The gut, also called the intestinal tract, includes the stomach, intestines, and colon. An amazing number of life-sustaining and performance enhancing events happen in the gut—including but not limited to digestion of the food we eat and absorption of nutrients that provide energy. While those of us with well-functioning “cast iron stomachs” are unlikely to think twice before eating any food that crosses our path, runners with gastrointestinal issues (irritable bowel, diarrhea, reflux) are more cautious about what they eat.
Good gut health matters
Gut health can change; you don’t want to take it for granted. Rather, you want to properly feed those 100-trillion beneficial microbes that live in your gut; they have a big impact on your overall well-being. (Hint: Microbes like fiber-rich carbs!) Improper feeding, including long-term food restriction (anorexia, dieting) and a low fiber diet can reduce microbial diversity and have a detrimental health impact. A strong array of microbes in your gut enhances your immune system, reduces the risk of allergies, produces vitamins (K, B-12), optimizes absorption of nutrients, sends signals to the brain that make you more resilient to stress, and fosters anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic benefits. A healthy gut enables athletes to access and utilize the fuels they need to perform longer, recover faster, and heal cells that get damaged during intense exercise. In comparison, athletes with unhealthy guts may spend more time siting on the bench feeling un-well (including travelers’ diarrhea).
Exercise itself is beneficial for gut health. Exercise with a fiber-rich diet (abundant fruits, veggies, beans, grains) is even better. Among elite athletes, those with a fiber-rich diet have a more robust microbiome compared to elite athletes with a lower fiber intake.
Eating for gut health
For runners who want to feel good, perform optimally, and recover quickly from hard exercise, here are some suggestions about how to eat to optimize your gut health.
• Figure out how to easily include more fruits and veggies in your daily diet. Suggestions:
—Combine fruit with protein, such as banana + peanut butter or apple +cheese. For many runners, this carb-protein combo is more appealing—and likely to be consumed—than just a piece of fruit.
—Snack on dried fruit for a sweet treat (instead of candy).
—Buy frozen veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, peas, carrots, etc.) and eat a pile, not just a serving, at dinner. Freezing retains nutrients, so frozen veggies can be more nutrient-rich than fresh veggies that lose nutrients during shipment from, let’s say, California to New England. Frozen veggies are also easier to incorporate into a busy athlete’s sports diet. No prep— and they cost less. Cook extra veggies, for leftovers to add to the next day’s breakfast omelet or lunchtime soup.
—Redefine your afternoon “snack” as a “second lunch” with quality fiber-rich food (peanut butter & banana sandwich on whole wheat bread) instead of snacky foods (chips, sweets). Fiber-rich foods leave you feeling nicely satiated with sustained energy and less evening hunger.
—Boost your intake of fiber-rich grains (bran cereal, oatmeal, Dave’s Killer Bread, popcorn, brown rice), beans (hummus, burritos with refried beans, bean-dip), and nuts & seeds (nut butters, almonds, sunflower seeds).
Note: Not all fruits and veggies and fiber-rich. The best options have seeds (raspberries, black berries, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes) and edible skins (apples, pears, potatoes).
• Enjoy more fermented foods. Snack on yogurt; make a smoothie with kefir. Learn to like kombucha.
Abating exercise-related GI distress
GI complaints are common among athletes and can vary according to sport. Cyclists in a bent-over position might suffer from heartburn or reflux. Runners with lots of intestinal jostling might experience “runners trots.” Gymnasts and ballet dancers fear being bloated with a bulging stomach. You are not alone if you exercise with GI distress! The following tips might help resolve current gut issues and reduce future digestive problems that could impact your sports performance.
• Train your gut (not just your heart, lungs, and muscles). Being afraid to eat before you run because you fear experiencing nausea, stomach cramps, or diarrhea is a questionable excuse for avoiding pre-run food (particularly for endurance athletes and those who train more than 60 to 90 minutes a day). The gut is trainable and can learn to tolerate fuel consumed before and during exercise. You at least want to try to fuel your body appropriately for the work that you will be doing. Training on empty will do nothing to help you compete against a better fueled runner…
Instead of simply insisting you can’t eat before you exercise, be curious. What bad happens if you nibble on 25 to 50 calories a of s simple, low-fiber grain, such as a pretzel, Vanilla wafer, or half-slice of white toast? Likely nothing! Next, build up to 50 to 75 calories, then 75 to 100. The goal is to consume ±200 calories in the hour or so before you train. The benefits will be more energy and a better workout.
During long runs, you want to build up to consuming about 200 to 300 calories per hour after the first hour. Learn from each experiment and tweak your choices, if needed.
• Some commercial sports foods quickly lead to GI distress, so test different products during training, not on the day of the event. A product might have too much caffeine or a type of carbohydrate that your body is not used to consuming. You might need to replace gels and chomps with honey and maple syrup. Both are available is single-serv packets for athletes.
Conclusion: Emerging evidence strongly suggests fiber-rich plant-based foods offer beneficial gut-health benefits that translate into overall health benefits not seen with highly processed low-fiber foods. Good gut health invites less inflammation, better recovery, and overall better well-being.
Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD counsels both fitness exercisers and competitive athletes in the Boston-area (617-962-4382). Her best-selling Sports Nutrition Guidebook is a popular resource. Visit NancyClarkRD.com for more information.