Does running change your shape?

[Pickingmyselfup]

I've been running consistently for about a year now and haven't noticed much difference in the way I look even with eating less and lifting weights.

This year I'm really hitting the running, I have 2 half marathons, 2x10Ks, a 20 mile and a full marathon booked between now and November. I'm trying to eat a bit less but it's really difficult to fuel my runs and stick to a calorie deficit. I'm eating about 300 less than I need to for maintenance but on long run days I end up eating the full amount because I need the fuel during my runs. Trying to hit the gym as much as possible to get those weights lifted but between runs, work, inury and life it's pretty hard.

I have an event planned after my marathon in October and I was really hoping to lose weight so that I would look better in the dress I'm planning to wear but it might not be possible. Can I look better with the running even if I don't lose weight??

Trial and error, different brands have different consistencies, but not everyone can tolerate them. I have gagged on lucozade gels but I find some torq ones quite palatable (not all flavours!)

Occassionally I have haribos and 2 or 3 sweets mid run is enough. Probably no better than a gel! (I only use those on training runs though)

OP, here you go. In other words, part of the reason you “bonked” on your half marathon you talked about earlier was because you’ve never forced your body to adapt to running on fat stores. And furthermore, your current training strategy of using gels on relatively short and low intensity runs means you are continually putting off starting that process of adapting to run on fat stores. So you’re MORE likely to hit the wall in your next race.

”Long-distance runners need to train their bodies to burn fat instead of relying primarily on sugar (glycogen) because fat provides a more sustainable energy source for prolonged endurance exercise. Here’s why:

1. Limited Glycogen Stores“ The body can only store about 1,500-“2,000 kcal of glycogen, which is enough for roughly 90-“120 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise. Once glycogen is depleted, runners can experience “hitting the wall” (bonking), leading to fatigue and decreased performance.
2. Abundant Fat Reserves“ Even lean athletes have tens of thousands of kcal stored as fat, providing a nearly unlimited energy source. Training to oxidize fat efficiently allows runners to sustain energy levels over long distances without rapidly depleting glycogen.
3. Glycogen Sparing: By increasing fat oxidation, athletes preserve glycogen stores for later stages of a race when high-intensity efforts (e.g., a finishing sprint) may be needed.
4. Aerobic Efficiency: Fat oxidation primarily occurs in the presence of oxygen (aerobic metabolism). Long-distance running is predominantly aerobic, making fat a more suitable energy source over time.

Scientific Evidence:

1. Jeukendrup (2003) – A review in the Journal of Sports Sciences highlights how endurance training increases fat oxidation and spares glycogen during prolonged exercise.

• Source: Jeukendrup, A. (2003). “Modulation of carbohydrate and fat utilization by diet, exercise, and environment.†Journal of Sports Sciences.

1. Brooks & Mercier (1994) – The concept of the crossover effect, where trained athletes shift from carbohydrate reliance to fat oxidation at lower intensities, is discussed in Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews.

• Source: Brooks, G. A., & Mercier, J. (1994). “Balance of carbohydrate and lipid utilization during exercise: The ‘crossover’ concept.†Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews.

1. Phinney et al. (1983) – A study on fat-adapted endurance athletes shows that a high-fat diet increases fat oxidation without impairing performance.

• Source: Phinney, S. D., et al. (1983). “The human metabolic response to chronic ketosis without caloric restriction: preservation of submaximal exercise capability with reduced carbohydrate oxidation.†Metabolism.

These studies provide strong evidence that endurance athletes benefit from increased fat oxidation, helping them perform better in long-distance events by extending their energy supply and delaying fatigue.

@Fizbosshoes it's Torq I used actually, not SiS! I had a feeling I had it wrong.

Just as an aside, how does anyone manage to get those gels down?

Again, trial and error over years of practice! I find I can cope with SIS ones because they have a thicker, gloopier, consistency. I tend to suck them quite slowly and, when I'm really in the pits towards the 19-23 mile part of a marathon, try and make them last a full mile so I'm taking them on really steadily and don't throw up (they also serve as a nice distraction technique at that stage).

Hi-5 ones are much more watery and instantly make me heave, though I know others like the fact you can just gulp them down.

