Should I eat less on a rest day?

Logic will tell you that on a rest day, where you’re likely moving less, you probably don’t need to eat as much compared to a training days.

Sadly, the answer is not a simple yes or no. It depends (sorry!).

Your rest days are not just about physical inactivity; they’re also largely about recovery.

If your previous training sessions have been high in volume or intensity, then your body is still going to be repairing muscle tissue and replenishing fuel stores. This is why eating enough on a rest day to support this is a really important part of your recovery process. And that might mean eating more calories that what you burn on a rest day.

You might also be someone who struggles to consume enough calories over your training days. If you notice your hunger is higher on rest days, this can indicate your body is low on fuel. Rest days can provide a perfect window of opportunity to help you catch up on any missed meals or calories.

Something else to consider is that high-volume or high-intensity training sessions can really quickly deplete the fuel stores in your muscles. On rest days, you should be focusing on carbohydrate-rich meals to help top up these stores and prepare your body for your next training day. So please don’t be thinking that because you’re moving less on a rest day that you need to be avoiding carbohydrates.

If you have a training schedule that involves multiple sessions in a day, you might not have many opportunities to eat. Your rest days can provide an ideal opportunity to refuel so use this time to prioritise nutrient-dense meals and snacks to help support recovery.

Lastly - it’s not uncommon for intense training sessions to suppress appetite which can prevent you from eating enough around these types of sessions. If you experience this, it could lead to a potential, unintentional calorie deficit. Rest days allow your body to chill where you can listen to your body's hunger cues more easily and ensure you're meeting your energy needs.

Some helpful tips:

1. Using your hunger/fullness cues aren’t always helpful. Instead focus on how your physical and mental performance is feeling, your energy levels throughout a day and your overall mood. You’ll likely notice a decline in one or all of these if your body is running on empty
   

2. Be prepared. You don’t need to spend hours meal prepping every meal and snack but give yourself time before the start of a new week to understand what meals you need and when. And always have some back-up snacks in your kit bag!
   

So while your energy and carbohydrate needs may ‘technically’ be lower on rest days compared to a training days, you might still need to eat more than you think.

Understanding the demands that are placed on your body both within a day and over the course of a week can help you better manage your meals and snacks and ensure you’re eating enough.

If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments.

If you want more ways you can tap into my expertise you can head over to my Instagram (@ninawalker_nutrition)