You might dial in your workouts, prioritize recovery, and rotate your shoes like clockwork, but are you eating enough to support your training?
A new systematic review and meta-analysis finds that what you put on your plate may significantly influence your risk of injury. Specifically, the study found that runners, particularly women, with lower calorie, fat, and fiber intake were more likely to suffer injuries, including bone stress injuries.
What the study looked at
The study analyzed data from nearly 6,000 adult distance runners. Researchers wanted to understand how diet and risk factors for disordered eating contributed to running-related injuries over time.
Researchers found three key dietary factors that set injured runners apart:
Lower energy intake: Injured female runners consumed about 300 to 450 fewer calories per day than those who remained injury-free.
Lower fat intake: Injured women also ate about 20 grams less fat per day on average.
Lower fiber intake: Runners of all genders with lower daily fiber intake (around 3 grams less) had a higher risk of injury.
Why low energy & fat could set you up for injury
While the idea of cutting calories or fat might appeal to some runners chasing body composition goals, this study underscores that restriction comes with real tradeoffs, especially for women.
Calories are the currency your body uses to power everything from muscle repair to hormone production. When you consistently underfuel (even unintentionally), your body may start cutting back on less “essential” functions, like bone remodeling or reproductive hormone output, both of which are crucial for long-term health and performance.
Fat, meanwhile, is essential for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (like D and K), the production of sex hormones, and regulating inflammation. Without enough of it, your bones, muscles, and connective tissues may not get the nutrients or recovery support they need.
It’s increasingly clear that gut health, inflammation, and musculoskeletal health are deeply connected. Fiber-rich diets support a healthy gut microbiome, which may play a role in injury prevention and healing. This is especially important for endurance athletes whose bodies are constantly under physical stress.
What this means for runners & anyone ramping up workouts
This study reinforces an important concept in sports nutrition: When your activity increases, your nutritional needs do too.
If you’re training more, whether you’re logging longer runs, lifting heavier, or simply moving more throughout the week, your calorie, fat, and fiber intake should rise accordingly. Otherwise, you could be increasing your risk of stress injuries, poor recovery, or long-term hormonal disruptions without realizing it.
What’s especially striking is how small the difference in intake was between injured and uninjured runners. A few hundred calories, an extra tablespoon of olive oil, or a serving of berries and beans may be enough to tip the scale toward better recovery and injury resilience.
What to eat to support strong, injury-resistant training
You don’t need a complicated meal plan to meet these needs; just focus on building balanced meals around whole foods and healthy fats. Some ideas:
Snack on trail mix with almonds, walnuts, and chia seeds
Cook your veggies in olive oil, and aim for variety throughout the week
Toss beans, lentils, or farro into salads for a fiber boost
Choose hearty whole grains like oats, quinoa, and brown rice
The takeaway
This research shows that nutrition isn’t just fuel. It’s the foundation that helps protect your body from injury. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or just starting to move more regularly, eating enough to support your activity is essential.
So next time you plan your workouts, take a moment to check in: Am I nourishing my body well enough to keep up and recover?
