By Erin Beresini, Outside

It’s probably happened to you. Deep into a long training day you start craving a bacon cheeseburger and suddenly that pile of ground meat is all you can think about. Turns out, you’re not alone. Even the best athletes lust after certain foods during a race or run. Here are a few of the things athletes crave, plus a biological explanation of why these cravings happen.

The reason for most cravings is simple: you crave what you need. “It’s a good thing—it’s a survivor thing,” says San Francisco Bay Area-based sports nutritionist and ultra-athlete, Sunny Blende. “An ultrarunner wanting something salty, they probably need more electrolytes. If they’re craving sweets, they probably need more calories. Coke probably means they’re tired.”

Jerky, peanut butter, and burgers can signal a protein deficit. “You get those cravings because you’re breaking down muscle,” she says.

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