This blog is 90% about racing from the point of a race director, but there are several perennial issues that racers ask about. One of the top discussions each year is GI health and dealing with gut distress. Few things weigh on racers more than that uncontrollable, gut-wrenching queasiness.
I am excited to introduce one of our newest crew members, Heidi Frehlich, a professional triathlete and ultramarathoner who specializes in these very issues. ~BG
WHAT SHOULD I FUEL WITH?
The key is to make sure we have different sources of carbohydrates in the fuel we are consuming. This means we want a mixed carbohydrate source that contains both glucose and fructose, to help our bodies maximize the amount of fuel we are able to effectively consume and use for energy. The reason why we can consume greater amounts of carbohydrate is due to the separation of absorption in our digestive tract between these two different sugars. Our gut can transport a maximum of 30g/hour of fructose across its membrane, while it can transport a whopping maximum of 60g/hour of glucose. This means that combined we can maximize the amount of sugars we absorb and convert into energy in our bodies, as well as reducing digestive issues from an excess of sugar sitting and fermenting in our digestive tract. Both Tailwind Nutrition and Sun River Honey provide two great sources of fast-absorbing mixed carbohydrates in order to fuel your body for performance.
Since carbohydrates are the most easily digested by our bodies out of the three macronutrients that make up our food (carbohydrates, fats, and protein), they are generally touted as the best fuel source to get the quickest energy and mitigate GI distress. Though fat is also a viable fuel source, it is not as easily or quickly digested because it must go through extra steps for the body to convert the fat into glucose before it can be used as energy. As a result, the use of fat for fuel is more ideal for lower-intensity exercise where the immediate replenishment of our fuel sources in our muscles is less important. Since fat takes longer to digest, it may also increase digestive distress because it sits in your gut for longer periods of time. Ultimately, with the research and knowledge in hand, each individual will find what works best with their own bodies in terms of palatability and digestion; however, for faster races and harder training, strictly carbohydrate-based fuel sources are ideal.
DIGESTION ISSUES
For most endurance athletes, especially as ultra-runners, it's unfortunately not a matter of if, but rather a matter of when you will experience digestive issues while training or racing… well aside from those who tout their “stomach of steel”. This goes with the age-old “practice your nutrition during training” to test what works best with your own body for race day. Not everyone’s gut microbiome is exactly the same; each individual body may handle foods differently.
Similar to how we train our legs to withstand greater stress over time to run longer and harder, we can train our gut to do the same. If you are frequently experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) issues while training or racing, including symptoms such as stomach cramps, reflux, bloating, and urgently searching for a good place to use the bathroom, then training your gut during the lead-up to one of your races may help reduce these symptoms for a smoother race-day experience. This is most easily achieved through consuming slightly more carbohydrate than usual during your training runs, for example, if you usually do 2 gels every hour, try taking 2.5 or 3, to increase the stimulus of stress in your gut. This essentially makes you digestive tract work harder to digest more carbohydrate than normal. Over time, the gut will adapt to this stimulus, becoming stronger and more resilient as a result. Though there may be some added GI issues during the initial phases of trying this, the end result is a gut that is better adapted to handling the stress of digesting food during times when it generally would prefer not to (i.e., while running around).
HORMONES AND NUTRITION
On top of individual differences in food preferences and digestion, our biology factors into what our bodies need in order to perform well in both training and racing. Biologically female athletes, unfortunately, have an added element to keep in mind due to the monthly cycle of hormones; however, with the right system in place, nutrition can be made simple to maximize performance regardless of hormone phases.
Over the course of a monthly hormone cycle, the nutritional needs vary for these athletes, whereby in its most simple form can be split into two phases: the high hormone phase, and the low hormone phase. During the low hormone phase or the first 2 weeks of the monthly cycle from the start of menstruation, female hormones are most closely related to that of males. Thus, following more typical and traditional fueling methods tend to work well during this time.
On the other hand, during the high hormone phase, or the last 2 weeks of the monthly cycle, athletes may require a little extra attention to nutrition due to the hormone’s influences on performance aspects such as body temperature regulation, hydration, and fuel usage. During the first week of this phase, fueling well is extra important as the increase in hormones such as estrogen and progesterone results in extra energy needs for the body. Taking energy sources away from our usual liver and muscle destinations in order to build the endometrial lining, increasing carbohydrate intake becomes important as the body is using extra energy to run all its usual systems on top of building the lining in the uterus. Therefore, week 3 of the hormone cycle usually calls for some extra carbohydrates, especially when using these muscles frequently as athletes. Females also have a harder time accessing muscle glycogen stores (the energy stores in our muscles) during this phase, so it is more important to stay on top of carbohydrate consumption to ensure the body is getting the energy access needed for performance.
Regarding hydration during this phase, some extra water and electrolytes can go a long way. Core body temperature tends to run higher during the high hormone phase, as well as a decreased blood plasma volume (mostly made of water, plasma takes up about 60% of total blood volume circulating through your body). This means that on top of already feeling hotter, it's also harder for your body to sweat in order to cool itself. This is all mostly thanks to an increase in the hormone progesterone, which also leads to increased sodium losses in sweat. Therefore, hydration is vital during the high hormone phase for performance.
What is the best way to combat these hydration setbacks? Hydration pregaming! Make sure to drink a low-carbohydrate electrolyte source prior to your training or race (as well as during), such as the Tailwind Active Hydration Mix, especially if it’s going to be hot where you are training. Taking in some extra sodium in your regular diet during these days is also a good strategy to help combat the extra sodium losses that occur during this phase.
Comments
Post a Comment