessary?

“For every 10 kcal that we burn, our body will require at least 3 additional kcal through a compensation mechanism whose task is to ensure a “full tank.” Some people also exceed increased physical activity and, accordingly, accelerated metabolism need, eating more than 11 extra calories for every 10 burned, says trainer and author Matt Fitzgerald.

What are the reasons? It depends on a combination of physiological and psychological factors, some of which we are completely unaware of.

“Reward psychology often comes into play,” Fitzgerald says. “This happens more often with beginners who lack intrinsic motivation to train; They just haven’t fallen in love with physical activity yet. If a beginner does not enjoy the process of training, then he can use food as a reward for himself - eating more than usual, or eating something that he would otherwise refuse.”

It’s one thing to cheer yourself up while running with the anticipation of a tasty snack, and another thing to find joy in food when you’re exhausted from training.

When Overtraining Causes Us to Overeat

Even if you don't consciously allow yourself to reward yourself with food, another common mistake is overestimating the number of calories burned during exercise and underestimating the calories taken in from food. This can happen regardless of whether we tend to overeat or not.

A study found that people trying to lose weight typically believe they eat 47% less and expend 51% more calories than they actually do. It turns out that we can regularly not only compensate for the calories burned, but also gain excess.

Biological explanation for increased appetite after exercise

Studies that have examined the effect of exercise on increasing appetite explain the mechanism of action of biological factors. For some people, especially those who are obese, intense exercise causes a surge in activity in the areas of the brain that control food pleasure and appetite. At the same time, the slimmer you become and the more accustomed you are to regular exercise, the weaker the urge to chew something will be.

Research has also looked at the brain activity of slimmer, fitter people and found that their brain's appetite centers responded much less actively to images of tasty food. This led the researchers to conclude that although increased physical activity may lead to increased appetite and food cravings in beginners, over time these cravings turn into healthy habits unbeknownst to the individual.

Professional nutritionist and Greatist expert Erica Giovinazzo reminds us that hunger is a sure step towards overeating. For beginners who are just adapting to the increased caloric expenditure of regular exercise, which naturally increases calorie needs, the effects of hunger are exacerbated.

“Whether you exercise or not, you should never let yourself feel hungry. If you are hungry, you eat much more than usual, simply because the need for food has already moved to a psychological level.” A hungry person will eat faster, which is why he will easily miss the moment when satiety comes, which usually takes about 15 minutes to realize.

What does she advise?

Eat mindfully (try putting your fork down several times per meal and chewing more slowly),
take the same portion that you would take if you were not hungry (most likely this portion will actually be enough for you),
take a break from eating, get up from the table, it’s possible to eat (sometimes we don’t notice that we’ve already eaten until we get up).

conclusions

Hunger in body language is a request to refuel, so don't ignore hunger symptoms, especially if you've recently started exercising or increased your physical activity. An unusual increase in appetite may be a sign that your body and brain are adapting to new physical activity, but if you uncontrollably crave something tasty, this may mean that the brain is “jealous” and wants to get your attention in the form of rewards and stimulation of pleasure centers.

Learn to distinguish hunger from an emotional desire to eat, and use this skill especially when your body adapts to a new load. More fruits and vegetables in your diet will help you achieve satiety more easily, and feeling full and drinking enough throughout the day is an excellent prevention of overeating.

When it comes to curbing your emotional cravings for food, remember that forcing yourself to exercise so hard that you want to reward yourself with something tasty later on only creates a vicious cycle of overeating.

Find the type of training that you like, sign up for your favorite classes, train with like-minded people, or prepare a selection of music for training that you will simply be delighted with. As your physical form will get better, and training will be enjoyable in itself, you will get rid of overeating both on a physiological and emotional level.