Why Running Makes You Gain Weight 🤯

28 Jun 2025 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:10

In this YouTube monologue, Eric Roberts explains why some people gain weight when they run. He describes how a high heart rate during running depletes glycogen stores, prompting the body to crave quick sources of sugar and carbs, which increases appetite. He also notes that many runners overestimate the calories they burn, leading them to eat more and unintentionally exceed their calorie deficit. Combining heightened hunger with overeating can cause weight gain despite running. Roberts advises limiting running to 1–3 days per week for fat loss and directs viewers to a free calorie calculator in his bio to determine appropriate calorie intake.

Chapters

I find it hard to think. Here's why running makes some people gain weight. When you're running, you have a high heart rate. When you have a high heart rate, your body uses something called glycogen for energy, which is basically just carbohydrates. When you deplete your glycogen stores, your body needs to find a quick way to replace it. And what is a quick way to replace it? Sugar and carbs. So you crave sugar, crave carbs, and increase your appetite. And people overestimate how many calories they burn during a run, so they think they can go and eat more food. So you're hungrier, you're eating more, and this is causing you to overeat on your calorie deficit, leading to weight gain. Now I'm not saying never run, especially if you enjoy it, but if you're trying to lose fat, I might only run 1 to 3 days week. And if you need to know how many calories you should be eating to lose fat, click this link in my bio to use my free calorie calculator.