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During my run today I suddenly felt weak with hungry about 15 minutes after I started. This only happens some times -- not every run. I feel very hungry and weak, and I can usually only make it to about the 20 minute mark before I have to stop.

I assume it must be nutrition related. Today I had:

Breakfast:

  • 3 x multigrain weetbix with light milk
  • 1 tub of light yoghurt
  • slice of toast with slice of cheese and vegemite
  • glass of apple and mango juice

Midmorning:

  • cup of tea with spoon of sugar

Lunch:

  • chicken breast in roll with some chips
  • 600mL Coke zero

I went for the run in late afternoon. Any advice appreciated!

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  • Great question; +1 for listing out everything you ate.
    – G__
    Mar 3 '11 at 16:24
  • Yes +1, list of food makes this very helpful/easy to troubleshoot.
    – Nathan Wheeler
    Mar 3 '11 at 17:03
  • @Stewart-your situation sounds similar to mine. I am a competitive swimmer and I often feel very hungry, dizzy and weak in a workout, even though I've eaten beforehand. Have you tried anything different? Has your energy improved?
    – Bee
    Jul 4 '12 at 7:10
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Almost everything you're eating looks like it's fairly high in carbohydrates and low in protein. Try a protein shake or drink a few minutes before your workout and see if that helps. I've found that drinking a "Special K2O" before a workout stems my hunger significantly. It comes in several flavors and is high in protein and fiber (5g each), and low in carbohydrates (1g net).

Protein mixes and things like that will typically be available in the pharmacy section of your local supermarket, and the resident pharmacist will be able to assist you in making the right choice. That's what they're trained to do.

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  • Thanks for the advice. I see what you mean about carbs -- I might try switching my breakfast to a couple of eggs on a slice of toast instead of the cereal + toast and see if that helps. (And lose the chips!)
    – Stewart Johnson
    Mar 4 '11 at 11:13
  • Eggs are great! With that K2O though I can get up late and just take it without breakfast and get my morning run in and make it to lunch without gnawing my arm off if I don't have time to actually eat breakfast. So, I keep a box of it around all the time as well (had to use it this morning... got up late).
    – Nathan Wheeler
    Mar 4 '11 at 14:53
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I agree with md5sum. You need more complex carbs and fats in there and possibly some more protein as well. The reason why it probably all burns out quickly is because it's all very "sugary".

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