Undereating - Long Term Problems ?

Roubaixsl3

I've been training on a turbo now since early November, first time I've done any structured training. Previously my fitness came from 100 miles/week commute plus whatever I could fit in at the weekends. My weight has always been around 56Kg. My stat's (from TrainerRoad) show an average of 1007kj over the 53 workouts performed. During November I started to notice an occasional light headed feeling, not unlike having the flu, although this never interrupted my training (must add this would occur at any time of the day, not specifically during training). This has become gradually more frequent, to the point that I had to come home from work last week feeling quite unwell. I have been to the doc's, waiting for blood test results. My query is, I have significantly increased my training since starting on the turbo, but have not changed my diet at all. I have to admit to not eating very much. My weight hasn't dropped, but am I likely to have been depleting my body of vital vitamins/minerals over time ?. The blood results may or may not confirm this. I'm so keen to get back on the bike but am concerned that I may not be able to if I have caused some kind of damage. Just looking for advice from anyone with similar experiences.

ut_och_cykla

fat git here so no similar experiences but if your weight hasn't changed you probaby haven't used up enough vitamins/minerals assuming you eat a good diet , wren't depleted when you started etc. Even if you if you were already underweight,eating little or unbalanced or both the likelihood of it making you unwell as you describe is small. BUT you might be experiencing iron deficiency, lack of carbs or hormone disturbances that would make you feel very poorly.

Roubaixsl3

Doc has noticed that I have an enlarged thyroid so perhaps there is a hormone issue as a result. May not be connected to the training at all. He did also tell me I was underweight just by looking at me. I beg to differ, the physique of a cyclist doesn't necessarily fit in with the "average". Have to admit to not paying a lot of attention to what I eat, other than not eating anything obviously unhealthy so there is room for improvement. I just want to get back on the bike.

Zingzang

Roubaixsl3 wrote:

Have to admit to not paying a lot of attention to what I eat.

You sound as if you're paying too much attention to what you do and don't eat, and you're overdoing the restraint: "I have to admit to not eating very much."
You may have an underlying physical problem, or you may have a psychological one, i.e. anorexia.

Roubaixsl3

I guess any form of obsessively controlling your weight can be seen as anorexia so perhaps there's some truth there. I see the doc again tomorrow for the blood results so we'll see if there's anything amiss. Just wish I'd seen it coming sooner and would have been able to avoid this downtime.

keef66

My money's on anaemia. Do let us know.

ShutUpLegs

Anything from the OP?

charlie_potatoes

Roubaixsl3 wrote:

My weight hasn't dropped, but am I likely to have been depleting my body of vital vitamins/minerals over time ?.

A Multivitamin (with minerals) tablet once a day would safeguard against this?
The ones that I use are 3p each

team47b

Roubaixsl3 wrote:

He did also tell me I was underweight just by looking at me. I beg to differ, the physique of a cyclist doesn't necessarily fit in with the "average".

Our doctor told mrs T she was too thin just by looking at her, and she suggested mrs T eat cake as a remedy, the irony is the doctor is obese!

Gp's don't know very much about nutrition, exercise, cycling etc etc, probably better to see a nutritionalist to discuss your diet.

Roubaixsl3

Seeing the doc at 4 today. Been hammered by the flu for the past week too so not a good time for me. I had a lab threshold test last year part of which was a body fat measurement using calipers. This gave an 8% fat content. The "sports scientists" who carried out the test made no comment on me being underweight. Had I been unable to perform during the test I would have doubted my general fitness but this was not the case. If the doc suggests eating pies for the rest of my life you can imagine what my response will be!!. I really just want to see the blood results then take it from there. My immediate family also think I'm underweight, so I showed them some footage of Robert Millar taking his shirt off at the end of a stage, that soon shut them up!!

saprkzz

*** I am not a doctor or sports nutristionist (sp?)*** I am just gong on what I have been recommended through personal trainers etc...

Nutrition is a vital element to training, performance and recovery. The pro's that are built like stick insects still have a very well balanced amount of protein & calories etc being pumped into them.

If your training has increased then you diet should accomendate that as well. My personal trainer has me taking in between 144 - 240g protein a day, and 1946-2196 calories a day and 103-155 carbs. The is monitored by DB tracker on the iphone.

So you must be eating to allow your body to burn in properly. There is so much science behind it, when and how often and how much to eat. Even the time of day can make a difference to your well being.

Obviously if you have an underlying problem, then all i tyoe above is irrelivant, but my trainnig has stepped up a gear over this winter, actually never "trained" before, and i feel spot on, weight has come down gradually in the right places, and muscle increased.

How tall are you? as 56kg sounds light.

Roubaixsl3

I'm only 5'6 so 56Kg isn't underweight. Point taken about the nutrition, this is something I pay absolutely no attention to. Previously this hasn't been an issue although it may have been hampering my performance. Now with the increase in training intensity I really must apply the same effort to my diet. I am going to seek advice from the sports nutritionalist at the lab I used for the threshold test.

Blood test came up normal in all aspects. The only underlying issue are lumps on my thyroid gland. While these are not affecting the output of the thyroid (according to the bloods) they will need to be investigated and possibly removed. I wasn't even aware of the lumps so they could have been there for years but advice is still to have them checked out.

team47b

I am 5ft6 and 55kgs and not underweight I have about15% fat so if people are suggesting you are underweight I assume they mean your % fat is lower than this, which surely is a good thing, I could loose 4% fat and remain the same weight by increasing muscle, and remain at 55kg, would I then be underweight?

