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Gut Health for Endurance Athletes: Strategies for Peak Performance

Updated: Jul 26


Gut Health for Runners

Are gut issues holding you back from reaching your full potential in running, biking, or triathlon training? Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms can be a significant barrier for endurance athletes, affecting not just performance but also overall quality of life. Up to 90% of runners, cyclists, and triathletes report experiencing gut disturbances like bloating, cramps, diarrhea, and acid reflux. In this blog, I'll talk about common gut issues endurance athletes face and explore seven science-backed strategies to optimize gut health, helping you perform at your best.


Understanding Gut Issues in Endurance Sports


The Upper and Lower GI Spectrum

Endurance exercise can trigger a variety of upper and lower GI symptoms. On the upper end, athletes often experience issues such as reflux, bloating, belching, and heartburn. Studies indicate that up to 40% of runners and 70% of cyclists report these upper GI problems.


On the lower end, symptoms might include gas, urgent bowel movements, abdominal pain, and even bloody diarrhea. Severe lower GI symptoms can affect as many as 70% of competitive long-distance runners. These symptoms can be highly debilitating, disrupting both training and competition.


Why Do These Issues Occur?

A few key physiological mechanisms contribute to GI issues in endurance athletes:

1. Splenic Hypo-perfusion: Intense exercise causes blood flow to the GI organs to be dramatically reduced, sometimes by up to 80%. This deprives the gut of oxygen and nutrients, leading to tissue injury and increased gut permeability, also known as 'leaky gut.'


2. Altered GI Motility: Exercise affects the normal wavelike contractions that move food through the digestive tract, slowing down this process and contributing to issues like acid reflux and constipation.


3. Mechanical Factors: Activities like running involve repetitive jostling and bouncing, which can further exacerbate gut disturbances.


4. Additional Factors: Poor diet, excess stress, food sensitivities, suboptimal hydration, and overgrowth of bacteria, yeast, parasites, or viruses can create a perfect storm for GI distress.


Seven Strategies to Optimize Gut Health


1. Support a Healthy Gut Microbiome

Your gut microbiome plays a vital role in maintaining intestinal barrier function, nutrient absorption, immunity, and overall health. Feed your gut a diverse array of prebiotic, fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and consider incorporating a probiotic supplement to boost beneficial bacteria.


2. Support Your Gut Lining

Nutrients like L-glutamine, collagen, and zinc can help repair and strengthen the gut mucosa, preventing 'leaky gut.' Bone broth is an excellent source of these nutrients and can be easily incorporated into your diet.


3. Identify and Eliminate Food Sensitivities

Food sensitivities can exacerbate GI symptoms, so consider undergoing a temporary elimination diet to pinpoint any trigger foods, such as caffeine, dairy, gluten, or high FODMAP foods. Once identified, these foods can be avoided or minimized.


4. Stay Hydrated

Even mild dehydration can impact gut health and function. Develop a personalized hydration strategy that meets your individual needs, factoring in your exercise intensity, duration, and environmental conditions.


5. Time Your Meals Strategically

Experiment with eating three to four hours before intense training or competition to allow for proper digestion and minimize gut disturbances during exercise. Consuming smaller, easily digestible meals can also help.


6. Avoid Gut-Irritating Medications

NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can irritate the gut lining, so consider natural anti-inflammatories like omega-3 fatty acids and curcumin. Additionally, ice baths can help reduce inflammation without the side effects of medication.


7. Get Comprehensive Lab Testing

If you continue to experience GI symptoms despite implementing these strategies, consider comprehensive stool testing. Functional GI tests can uncover underlying issues such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), parasites, or microbiome imbalances.


Conclusion

By implementing these science-backed strategies, endurance athletes can optimize their gut health, minimize debilitating GI symptoms, and elevate their performance to new heights.



-Ashley

CEO, FNP, Functional Wellness Coach

Wellness with AO



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