The dangers of underfueling

[plant_eater]

Just suffered through a little bit of this since I was trying to push the MWL program and train at the same time. Totally backfired on me, now I just have to eat what I need and not even worry about getting lean at the moment.

Great article and hit the nail on the head on some of the things I was starting to suffer from recently.

http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/a ... z4cxBhthhG

Possible outcomes of RED-S:
Decreased endurance performance ( I was feeling blah on training days, lack of Iron?)
Increased injury risk (Stress fractured my ankle a little over a month ago, lack of calcium?)
Decreased training response ( no matter how much I train, I seem to stay the same)
Decreased glycogen stores
Decreased muscle strength
Depression ( suffering more negative thoughts, not able to consistantly keep my positive mental outlook)
Irritability ( little things would set me off and make me want to, well was just irratable)
Decreased concentration and coordination (seemed like I was dropping things more often, had to really concentrate for simple things)
Impaired judgment ( made a couple rookie mistakes at work)

So in essence I was honestly suffering from almost all of the above by trying to cut calories, I had cut out nuts, almond milk (fortified), started burning out on leafy greens, etc.. No one thing in particular, just a overall effect on training.

Anyways this is a great article for anyone who is working out/training on a regular basis, enjoy.


Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/a ... z4cxdOSkVa

[sirdle]

Hello Plant Eater!

I wondered if you were getting enough calories. I have been on McDougall for about 6 months.

For exercise I am focussed on strength training (trying to maintain as much muscle mass as I can while losing weight). I would like to start rowing competitively, but every time I add rowing into the mix, I burn too many calories and I drop weight too fast (too much muscle). So I back off because (for me) it is more important at this point in my life to get my BMI down to a reasonable level than it is to crank up the meters.

I know that Jeff Novick has made this point several times: that extreme athletes sometimes do harm because they adopt unhealthy eating habits in order to consume the massive calories they need.

I hope your triathlon goes well and, more importantly, that you find the balance in your life that you are seeking!

Cheers,