Many endurance and recreational athletes are familiar with the situation: performance suddenly drops during a long training session or competition. The legs become heavy, concentration decreases and even simple movements feel significantly more strenuous. This phenomenon is colloquially known in sports as Starvation referred to. This refers to a condition in which the body no longer has sufficient energy available quickly during physical exertion.
The background is usually a drop in blood sugar levels. The body stores energy primarily in the form of Glycogen in muscles and liver. If these reserves are not replenished in a timely manner during prolonged periods of stress, the blood sugar level decrease and performance declines significantly. A targeted energy supply is therefore crucial, especially in endurance sports.
What is a hunger pang in sports?
A hunger bout refers to a sudden drop in performance during physical exertion. It occurs when the body's carbohydrate stores - especially glycogen in the muscles and liver - are largely used up and blood sugar levels fall. As a result, the muscles and brain lack short-term energy, which can lead to weakness, concentration problems and a decline in performance.
The term is mainly used in endurance sports. Marathon runners, cyclists and triathletes often report that their energy supply is not sufficient during long periods of exercise. It becomes particularly critical when blood sugar drops sharply and a... Hypoglycemia arises.
What are the symptoms of starvation?
The symptoms of a hunger pang are often similar to those of hypoglycemia. These include sudden tiredness, problems concentrating, tremors or dizziness. A strong feeling of hunger can also occur. The cause is usually falling blood sugar, which means that the muscles and brain are no longer supplied with sufficient energy.
Typical signs of hunger are:
- sudden drop in performance
- severe fatigue
- Concentration problems
- Feeling dizzy
- Trembling or weakness
- Cravings for quick carbohydrates
This is particularly sensitive Brain to lack of energy. It relies heavily on a continuous supply of glucose. If blood sugar levels drop significantly, this can affect both mental performance and coordination.
Why does blood sugar drop when you exercise?
During physical exertion, energy consumption increases significantly. The body initially relies on stored carbohydrates, which are stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. If these reserves are used up faster than new energy is supplied, blood sugar can drop and starvation can occur.
Muscles prefer to use carbohydrates as an energy source, especially during intense exercise. These are broken down into glucose and released into the blood. If energy consumption becomes too high, the body's own energy production can no longer keep up.
In people with Diabetes mellitus Physical activity can also influence blood sugar. Exercise often lowers blood sugar levels, so careful planning of carbohydrate intake can be important.
Why are carbohydrates so important in sport?
Carbohydrates are one of the most important sources of energy for physical exertion. During intense activity, muscles need quickly available energy. Compared to fat, carbohydrates can be used particularly quickly to generate energy and thus support stable performance.
Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose in the body. This is then available as an immediate source of energy for the muscles and brain. Muscles prefer to rely on this form of energy, especially during intensive stress.
It is an important source of energy Dextrose, also known as glucose. As a simple sugar, it can be absorbed directly and is quickly available for energy production.
What does the glycemic index say about energy in sport?
The glycemic index describes how quickly a food causes blood sugar levels to rise. Foods with a high glycemic index cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. During intense exercise, this can be helpful to quickly compensate for a lack of energy.
An example of an energy source with a high glycemic index is dextrose. It is quickly absorbed by the body and can therefore provide short-term energy. You can find further background information in the article Dextrose and glycemic index.
How many carbohydrates do you need when exercising?
The amount of carbohydrates required depends largely on the duration and intensity of the exercise. For short training sessions, the body's own glycogen stores are often sufficient. However, during longer periods of exercise, sports nutrition recommends an additional carbohydrate intake.
Typical guidelines are:
- Up to 60 minutes of exercise: usually no additional carbohydrates necessary
- 60 to 120 minutes of exercise: around 30 grams of carbohydrates per hour
- over 2 hours of exercise: around 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour
You can also find out more about the role of carbohydrates and energy supply in the article Dextrose in sports.
Which energy suppliers are suitable for sport?
Many athletes use classic energy sources such as bananas, energy bars or sports drinks during training. These provide carbohydrates, but often contain additional ingredients such as fat, fiber or intense flavors.
Some athletes therefore prefer functional energy sources that primarily focus on quickly available carbohydrates. Dextrose may play a role in this because it:
- is absorbed quickly
- can be used directly to generate energy
- remains easy to digest
- can be dosed precisely
We explain in more detail why many athletes use glucose during training in the article Dextrose belongs in every sports bag.
How can you avoid hunger pangs?
A bout of hunger can often be avoided through a targeted nutritional strategy. This includes sufficient carbohydrate intake before longer training sessions and regular energy intake during exercise. Reacting early to the first signs of a lack of energy can also help prevent performance drops.
Many athletes plan their energy intake before training or competition. This can prevent glycogen stores from being completely exhausted and blood sugar from falling too low.
You can also find further strategies for stabilizing blood sugar in the article Keep blood sugar levels constant.
Conclusion
Hunger occurs when the body's carbohydrate stores are exhausted and blood sugar drops too low during physical exertion. A continuous supply of energy is therefore particularly important in endurance sports in order to avoid drops in performance.
If you understand how the body uses energy and what role carbohydrates play in it, you can plan training and competition better. Quickly available carbohydrates such as dextrose can help stabilize blood sugar levels and support energy supply during prolonged exercise.
Medical notice:
This article is intended to provide general information and does not replace medical or sports science advice. If you have any health questions or about individual resilience, qualified specialists should be consulted.
Sources
Editorial note:
This article has been carefully researched and is intended to provide general information. The content is created, checked and regularly updated by the Hyporest editorial team.
