Endurance sports - why are GI issues so common?

 

Every endurance (and ultra distance) athlete wants to show up to an event/race feeling physically prepared. But what about being nutritionally prepared? 

A long distance event places a lot of stress on the human body. Extreme environmental conditions further exacerbate the physiological (and mental) demands during physical activity. While physical preparation can improve the chance of completing the event or setting a personal best time, gastrointestinal issues are likely to cause the body to underperform. Or even worse, you may not be able to complete the event due to a nutritional complication. 

Research states that around 30-70% of endurance and ultra endurance athletes experiences GI issues on race day. In other words, at an Ironman triathlon of 1500 athletes, around 1050 athletes will experience some type of GI issue. This is a very alarming statistic considering how money, time and effort go into preparing for an endurance event. 

I've worked with many athletes who have come to me after struggling with nutrition issues on race day.  While I can feel the frustration and sadness coming from the athlete (after the race that they prepared so much for, didn't go as planned), I typically see several common trends of what the athlete did before/during the race that contributed to the uncomfortable and performance compromising GI issues. 

With so many endurance and ultra distance events happening throughout the year, here are a few reasons why GI issues occur and how you can reduce your risk on race day.

Race Travel Nutrition Tips

It’s exciting to travel for a race but if you’ve ever eaten oatmeal with a fork, with warm water from the hotel coffee maker, you know that destination races require a bit of flexibility and creativity when it comes to nutrition.

Because most of the races you register for are not in your hometown, don't let your travel plans sabotage your race day performance. 

Don't Make These Race Day Nutrition Mistakes

Preparing for a triathlon is much more than checking off workouts to improve fitness and booking travel accommodations. Nutrition plays an important role in race day readiness. Whether you are training for an Ironman distance triathlon, half marathon or a local sprint triathlon, nutritional preparation is key.

How you fuel during a race primarily depends on the duration of the event and your racing intensity (which is based on your fitness level). Proper fueling will help you maximize recovery, fuel your workouts appropriately, boost your immune system and to maintain a healthy body composition, alongside building confidence for race day.

While you may be able to get away with a haphazard sport nutrition strategies (or not fueling at all) during short workouts, competing at your best requires you to constantly fine-tune sport nutrition strategies to help minimize the fluid, electrolyte and fuel depletion that will occur throughout the event.

Because proper sport nutrition should be part of your ongoing training - and not something you only do during your long workouts or in the three weeks before your race - here are a few common race day nutrition mistakes that could compromise your performance and health on race day.

As a reminder - endurance racing is unpredictable and requires a lot of training, trial and error and a process-driven mindset. Nutrition is just one piece of the puzzle (yet a very important puzzle piece - without it, you can't complete the puzzle).

Accept that not every race is going to be great, a PR or a showcase of previous training. Remind yourself that racing is a test of your current fitness but it's also a day (or a few hours) of self-exploration, body appreciation and to overcome obstacles.

IM 70.3 Chattanooga - gear and nutrition recap

Marni Race Day Nutrition 

Pre Race Nutrition (race day)

-2 waffles, peanut butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon
-Cup of coffee (Nescafe Gold Instant)
-Small glass of water
-Small glass of water w/ 1 scoop Osmo pre-load for women

-In the 90 minutes before the race - 16.9 ounce plastic water bottle filled with 2 scoops NBS Carbo Hydration (100 calories/25g carbs/300mg sodium)
-~15-20 min before race start - 3 Skratch Rasberry chews

Bike: -Front bottle cage - 26 ounce bottle w/ 6 scoops NBS Carbo Hydration Strawberry Lemonade (240 calories/60g carbs/720 mg sodium).
-1.2 Liter (40 ounce) Ventum hydration system - 4 scoops INFINIT custom nutrition (pink lemonade flavor) mixed with water in a bottle, then poured into hydration system (total: 500 calories/122g carbs/1012mg sodium)
-Rear bottle - 26 ounce bottle w/ 2 scoops INFINIT custom nutrition (grape flavored) (250 calories/62g carbs/506mg sodium) - only consumed a few sips, used as back-up fuel/hydration.
-Bag of Skratch chews in bento box (opened in advance) - not consumed, used as back-up fuel.

-Water at aid station 2 and 3 for cooling (and a few sips)

Run: -Naked Running belt (size 3)
-2 x 10 ounce flasks - each with 1 scoop Carborocket Hydration Raspberry Lemonade (108 calories/27g carbs/331 mg sodium per flask)
-Sip of coke at mile 9 (not planned, just on impulse)
-Water at each aid station for cooling/sipping

Karel Race day nutrition

Pre Race Nutrition (race day)

-Quaker overnight oats (mixed in the morning), 2/3rd Rasberries and lemon bar.
-Espresso from Nespresso machine (brought from home)
-Glass of water with 3/4 scoop NBS pre load

-In the 90 minutes before the race - Water bottle filled with 2 scoops NBS Carbo Hydration (100 calories/25g carbs/300mg sodium)
-~15-20 min before race start - -Nutrend Magneslife strong

Bike: -Front bottle cage - 26 ounce bottle w/ 6 scoops NBS Carbo Hydration (240 calories/60g carbs/720 mg sodium).
-1.4 Liter (47 ounce) Ventum hydration system - 12 scoops NBS Carbo Hydration mixed with water in a bottle, then poured into hydration system (total: 480 calories/120g carbs/1440mg sodium)

-SIS Electrolyte Gel - consumed in last 30 minutes of the bike (87 calories/22g carbs/300mg sodium)

Run: 
-2 x 10 ounce flasks (stored in kit pockets) - each with 1 packet Skratch (80 calories/21g carbs/380mg sodium per flask)
-1 Enervit sport gel

-Water as needed for cooling/sipping 

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MARNI GEAR

Swim
-PR lotion (applied before arriving to race venue)
-Castelli San Remo one-piece Trimarni kit

-Lulu sport bra

-R2 Compress Sport Calf Sleeves

-TYR 2.0 Special ops clear goggles

-ROKA Maverick X wetsuit

BIKE

-Ventum One
-Alto cc56 front wheel (tubeless)
-Lightweight autobahn tubeless disc
-Bontrager Velocis Women road shoes
-Giro Air attack helmet with shield
-Socks: Compressport pro racing ultra light
-Garmin Edge 500

RUN

-Nike 4% running shoes
-Garmin 235 watch
-Garmin HR monitor
-Roka custom sunglasses (SL-1 series)

-Trimarni BOCO visor 

-Perfect Fitness Perfect cooling towel

-Naked Running Band (size 3)

KAREL GEAR

Swim
-PR lotion (applied before putting on wetsuit)
-Castelli San Remo one-piece Trimarni kit

-Michael Phelps Xceed goggles

-ROKA Maverick X wetsuit
-Garmin 735 XT

BIKE

-Ventum One w/ custom Kcycle paint job

-51 Speedshop mono bars with FSM extensions
-Shimano Dura Ace Di2 groupset
-Dash Strike Custom Saddle/Post combo
-4iiii powermeter
-Front Alto CT 56
-Rear ALTO CT 311 Disc

-Continental Force 24mm tubular tires
-Giro Aerohead
-LG Tri Air Lite shoes 

-Garmin Edge 820-Scosche Rhythm 24 HR monitor

RUN

-Nike 4% running shoes (1st generation)
-Garmin 735 XT
-Roka custom sunglasses (SL-1 series)

-Trimarni BOCO trucker running hat

-Socks: Compressport pro racing ultra light