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How Many Calories Should a Runner Eat?

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Should runners count calories?

After all, doesn’t a long run = license to eat.

Whether that statement is actually true or not, it’s absolutely the mindset I hear more often than not from those who come to me confused about why they managed to gain weight while marathon training.

I think it happens subconsciously.

Everyone around us is commenting “oh I bet you can eat whatever you want” and we keep hearing how runners need carbs, so why not have a little more of this and that and that and that and…well you get it.

Let’s get a little sciency today!!

Are you getting enough fuel to keep you running strong? Are you over doing it and thus the scale is slowly creeping up despite your training?Understanding BMR, RMR and weight loss - how many calories do you really need and how many are you burning?

How Many Calories Should a Runner Eat?

Step 1 is understanding BMR, RMR and Weight loss because all of these numbers play a role in calculating YOUR number.

Basal Metabolic Rate and Resting Metabolic Rate are the two most common terms that you might hear about when determining how to calculate calories.

There is a slight difference in the two and it’s important to know which you’re using:

BMR
An estimate of calories burned if you truly laid in bed all day. It accounts for only bodily functions (breathing, etc).

RMR
An estimate of calories burned if you laid in bed all day, but also drank water, ate meals and small activity like moving to the bathroom.

The Harris-Benedict equation for BMR:
For men: (13.75 x w) + (5 x h) – (6.76 x a) + 66
For women: (9.56 x w) + (1.85 x h) – (4.68 x a) + 655

The Mifflin equation for RMR:
For men: (10 x w) + (6.25 x h) – (5 x a) + 5
For women: (10 x w) + (6.25 x h) – (5 x a) – 161

Where:
w = weight in kg
h = height in cm
a = age

In most cases, people will take their RMR + calories burned during exercises to determine the total calorie expenditure for the day.

After finding this, the long held wisdom has been that to lose weight you simply need to keep your calories below this threshold. That’s a debate for another day, but is at least a good place to start with any weight loss program.

Calculating Your Calorie Burn

Now that you understand the numbers, you need to get the most accurate one’s for you and that starts with your resting metabolism. Without this number, you’ll never understand the calories you need as a distance runner.

While both calculations can get you close, an in office test will provide more accurate results to help with weight loss. It’s been stated the Harris Benedict formula can over estimate by up to 24% – YIKES that’s a lot of calories.

Since a BMR test requires an overnight stay in a lab, let’s focus on the more accessible RMR test.

How an RMR test is done?
An RMR test has you sit comfortably with a mask that covers your nose and mouth allowing you to breathe normally. Well normally in that your nose is clipped and you must breathe just through your mouth. For most accurate results you need to fast for 12 hours prior to the test and do as little activity as possible.

How an RMR test works?
For 10 minutes, the machine measures how much oxygen you use while at complete rest to calculate the calorie expenditure of your body.

Where can you do an RMR test?
Lot’s of gyms offer this service as part of the initial package or via a dietitian.Running weight loss - Calculating the calories you need to get to a healthy weight

Calories Burned Running

After getting your RMR results, it’s time to figure out how many calories you are burning through all that running!

While all treadmills come with built in calculators, it’s been reported that these numbers can be up to 30% higher than actual calories burned. SOOOO let’s not even consider that as an option.

Option 1: A Metabolic Test

This was one of my favorite things I’ve done over the years. This treadmill test measures exactly how many calories you burn per mile and whether you are using more fat or carbs at different paces. INCREDIBLY useful.

Option 2: A Running HR Monitor

This will be one of the most accurate ways to judge calorie burn as it’s truly looking at how hard your body is working based on your age, weight, height and heart rate. I have reviewed a few options like Garmin watches and best running heart rate monitors.

Unfortunately, many of us have also found the built in calculators on the Garmin watches to be a little iffy lately. I.e. I ran 5 miles and it said I burned 250 calories…nope.

Option 3: MyFitnessPal

Free running apps are always an option. You can log all your activities in to an online calculator and get a fairly good estimate of calories burned.

However, long time runners will find the numbers are too high because the longer you do an exercise the more efficient your body becomes and thus…yup less calories burned.

Many runners don’t realize that as they adjust to running farther their body adjusts too, so they can’t eat as many calories as they used to. BUMMER.

