A hearty bowl of stew in the winter and a refreshingly cold bowl of fruit in the summer.
Have you noticed how your appetite changes based on the season?
This change is partly as a result of the body needing less calories to function at an optimal body temperature - less energy is needed to maintain homeostasis. Even though in the heat, the body slows down a bit to try to conserve energy to not overheat, if you are an athlete who trains high volume/intensity and you only listen to your appetite to direct you when to (or not to) eat, your loss of appetite can result in a massive energy deficit. While you may think that this energy deficit will help with weight loss/body composition changes, training in an extreme energy deficiency affects normal body functioning, which can affect metabolism, immunity, heart health, bone health, menstruation, endocrine health, recovery, muscle strength and power and mood changes.
Another reason for a loss of appetite in the heat relates to the act of digesting food generates heat. If your body temp is high, your body will suppress the appetite in an effort to reduce the work load until your body temp returns to normal. This is not a good thing when you are in need of nutrition post workout to replenish and repair.
In hot weather, you may have noticed that you are more likely to desire fluids over solid food or maybe you have no appetite for anything. In these scenarios, a cold smoothie or pre-made recovery beverage is often the gold star post-workout drink so that you can drink your calories (and sodium) instead of chewing them. Be careful not to overhydrate on plain water, especially when you've lost a considerable amount of sodium in your sweat.
Have you noticed how your appetite changes based on the season?
This change is partly as a result of the body needing less calories to function at an optimal body temperature - less energy is needed to maintain homeostasis. Even though in the heat, the body slows down a bit to try to conserve energy to not overheat, if you are an athlete who trains high volume/intensity and you only listen to your appetite to direct you when to (or not to) eat, your loss of appetite can result in a massive energy deficit. While you may think that this energy deficit will help with weight loss/body composition changes, training in an extreme energy deficiency affects normal body functioning, which can affect metabolism, immunity, heart health, bone health, menstruation, endocrine health, recovery, muscle strength and power and mood changes.
Another reason for a loss of appetite in the heat relates to the act of digesting food generates heat. If your body temp is high, your body will suppress the appetite in an effort to reduce the work load until your body temp returns to normal. This is not a good thing when you are in need of nutrition post workout to replenish and repair.
In hot weather, you may have noticed that you are more likely to desire fluids over solid food or maybe you have no appetite for anything. In these scenarios, a cold smoothie or pre-made recovery beverage is often the gold star post-workout drink so that you can drink your calories (and sodium) instead of chewing them. Be careful not to overhydrate on plain water, especially when you've lost a considerable amount of sodium in your sweat.
Tip: If making your own smoothie, follow this order of ingredients to make the perfect consistency smoothie: Liquids, soft foods, powders, frozen foods, then sticky ingredients.
A few other tips to help stimulate your appetite post workout - cool yourself as quick as possible -either with ice packs or cooling towels or in a cold shower. You should notice that when your body temp returns to normal, the appetite quickly increases. Post workout, start your recovery with liquids and light foods (easy to digest) instead of not eating or attempting to eat a heavy meal. Aim for small snacks and meals throughout the day. If you are experiencing a strong headache or nausea after your workout, in addition to loss of appetite, this is likely a sign of dehydration and that your workout hydration strategies are inadequate.
Just because you don't have a subjective desire appetite to eat, this doesn't mean that your body is not in need of calories. To repay your body, who worked extremely hard to help you complete a given workout, figure out the best foods/drinks and strategies to refuel, rehydrate and recover after your hot-weather workouts. In this scenario, not eating because you don't feel hungry can be damaging to your performance and health.
A few other tips to help stimulate your appetite post workout - cool yourself as quick as possible -either with ice packs or cooling towels or in a cold shower. You should notice that when your body temp returns to normal, the appetite quickly increases. Post workout, start your recovery with liquids and light foods (easy to digest) instead of not eating or attempting to eat a heavy meal. Aim for small snacks and meals throughout the day. If you are experiencing a strong headache or nausea after your workout, in addition to loss of appetite, this is likely a sign of dehydration and that your workout hydration strategies are inadequate.
Just because you don't have a subjective desire appetite to eat, this doesn't mean that your body is not in need of calories. To repay your body, who worked extremely hard to help you complete a given workout, figure out the best foods/drinks and strategies to refuel, rehydrate and recover after your hot-weather workouts. In this scenario, not eating because you don't feel hungry can be damaging to your performance and health.