How Endurance Athletes Can Overcome Gut Issues

Gut issues in endurance sport almost seems like a right of passage. Athletes who are pushing the limits often face these issues at some point and can have their training session, race, or key moment compromised. Issues such as cramping, bloating, nausea, and diarrhea are a result, often, of an overloaded GI system and/or a lack of sufficient gut health and security.

These issues occur because when we are demanding a lot of our body, it responds by sending blood where it is needed most. Which, consequently, is not the gut. So, if you have a high amount of calories coming in on top of the added stress due to effort, heat, or other factors, the result can be an unhappy gut…and an unhappy athlete.

Why Do Endurance Athletes Face Gut Issues?

Prolonged or Intense Activity: Long-duration exercise diverts blood away from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to muscles for quite some time. Alternatively, high intensity can require immense cardiovascular focus on the main muscles and organs and pull blood away from the gut.

Dehydration: Fluid loss exacerbates GI discomfort. Dehydration leads to a lack of resources for the gut.

High Nutritional Intake: Consuming a high amount of (or the wrong kind of) nutrition during activity can strain the gut, especially if you haven’t trained to that level. Fat, fiber, and complex nutrients can add to the distress.

Heat and Stress: High temperatures and performance anxiety can worsen symptoms. The heat can complicate things due to water and blood being sent away to the surface and limbs to help shed heat.

Steps to Overcoming Gut Issues

Optimize Pre-Workout Nutrition

Avoid high-fiber, high-fat, and complex foods in the 1-2 hours before exercise to minimize complications. If you have the time, give your meals space between training or racing to allow for the most digestion possible. Most athletes have their “pre-race meal” 3 hours out from the event.

Additionally, if it’s a key session or race, choose simple high-carb meals to reduce the workload on your gut. Spend time practicing your race-day fueling strategies in your training to identify tolerable foods and supplements.

Match Fuel to The Effort

Opt for products specifically designed for your efforts that day. For example, a LSD (long slow distance) ride can accommodate more real food or dense carb-sources compared to interval day. This is because you are riding in a more manageable, aerobic state and can digest calories easier.

Opt for simpler fuel for the hard days –like gels, chews, and drink mix– when you plan to step on the gas.

Incorporate Gut-Soothing Supplements

SwissRX Gut Defense: Combines immune and GI support to protect against exercise-induced gut permeability (“leaky gut”). This is a go-to for so many athletes that we have lost count. It is an easy and tasty way to reinforce and heal your gut. Great for tackling bouts or preventing gut damage during high-intensity training blocks.

Thorne L-Glutamine: An amino acid that helps repair the intestinal lining, particularly effective for reducing post-workout gut distress. This hallmark ingredient can be found in many products, but it is one of the main ingredients at play in gut health products.

SwissRX Gut Health: Targets overall gut health by reducing inflammation and supporting beneficial gut bacteria. Gut Health is a robust formula to rebuild the gut barrier, it is ideal for athletes struggling with chronic gut issues.

Stay Hydrated

Monitor your fluid balance and needs better to avoid dehydration, which can exacerbate gut issues and derail your day. If you have no idea what your fluid loss or sweat rate is, we recommend checking out CORE. It’s an easy wearable that can give you insight to your needs.

Maintaining the balance of fluid and mineral levels is key to keeping hydrated. Often, athletes view hydration as an afterthought or something you can just “do” before training. But, it’s much more than that. To stay on top of it through your day without incurring unwanted sugar or extra calories, we highly recommend Mortal Hydration or LMNT.

Training the Gut

We know that consuming more carbohydrates per hour is beneficial to performance. However, you shouldn’t go from a laissez-faire approach to fueling at high carb amounts of 60, 80, or 100g+. Too much too soon –in combination with high-intensity efforts– increases stress on the GI system. Gradually increase your fueling intake week by week, and just 10g per hour, to allow the body to adapt to higher levels of fueling alongside your efforts.

Test your strategy by fueling at your “event level” during key training days.

Long-Term Strategies for Gut Resilience

Probiotics and Prebiotics: Support gut flora with foods or supplements containing live cultures and fiber. This is going to vary on a case by case basis, but whole foods, live foods, and specific supplements (like Microbiome Labs) can be beneficial in providing what your microbiome needs.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Include foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and polyphenols to reduce GI inflammation. Additionally, managing stress and chronic inflammation through supplements like Cheribundi tart cherry juice or Cymbiotika can help aid in the damage occurring through training.