Why Did My Stomach Blow a Gasket?

Gastrointestinal distress. Such a lovely all encompassing term, right?

Gastrointestinal distress. Such a lovely all encompassing term, right? Lets not go into too much detail on what it might mean eh!

Stated simply, you’ve put too much in.

Look closely at four things:

  1. The glucose to fructose ratio. If you are taking on too much fructose, you might find yourself in a portaloo as your PB becomes a distant dream.
  2. The carbohydrate concentration in your tummy. You don’t want to go too much over 8% carbs. Your body will sense a high level of carbs in your stomach and turn off the valve that feeds the small intestine. This means you’ll be running around with a full gut that won’t empty. The general rule is this – the higher the concentration of carbs, the slower your stomach will empty.
  3. The total carbs per hour. Once again, your intestines can only handle so much so don’t try to overdo things otherwise the carbs will accumulate in your intestines.
  4. Not enough fructose. This one is a little counterintuitive. Back in the 90’s it was believed that only glucose played a role and fructose was not needed. This resulted in drinks that were 100% glucose and no fructose. People who were trying to push their limits, were trying to push the 60 g per hour barrier instead of the 90 g per hour barrier. By adding some fructose, the carb rates can enter that 60-90g range with ease, and that can mean a much nicer belly experience.
Share the Post:

Related Posts

What are your Carbohydrate Requirements?

Most guidance calls for between 30g and 60g per hour and this is a sensible starting point for most endurance athletes. If you expect to be still moving after 2.5 hours, the 60-90g/h range is probably more suitable

Read More

Join Our Newsletter

Scroll to Top