I have been told by several people, runners and non-runners alike, that I am underweight(M/5'8"/120lbs). And I have to admit, I've been rather weak after workouts, and at my job (which I'm on my feet all day at). As a marathon runner, I fell into the line of "lighter is faster" thinking, ignoring the fact I was burning muscle w/the fat. I can't really scale back my mileage too much, as I have a marathon coming in April...any guesses as to a better weight for me? In addition, how much more caloric intake should I have to gain muscle and not fat?
2006-12-30 09:36:30 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Running
Start by increasing the amount of protein in your diet. With each meal you should have a full one with an increase in your protein portion. Start adding in some light weight training to increase muscle load. Start drinking Accelerade, it's a sports drink with whey protien in it, very good too. If you do any snacking, which is ok, have banana nd peanut butter, or carrots and peanut butter. Basically anything that is healthy and filling. If you have 0 body fat then you have to be extra smart about the amount and type of food you put in your body. You have plenty of time before your marathon in April so don't get anxious. If you are really concerned and suffer from low blood sugar constantly, like me, then consult a nutritionist.
Good luck
2007-01-01 09:29:42 · answer #1 · answered by RoadRunner 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From an ex All state distance runner I would recommand gaining a little bit of weight. Your not bad the weight you are right now, but you will become more weak during and after runs and at the end of races you will not have as much kick cause you don't have the muscle and extra weight to carry you. I was 5'10 and 140 pounds when I ran, I think if you can gain 5 to 7 pounds and hit the gym you'll be fine. If you keep working out and going to the gym dont worry to much on the calorie intake since you need a lot being a marathon runner. I hope this helps you!
2006-12-30 13:42:32 · answer #2 · answered by Jimmy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm 5'9" and the same weight as you, except I run the 5K. People always tell me I'm underweight, but you can't really say that about a distance runner as long as he/she isn't like Nicole Richie. Distance athletes have an abundance of ST muscle, which has less mass than FT muscle. Lighter is faster (to a point). As long as you have some body fat, you're fine. And you're not burning muscle with the fat. Exercise just burns fat; it BUILDS muscle.
And someone mentioned the BMI calculator. If you do some research on it, you will find that BMI is BS for distance runners. The BMI calculator is used to judge the body mass of sedentary people. However, a marathoner is anything but sedentary.
Just eat enough to sufficiently maintain your level of training. As long as you do that, all of the weight loss is natural, and you should not try to stop it from happening by overeating.
2006-12-30 14:28:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you are not that underweight, but a couple pounds would probably not hurt at all and actually you can train with less miles as long as you get that long run in. with all that running I don't think you will have to worry about gaining fat, it will quickly turn into muscle. Runners World and Cool Running websites have lot of information on training and nutrition. or talk to a personal trainer about weieght and diet.
5'8", 120 lbs.
Your BMI score is: 18.2
A BMI score of less than 18.5 indicates you are underweight. You may wish to consult with your healthcare professional or nutritionist to discuss whether any health risks are associated with being underweight.
2006-12-30 09:42:36 · answer #4 · answered by Abby 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you seen a sports oriented physician? Or talked to a trainer? You don't need to run huge miles (15-20) every day! Break up your workouts with some short faster/paced/ slow-4- fun runs. Carbs and protein drinks work. Run with others. The operative word is "with", not against. You can consume 3,000+ calories as long as you watch the "junkie" ones!
2006-12-30 09:43:51 · answer #5 · answered by coka-ko-lah 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not sure wha that other answer means ... but are you eating healthy now? Maybe the problem is not your weight ... but more how efficient your body is working ... if you gain weight with the same or almost same muscle mass ... wouldn't your body be working harder?
How long have you been an athlete? You might just need to change your diet and training techniques to do well at your upcoming marathon.
Best wishes
2006-12-30 09:42:19 · answer #6 · answered by simply_made 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
have you ever talked on your scientific expert? you in all possibility have an extremely extreme metabolism, as does my older daughter, and don't benefit weight unquestionably. Your scientific expert ought to propose something elementary like a multivitamin for youths, which Centrum and purpose the two make, or be certain or a drink complement. in simple terms ask. they are able to tailor a application on your particular physique metabolism.
2016-10-06 05:38:03 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
to become a goood runner you should concetrate on the type of food you take it should have protein rich contents like cerals,wheat. and also after your practise sesions u should drink juices with glucose to supllement your lost energy. check out your body mass index(BMI) periodically if it is above 20 well and good.if that works out i am sure you
can become a better runner
2006-12-31 09:53:21 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Skip waiting rooms. When you have an appointment, check in and then head out for a walk until the actual receptionist phones you.
2016-12-26 10:10:47 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
5 ft 8s lowest weight without being underweight is 123, im 5-8 i weight 140 so take your choice
2007-01-01 11:58:05 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