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Are there any runner's out there who have insatiable cravings?

Do you give in to the craving or resist?

I can't seem to get enough rain bran the last few weeks, like 5 or 6 bowls in a row! My diet is healthy and my training the same.

I am just giving in, thinking my body is craving it for some reason. My weight hasn't changed either, just find it rather bizarre.

Oddly enough, I hardly ever crave anything after running, except water. Once, long ago when I would run 10 miles I craved Coca-Cola SO BADLY I actually considered killing myself because I was in the middle of a park with no access to stores. Seriously.

Ha, Ha. Yeah I can usually measure the intensity of my cardio training by the presense or absense of cravings. When it's intense I crave citrus and grapes. There have been some studies showing that cravings CAN but DO NOT ALWAYS have realisitic biological aspects to them. For instance in my case I suspect when my training is most intense the body is generating tons of free radicals during exercise so the body produces cravings for oranges and grapes, berries and tomatoes in order to increase antioxidant stores to help offset the damage caused by training and speed the recovery process. With running there are often high levels of carbohydrate cravings which can be from the running or else from the carbs themselves. Bran is particularly high in all sorts of micronutrients, the type easily depleted by running and intense exercise. Allthough I would watch quantity, I would allow yourself to indulge in cravings that persist as long as the craving is for something healthy. For example, it would be pretty damn hard to get a calorie excess from oranges. You are going to get tull from oranges long before they can do you any harm. So go for it. The body has a natural inherent intelligence and if we are in tune enough with it, the body will often tell us exactly what it needs.

I tend to believe that when a person has cravings in this manner that it's because glycogen levels are low. I get this impression because everyone that has made mention of what they crave all comes down to something that's sugary. Whether it be in the form of fruits or other carbohydrates.

I am not sure about the whole free radical thing and that your body intrinsically craves particular fruits in order to supplement with antioxidants. Those types of bodily functions are generally reserved for extreme cases like being forced into survival mode. For example, a saw a special on the History channel about how a guy was abandoned on a raft and was floating for weeks on the Pacific Ocean. He had a few spears and was able to catch fish. He developed cravings for eating the gills, fins and even the eyes of the fish. Sounds nasty to crave the eyeballs of a fish, doesn't it? But the theory was that his brain triggered the response to crave this part of the fish because somehow the brain knew that the eyeballs of the fish were high in pure water. And since you can't drink ocean water this was his only source of water as he struggled for weeks and thankfully survived.

I used to crave carbohydrates toward the end of the evening. It would be easy to eat something sugary to satiate my cravings. But what I learned was that if I eat enough complex carbs during the day that I no longer have these cravings. So after increasing my consumption of brown rice and sweet potatoes those cravings went away.

I constantly crave salt....or salty food...however when I'm running, I've always had this odd craving for grape soda....which I've not had to drink since I was a kid....I'm constantly telling myself (in my mind) when I'm running...."okay, if you can just go X further, you can stop @ 7-11 and get a grape soda".

I never do. (stop and get one)

Not a hardcore runner, but I often crave spinach.

x

smalltownboy saidI constantly crave salt....or salty food...however when I'm running, I've always had this odd craving for grape soda....which I've not had to drink since I was a kid....I'm constantly telling myself (in my mind) when I'm running...."okay, if you can just go X further, you can stop @ 7-11 and get a grape soda".

I never do. (stop and get one)

A craving for sodium is very natural too. Through perspiration and exercise we can throw off our electrolytes so it's not uncommon to hear that you crave some salt.


Grape soda was great though, wasn't it? It's been about 20 years for myself as well.

ASH557 saidNot a hardcore runner, but I often crave spinach.

x

Don't know what to tell ya, Popeye, other than to submit to your craving. It's good for you.

I cycle now and crave. When I used to run, I also had cravings. I don't give in necessarily. I start making a light dinner right after my workout, but have to resist eating something immediately. I obviously want water but resist having too much, otherwise I'll feel nauseated.