I just read a brief summary of a survey performed during the Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt. Out of 52 athletes 28% complained gastrointestinal complications. It is well known that endurance performance influences the guts motility and permeability as does the food we eat.
Due to mechanical reasons, especially running hits the gut hardly, alterations in blood flow, body temperature or blood pressure, metabolic dysregulations and sympathetic over-stimulation a bundle of complications may arise, not only acute symptoms like a jelly belly, nausea, vomiting, pain, or diarrhea, but also those that show later days or even weeks after a tough race or intense training sessions. Continue Reading →