The London Marathon gave out Lucozade ones a couple of years ago and I got on OK with those too. Was forced to try them as I dropped a couple of my SIS gels early on (very annoying) but actually it turned out all right.

See, even reading about them makes me gag😄

I am the opposite, I found the lucozade ones too thick and difficult to swallow, and I was retching at the side of the road a couple of times trying to take those (during a 20 mile race, and a marathon) so it shows how individual it is and that you just have to work through different types to find out what suits best.
Rhubarb and custard or black cherry yoghurt torq are my faves, but during a marathon i might take 4, and by the time I've got to number 4, I hate all the gels and running 😂

The vast majority of studies in sport are done on men and not women and also done for relatively short periods.

So yes there is some evidence to indicate that fat adaptation is helpful but it's not definitive.

Also all long distance runners will be using a combo of fat and carb as energy sources naturally. There isn't some kind of switch that clicks from one to the other. Yes you can swing the pendulum but everyone uses fat to some extent.

I'm going to attempt to properly research but when I asked my coach she said fuelling a run is essential to progress and recovery so 2 very conflicting sources there.

I don't think it is a one size fits all situation either, there is no way I could run half a marathon without having breakfast but I saw a few people who said they are fine with it.

I think as well I'm knackered because I do so much as well as running so that doesn't help either.

Your coach sounds clueless.

She's not though at all and everything she says is exactly what others are also saying. There was a sports nutritionist hosting a session fairly recently and he said the exact same things I've seen literally everywhere and everything other runners have told me too.

Like I said, I will do my research but I'm not entirely convinced by not fueling my runs. There is absolutely no shame in that at all, if that is what works for me then that's what I'll do and if it means I need to eat at maintenance then that's what I have to do. I'm not competing against anybody else, I'm not an athlete, I'm just doing it because I want to and my main goal is to finish these races.

I finished my first half, yes it was tough towards the end but it was my first ever half. I didn't quit, I kept going and finished just shy of 2 and a half hours. I'm pretty proud of that tbh, I'm in awe of anybody who can get round in less than half that and wonder how but I'm short which doesn't help. I don't think my lung capacity is particularly great since I have issues breathing anyway and I will never be 100% dedicated to it because I'm too busy.

So there we go, it's been useful to read others opinions, I'm not saying they are wrong, I'm not saying they are right, even professionals have different opinions too.

The replies have been great, but under 2.30 for a half is fine. Finishing a half-marathon is quite an achievement.

I googled "should I fuel my long runs" and it came back with yes.

Featherstone Nutrition
Runners World
Laura Norris Running
Ben Parkes Running
Alex Beers from a website I can't remember the name of now

When I delve into Reddit then I start to see the same debate about if you should fuel or not. Some people on there say they can run 20 miles with no food, I can do up to 10K without eating breakfast but I don't think my performance is particularly great.

I think for me personally taking in something during a longer run is the right way to go about things. It might not help with my fat loss but I think it helps me physically. I also know what I'm doing then in order to really get that goal on race day which is when I want to beat my previous time. I will know what gels work for me, how often to take them so then there are no uncertainties.

I've mulled it all over in the past few days and it's a decision I'm going with for the moment. Of course that might change as I push through those barriers of the longer and longer runs and it's definitely given me something to think about which is always good.

Chubby runner here, I never fuel runs up to 2 hours.

I was thinking about this thread on my long run this morning (sad I know) and, on reflection, it makes absolute sense as to why the OP has become so confused and is misinterpreting the advice out there.

My theory is that it's because most fuelling advice - and training plans too - are written by coaches, based on experienced runners, and then "tweaked" for new or slow runners- rather than considering the individual needs of much slower runners when designing the plans.
They're also mainly talking about race conditions when you're going all-out and will deplete glycogen stores quickly; or very long marathon training runs when you need to practice fuelling. But that again isn't always explicitly clear.

(That excludes the fuelling advice from gel companies which, quelle surprise, tells everyone to take on gels all the bloody time - can't imagine why that is 🤔)

There's a lengthy Runners World piece on fuelling which talks about starting to fuel after the first hour and then every 30-40 mins if you're running for three hours. How far can you extrapolate that down before it ceases to make sense any more?
For the OP, she would apparently choose to interpret that advice for experienced long runners as also applying to short runs of 7 miles at 11 min mile pace. For most of us on here that sounds like madness. But is it really the OPs fault when there is little info out there about fuelling short runs for new runners, aside from the gel packets that desperately want you to buy more?