You are 19.9 BMI (yes I know what we all think of BMI) so are in the 'normal range 18.5–24.9

As saprkzz said you need to calculate your nutrition needs and make sure that additional energy is being correctly fueled.

Roubaixsl3

I tried to explain power/weight ratio and its importance for climbing to the doc', bit of a waste of time, he's fixated on what he deems to be the "norm"

Zingzang

Roubaixsl3 wrote:

he's fixated on what he deems to be the "norm"

The standard fitness index for many GP's is whether you can comfortably walk up your stairs at home; if you can, you are fit. Power-to-weight ratios etc are not above their heads, just not their concern.

Froomes Edgar

team47b wrote:

Roubaixsl3 wrote:

He did also tell me I was underweight just by looking at me. I beg to differ, the physique of a cyclist doesn't necessarily fit in with the "average".

Our doctor told mrs T she was too thin just by looking at her, and she suggested mrs T eat cake as a remedy, the irony is the doctor is obese!

Gp's don't know very much about nutrition, exercise, cycling etc etc, probably better to see a nutritionalist to discuss your diet.

FFS. It's "nutritionist", and any numpty can call themselves one, regardless of whether they know anything or not. If you want someone who has an actual qualification,, you want a dietitian.

team47b

I didn't know this, here in Portugal the nutritionist is the highly qualified one not the dietician, sorry for confusing things.

Carry on.

Froomes Edgar

team47b wrote:

I didn't know this, here in Portugal the nutritionist is the highly qualified one not the dietician, sorry for confusing things.

Carry on.

Fair enough. In the UK, a nutritionist is the equivalent of a chiropractor.

Herbsman

Zingzang wrote:

The standard fitness index for many GP's is whether you can comfortably walk up your stairs at home; if you can, you are fit.

I can't comfortably walk up my stairs. I bloody hate it. It hurts my legs and if I had the choice I'd live in a bungalow.

ut_och_cykla

Silly question - male or female? - if you're female and 8% fat you could have very serious and long lasting health issues... even males might find it hard to keep fit and healthy on 8% fat. And if you're exercising hardish most days you will need good, well balanced nutrition to stay healthy and be able to train well

saprkzz

Froomes Edgar wrote:

team47b wrote:

I didn't know this, here in Portugal the nutritionist is the highly qualified one not the dietician, sorry for confusing things.

Carry on.

Fair enough. In the UK, a nutritionist is the equivalent of a chiropractor.

(Quoted)
A nutritionist is a person who advises on matters of food and nutrition impacts on health. Different professional terms are used in different countries, employment settings and contexts — some examples include: nutrition scientist, public health nutritionist, dietitian-nutritionist, clinical nutritionist, and sports nutritionist.

Some use the terms "dietitian" and "nutritionist" as basically interchangeable.[1]

Nigel Mitchell is a sports nutritionist, and if its good enough for his team, then seeing one is good enough for us!!

Roubaixsl3

ut_och_cykla wrote:

Silly question - male or female? - if you're female and 8% fat you could have very serious and long lasting health issues... even males might find it hard to keep fit and healthy on 8% fat. And if you're exercising hardish most days you will need good, well balanced nutrition to stay healthy and be able to train well

Sorry, should have said I am male. And yes I now agree that I need to pay far more attention to my intake if I'm to continue with the current training intensity.

Froomes Edgar

saprkzz wrote:

Froomes Edgar wrote:

team47b wrote:

I didn't know this, here in Portugal the nutritionist is the highly qualified one not the dietician, sorry for confusing things.

Carry on.

Fair enough. In the UK, a nutritionist is the equivalent of a chiropractor.

(Quoted)
A nutritionist is a person who advises on matters of food and nutrition impacts on health. Different professional terms are used in different countries, employment settings and contexts — some examples include: nutrition scientist, public health nutritionist, dietitian-nutritionist, clinical nutritionist, and sports nutritionist.

Some use the terms "dietitian" and "nutritionist" as basically interchangeable.[1]

Nigel Mitchell is a sports nutritionist, and if its good enough for his team, then seeing one is good enough for us!!

Reading on:

Some use the terms "dietitian" and "nutritionist" as basically interchangeable.[1] However in many countries and jurisdictions, the title "nutritionist" is not subject to professional regulation; any person may call themselves a nutrition expert even if they are wholly self-taught.[2] In most US states, parts of Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, the term nutritionist is not legally protected, whereas the title of dietitian can be used only by those who have met specified professional requirements. One career counselor attempting to describe the difference between the two professions to Canadian students suggested "all dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians

Of course there might be competent nutritionists, but how the hell would you know if you're picking a name out of the phone book?

zammmmo

any gastric issues? speaking as someone who was diagnosed as Coeliac 4 months ago, all sorts of issues might mean you are not absorbing everything from your food. a side effect of Coeliac diesease is commonly thyroid problems. might not be CD but could be something similar. i'm assumng your blood tests included such tests?

talk to your GP and if no good insist of seeing someone else. internet diagnosis should only be a guide.

Roubaixsl3

No obvious gastric issues. Been to the GP several times, had scans, blood tests etc etc. No real answers, unless it's the thyroid but then all of the blood tests related to the thyroid were ok so not even that might be the problem. I'll focus on improving my diet first and see how it goes.

Roubaixsl3

Well, just getting over a bout of the flu, haven't been on the bike for a couple of weeks, been eating far more heartily than normal and I still have the crap fuzzy/dizzy feelings. So, I conclude, nothing to do with the training/eating so straight back on the turbo tonight and it actually made me feel better. All tests (blood, ultrasound, MRI) negative so no idea why my head feels like this. A bit worrying but I'm just going to batter on with the training. I'd rather die fit than fat!!!