SUMMARY

THE ORIGINS OF GUT SYMPTOMS

The prevalence of gut symptoms varies quite a bit between studies, but it’s fair to say that most athletes occasionally experience gut problems during training or competition.

There are many potential causes of gut symptoms, and each symptom often has its own unique contributing factors. That said, reductions in gut blood flow are likely to contribute to most of these gut symptoms.

Gut problems experienced during exercise are often multifactorial in nature, meaning several management strategies may be needed to obtain substantial relief.

Gut symptoms may be inevitable for some athletes in certain situations (e.g., extremely intense or prolonged exercise), but there are usually strategies that can be implemented to lessen the severity of such problems.

Nausea/vomiting, abdominal cramping, side stitching, and diarrhea can quickly kill a solid performance. Other symptoms (e.g., belching, fullness, gas) can be bothersome but are perhaps less likely to impact an athlete’s performance.

Younger age, less training experience, female sex, and a history of gut symptoms are all associated with more frequent and/or more severe gut symptoms during exercise.