Mystery Solved of the Strange Cravings

by Cheng-Ling Chen — November 14, 2007

When I trained for my first half marathon a couple years ago, I ate a nutritious and balanced diet, kept hydrated, and got plenty of rest. As it got closer to race day, I felt healthy and stronger than I'd been in ages. There was just one problem. I was craving bad food like never before. All I could think about were BBQ flavored potato chips, Fritos, pork rinds (basically crispy fried pork skin, I know how gross this must sound), and beef jerky. Before this, I cared little for junk food. Even worse, after my weekend long runs, all I wanted were fish and chips, crispy calamari, or deep fried tofu. Fried stuff never tasted so good, especially when generously doused with salt or dipped in sauce.

If I satisfied my cravings, I'd feel heavy and bloated, not to mention guilty and confused. Why was I ruining my new found healthy lifestyle by ingesting all this awful food? Why did exercising more make me crave bad food? It didn't make sense.

I consulted an experienced runner from my running club. He asked if I was hydrating with sports drinks in addition to water. I was not. Aren't sports drinks just for the professionals?

My running guru explained that sweating is our body's way of regulating its temperature. As we exercise, we sweat and lose body fluid and electrolytes (minerals such as chloride, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium). When we exercise intensely (especially for an hour or longer), we are likely to experience underhydration. The body needs water as well as a refill of electrolytes. Plain water is a poor choice in this situation. Water contains no carbohydrate or electrolytes that the body needs replenished. Water also causes bloating and suppresses thirst.

My cravings were likely a signal that my body was not hydrated enough and lacking in electrolytes. He recommended adding a sports drink to my workout regime to restore the depletions. I started drinking Gatorade, usually diluting it with water in equal proportions. Sure enough, my high sodium, fried food cravings went away.

If you are exercising regularly for extended periods of an hour or more, you may want to consider doing the same. Just don't confuse sports drinks with energy drinks. The former replenishes electrolytes, water, and other nutrients while the latter simply provides a boost of sugar and caffeine.