The longer you run, the less you burn! Learn more about how many calories runners need #fitness Click To Tweet

How many calories does a marathon burn?

The average estimate is 100 calories per mile. But as noted that can be different for every runner based on weight and intensity.

  • Plugging the run in to MyFitnessPal would say 2700 calories for a 10 minute pace
  • Another calculator says 3700 calories for a 10 minute pace
  • Another calculator says 3700 calories for an 8 minute pace

Again, this is why I like to push for the metabolic test.

Option 4: 100 Calories

On a very general level, there have been studies showing roughly 100 calories per mile is a decent estimate. So if you don’t have any of the above or you feel like your watch is off…start here.

  • If you are eating 100 calories per mile + your RMR and weight is holding steady then you know it’s roughly right.
  • If you’re gaining at that rate, one of the numbers is off. But it doesn’t matter so much, you know you need to cut a couple hundred calories.

Cautions for Runners and Calories

While I started running for weight loss and have helped others achieve it, there are some MAJOR cautions that must be discussed before you simply start slashing calories.

RMR + activity = total calories burned

Weight loss means creating a deficit from that number.

While many places often recommend 500 calories a day, I don’t agree with that for runners. A deficit that is too large creates multiple issues:

  • Female athlete triad – hormone disruption from running
  • Loss of muscle mass while adding miles  –  becoming skinny fat and weaker
  • Declining performance – without enough energy you’ll keep push and end up over training

Additional running for weight loss tips:

After you’ve gotten a handle on your basic numbers, there’s certainly more to the equation. Like adding strength, eating the right foods and more. Here are some additional articles that can help looking beyond running calories:

  • Protein intake and timing for fat loss
  • Strength Training for Runners to improve weight loss
  • Macros for Runners
  • Learning to eat intuitively
  • Why fasted running may not be the answer

None of this is to say running doesn’t give us some extra leeway with our food. But if you’re trying to shed a little body fat or wondering why the same meal plan and miles are suddenly leading to pounds these numbers are a great tool.

Ever have an issue with justifying food because of your workout?

Do you know your numbers?

Other ways to connect with Amanda
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Posted by amanda Categories: body fat, Recipe, sports nutrition, weight loss

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About Amanda Brooks

Amanda Brooks is a Certified Running Coach, Certified Personal Trainer and long time distance runner with a passion for every facet of running, which leads her to do more reading, research and running than necessary. Find all the tips, tricks and tools you need from this running coach for your best injury free running. Read More…