The same often applies to training plans. More often than not, beginners marathon plans are cut-down versions of advanced plans, and that often leads to injury. Most of us will have been - or at least seen - that new runner who thinks they have to do at least two 20 mile runs before a marathon, even if it takes them five hours. And then they end up injured and arrive at the start line with knee supports. It's not their fault; it's only natural when you Google what you "should" be doing and it's mainly tailored to speedy experienced runners who are adapted to the distance.

I've done a lot of marathons and you do tend to learn through error. I've fucked up a lot over the years. Maybe one of us should write the marathon training book for 30 and 40-something mothers who don't have much time on their hands and can't possibly do everything perfectly. Because it feels like every time someone has tried to write that book it's ended up being the same old "pro athlete tries to apply pro training to the wider population" and it doesn't quite work.

I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone who thought they needed gels for a 10km. Just why? Who are the professionals advising that? I do understand it for 15km+.

The advice that the OP is following seems highly unlikely to get her to the finish line of a marathon.

I read that If you're in the menopause zone of life lots of cardio increases cortisol and that makes it really hard to shift any weight.

I don't know what the answer is!!

All I really wanted to know is if my current exercise plan would change the way I look if I wasn't in a calorie deficit. Somehow it's gone totally off tangent with people telling me 30K a week isn't a lot (it's a hell of a lot more than 0K a week) my coach is useless, I'll never make it to the finish line of a marathon/I'm doing it all wrong etc etc.

I'm perfectly happy with how I'm doing things, I trust the plan and I trust my coach.

I'm not going to bother returning to this thread now, it's just going round in circles for no reason with people picking apart my choices. Just because they aren't your choices it doesn't mean they are wrong and if they are wrong well then I'll learn from them the hard way.

Thanks to those who have given me some food for thought.

I started reading this thread precisely for the question you asked, does running change your shape? However, some of the bossy and belligerent responses from these supposed pro runners have just been unreal. I think you’ve done well to keep your patience as you have! 😁

@Influencerofcrap I'm not a pro, but I've been running for decades and kept a log for years. The reason we seem bossy and belligerent is that OP seems to know better than the other posters.
It reminds me of a friend who was going to the gym regularly and complaining about not losing weight. The trips to the gym also involved a pre-workout banana, glucose tablets while training, and a post-workout Mars bar.

The reason we seem bossy and belligerent is that OP seems to know better than the other posters.

Good job OP has you and other posters to take her down a peg or two then isn’t it and show her the error of her ways! 😉

She doesn't seem to be taking any notice, @Influencerofcrap . There is no intention to 'take her down a peg or two' on my part.

Likewise. To take someone down a peg or two means to show them they are not as great as they think they are.
This is not was PPs have been doing (though I think many of us have thought the coach could be taken down a peg or two).
Many experienced runners have given their advice, based on many years of experience and their knowledge.
OP is happy with her coach, and that's the most important thing; she has to have confidence in her coach.
PPs are advising why they think she won't achieve the weight loss or shape change she desires.

I ran a 10 mile race today. I don't think I saw a single gel.

Hi there, I'm running similar a week probably 30 -40km. Longest run is at the weekend usually between 12 -17km. The rest of the week I vary my running greatly. This adds interest and helps muscle development. So mon is usually a slow 10km run. Tues or Wed is a very fast 5km and thurs/Fri is some intense hill training. I'm 48, weigh about 8 stone and have my 10km down to about 55 mins. I never use gels or protein bars when training. Always listen to music to motivate, do pilates once a week and weights every other day. Most importantly I love running, but if I don't fancy it that day I will skip it and do another day instead. Running definitely keeps, me in shape, but I do get thunder thighs in the summer when I do more hill work!

This is unnecessarily discouraging. Slightly over-fuelling on training runs doesn’t mean she is highly unlikely to get to the finish line of a marathon.

For those upthread struggling with digesting gels, I’ve found the chews from Precision Hydration are quite gentle on the stomach.