Running on Empty: What Every Runner Should Know About Under-Fuelling

As runners, we’re often taught that success comes from doing more: more miles, more speed
work, more discipline.

What we’re not taught nearly enough is that recovery, performance, and long-term health depend
just as much on what we put on our plates as what we do on the roads and trails.

For years, I thought I was eating well. As a Certified Nutritional Practitioner, Manual Osteopath,
and yoga teacher, a newly turned runner, I was checking all the “healthy lifestyle” boxes.

Spoiler alert: I wasn’t eating enough.

Like many runners, I was under-fuelling without realizing it. And under-fuelling doesn’t mean
you’re starving yourself. It simply means your body isn’t getting enough energy to support both
your training and all the other jobs it’s needs to do, like recovering, building muscle, supporting
hormones, maintaining bone health, and keeping you healthy.

Could It Be You?

Some common signs of under-fuelling include:

• Feeling exhausted even when you’re training consistently
• Slow recovery between workouts
• Heavy legs on runs
• Frequent injuries or niggles
• Constant hunger or cravings
• Poor sleep
• Getting sick more often
• Plateaued performance
  
  Many runners assume they need a better training plan.
  
  Sometimes they just need a sandwich…

My Wake-Up Call

Despite working in health and wellness, I discovered I was significantly under-consuming protein and likely not eating enough overall for my activity level.

I had normalized feeling tired, sore, and struggling to recover because this is what getting old feels like right? As someone who just turned 40, I figured there would be some consequences to age? What I didn’t fully appreciate was that chronic under-fuelling can impact everything from performance and immune function to hormone health and bone density.

When I started intentionally increasing my protein intake and paying more attention to my
overall energy needs, I noticed improvements in my recovery, strength, energy, and satiety.
Imagine that. Feeding your body actually helps it perform. After increasing my calorie intake to
over 2200 calories per day and making sure I was getting at least 100 grams of protein daily, I
was able to PB my 10k run at the Calgary Marathon this past year and am hoping this body
keeps crushing at the Seawheeze Half Marathon in August!

So What Should Runners Do?

Start simple:

• Eat regularly throughout the day instead of “saving up” calories.
• Include protein at every meal and snack. Most runners need more than they think.
• Don’t fear carbohydrates—they’re your body’s preferred fuel source for running.
• Eat before long runs and refuel afterward with a combination of protein and carbs.
• Pay attention to your energy levels, recovery, mood, and performance. They’re often your body’s way of telling you whether you’re meeting its needs.

You don’t need to track every calorie or weigh every gram of food. But you do need to give your body enough fuel to support the demands you’re placing on it.

Because sometimes the missing piece isn’t another workout.
It’s another meal!

About the Author: Melanie Emlyn

Melanie Emlyn is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner, Manual Osteopath, Reiki Master, Yoga Teacher, runner and wellness advocate based in Calgary, Alberta. Through her private practice, she helps clients improve their health through movement, nutrition, recovery, and sustainable lifestyle habits.

As a lifelong mover and endurance athlete, Melanie is passionate about helping people fuel their bodies well, recover effectively, and stay active for the long haul. Her own journey navigating under-fuelling, osteopenia, and the demands of balancing training with everyday life has reinforced her belief that health isn’t about doing more—it’s about giving your body what it needs to thrive.

When she’s not in the clinic, you’ll find her running Calgary’s pathways, lifting weights, teaching community classes or scarfing down her favourite healthy eats all across the city!

Follow her journey on instagram or find out more via her website melanieemlyn.com.