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Amanda Brooks : Run Coach
A NEW PLAN DOESN’T FIX EVERYTHING. You might alr A NEW PLAN DOESN’T FIX EVERYTHING. You might already know what’s best for you, but aren’t doing it consistently. That’s the only way we really make changes.
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A PLAN can help, but I often don’t think that’s step one to making lasting change.
//
HABITS AND ROUTINES✴️
-Eliminate the need to make decisions.
-Which reduces brain fatigue.
-Which increases your chance of success.
//
TINY HABITS✴️
This is the smallest step you can take towards your goal. Often so small it seems insignificant, but is easy to make it a habit.
🌟
That leads you to another tiny habit, then another and suddenly it’s just your lifestyle.
👆👆👆
When people ask how I easily kept off 35lbs for over 15 years, while enjoying pizza, taking rest days and not obsessing about food.
👇👇👇👇
When people ask how I stay motivated to run year round and rarely race. Tiny habits.
//
Day one isn’t eat perfect or run for an hour.
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Day one IS drink a glass of water when I wake up. Put on my running clothes.
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Day 30 is then more like after I drink my glass of water, I do 5 push ups. After I put on my running clothes, I do a 5 minute warm up.
//
SLOW PROGRESS IS BETTER THAN NO PROGRESS, it builds momentum and is sustainable.
❔❔❔
Have you ever practiced creating tiny habits???
1️⃣ WORD TO DESCRIBE YOUR RUNNING THIS YEAR? M 1️⃣ WORD TO DESCRIBE YOUR RUNNING THIS YEAR?
Mine... satisfying.
😊
1900 miles blows away previous years.
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(swipe to see...because yes I love tracking.) Unfortunately I’m not positive what it was 2001-2007 because I wrote it on calendars.
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SATISFYING
🥰I needed the long miles early on to process my business being thrown for a loop. Bye bye book tour and partnerships.
😊I needed it after that to get away from the news and pretend I wasn’t spending all day alone. Then as my business shifted again to keep ideas flowing.
🌲I loved the time outside to think, get lost in a comedy podcast or audiobook. Otherwise I’m at home working!
🤩Without a single race, I still checked a big goal off my list of running an ultra distance (solo was very interesting!).
//
I’ve seen some posts that make it seem like we’re wrong for talking about what we achieved this year.
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It was a HARD FCKIN year for everyone, but guess what lots of years are. And not every year is great even without a pandemic.
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For all the lows this year, I also worked my ass off to make some really good things happen. And I’m extra proud of that.
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So let’s hear your word for fitness in 2020??
⬇️
Hard, easy, strong, powerful, consistent, cleansing, relaxing, nature, grace, grit, grind, triumph, building...
HAIR EMOJI POLL!!! Seriously hair...it’s a lot r HAIR EMOJI POLL!!! Seriously hair...it’s a lot right?! Figuring out what to do with it, color it don’t color it, keep it healthy, breakage from ponytails, long, short. And yet a good hair day😃 🔥 🌟
//
POLL:
🥰Love your hair
🤪Frustrated with your hair
1️⃣Natural curls
2️⃣Stick straight
👇👇👇
Curly friends: share your favorite tips!!
Long hair friends: what helps you keep it healthy?
👆👆👆
//
At 7 I could sit in my hair it was so long.
At 10 we started perms.
At 16 I had a full mane of hair I loved.
At 20 I learned I have naturally curly hair 😂after years of perms as a kid.
At 25 I was going blonde blonde blonde.
At 29 I began losing hair and it got so brittle I had to chop it off, due to the hormone issues.😭
At 35 my hair started to recover (as did my body), but never like that mane I loved as a teen.
At 39 I got my first curly haircut! I’m still figuring it out, but was amazed at how it looked.
//
I don’t wear much make up, but I do admit to really caring about my hair and it was a tough time when it felt so unhealthy.
//
I’m still struggling to figure out this new curly style 😂but keep hearing from other curly girls ya just gotta stick it out. So we’ll see.
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#curlygirlmethod #hairtalk
ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO RUN? Why don’t you just ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO RUN? Why don’t you just enjoy a day off? Don’t you feel guilty about the time apart?
//
Yes.
It makes me happy.
No, if I’m happy our time together is better.
👇👇👇
MY VIEW IS THIS...
❌If you aren’t working out because of food guilt
❌If you aren’t missing big moments because you must workout
✅If you enjoy it and it improves your day
✅THEN GO FORTH and don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for improving your mental and physical health.
//
❓Do you have guilt or get guilted about workouts for n holidays?❓
//
This has been my lifestyle so long that our families just know to expect that I’m gonna sweat. And of course, I’m lucky David wants this lifestyle too.
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BUTTTTT I remember those first trips to David’s family, where it really threw them for a loop. They still find it weird, but I sneak out before everyone gets up or have gotten them to do family things like the rec center.
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My best advice when asked has always been to try and calmly explain why it matters to you and then just go. They get over it or used to it.
🎁 🎄🕎
TAKE ANOTHER LITTLE PIZZA MY HEART 😂a reminder TAKE ANOTHER LITTLE PIZZA MY HEART 😂a reminder this holiday season that we all need to be loved differently...and pizza transcends all.
//
🍕Do you have a favorite local pizza place?🍕🍕
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Yes, I knead to know for when we can travel again.
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Here we fell in love in love with @saucyspizza and I wouldn’t be sad if I got it as a gift 😆
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#pizzamemes #eatlocal #denvercolorado #ilovepizza #lovememes #pizzagram #digiorno #papajohns #foodisfuel #longrun #womenwhoeat #carbsarelife
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Website written, managed and maintained by Amanda Brooks, a certified running coach and personal trainer. Any advice should be taken as general information and not a personalized plan. All opinions, tips and reviews are based upon her personal life experience and the experiences of those she has coached. View our full privacy and review policy.

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