- Lanning has won several world titles
- Had a brilliant 13-year career for Australia
- Retired from the international arena at just 32 years old
Decorated Australian cricketer Meg Lanning has revealed that her dangerous obsession with overtraining and dieting has compromised her health and ultimately led to her retirement from international cricket at the age of 32.
Speaking about the Howie Games podcast Lanning opened up about constantly “over-exercising and under-fueling” while representing her country.
At one point, the batswoman, considered one of the best cricketers ever, was running up to 90km a week as her weight dropped from 64kg to 57kg.
Lanning, who won seven World Cups in her impressive career, denied she had an eating disorder but admitted her mood swings would have been clearly visible to teammates.
Australian cricketer Meg Lanning has revealed the dangerous obsession that shocked her physical and mental health and led to her retirement from international cricket aged just 32
The all-time cricket great (pictured playing for Australia) opened up about running up to 90km a week in addition to her cricket training
‘I was exercising too much and not refueling enough. I got to the point where I was doing about 85-90km per week. I was in denial. It became a bit of ‘I’m going to show you,'” Lanning said.
“It just spiraled. I wasn’t in a position to go on tour and play cricket and give the mental and physical commitment required for that Ashes series.
‘Of course I’m fine with spending time with myself, but there were very few people I would want to interact with. I would get really snappy – really grumpy – if someone asked something.
‘I went from 64 kg to 57 kg. It wasn’t ridiculous [but it was] significant.
‘The proportions were wrong. I didn’t realize [it affected] my ability to concentrate.
‘I didn’t really feel like seeing other people. I have disconnected from friends and family a lot.
Lanning denied she had an eating disorder but admitted her mood swings due to physical exhaustion would have been obvious to teammates
‘It [running] became a bit of an obsession. I was able to escape mentally. I’d throw in the headphones, but not bring my phone. I would mine [Apple] watch with me and listen to music. No one could contact me.”
Manning reported that she often had trouble sleeping after pushing her body to dangerous levels, and as a result had “a dreaded night.”
In November last year, Manning announced she was walking away from international cricket and was excited about her future.
She stated at the time: ‘I’m exploring a number of different options in the background. The advantage for me is that I don’t have to rush anything.
‘I can keep playing and stay involved. If an opportunity presents itself, I can take it.”