Upset Stomach Cycling? Fix it!

October 9, 2013 by Lee Agur

Upset Stomach Cycling? Fix it!

Painful stomach cramps and bloating can make it very difficult to continue cycling. Adjustments in nutrition, effort and position are the key to changing your enraged gut to a settled tummy.

The Stomach

The stomach is able to process approximately one gram of carbohydrate a minute or 60 an hour. If you eat more than this, it will not make the process go any faster, you will just get an upset stomach cycling.

If you mix sugars it is said that you can increase the carbohydrate intake to around 90 grams per hour. (Ie. mix glucose and fructose – I am still looking for this study)

So, per hour plan on having 45-60 grams of carbs if just from glucose and 55-75 grams if from glucose and fructose. (another reason I like honey stingers so much – glucose:fructose ratio of 1:1)

Note: Gels are approximately 23 grams of carbohydrate, energy bars are approximately 47 grams of carbohydrate and sports drinks are approximately 50 grams of carbohydrate.

Effort

At high levels of exertion most of your blood will be in your legs in order to maintain your effort… this means that your stomach is competing with your legs as your stomach needs the blood in order to digest food. Unfortunately, your stomach is going to lose the competition and it will slow digestion considerably.

As you continue to eat your belly is going to get full. Now you have three problems you:

Have not been getting enough food digested into usable fuel
Likely are starting to get dehydrated
Are starting to get full AND feel like making a mess on the pavement is inevitable. (vomiting)

I used to think that this is just the way it is in cycling. You cram power bars and gatorade down until you feel like vomiting, and then you continue to eat and drink as much as you can until the ride is over and that is how you knew you did nutrition properly. Oops.

If you start to feel this way switch to water immediately… and if you can convince yourself to slow down to about 70-75% of your aerobic capacity that would be a great idea as well. The water is to decrease the sugar content as it is too high and difficult to process. Going forward you may need a mixture of sports drink and water. Slowing down will allow the blood to return to the stomach and help to digest.

Position

Perhaps the easiest thing to quickly look at is your position. If you continually get an upset stomach cycling it could be because your position is too aggressive (leaning over too much with a rounded back, or your hips are not open) and that can put undue pressure on your abdomen making it difficult to digest food.

I have tried all of this and still have an upset stomach cycling

If you have tried this already and still are having stomach/vomiting issues then it is time to look at what you are doing off the bike. Your esophagus has muscles that help push the food down and at the bottom is a sphincter that keeps the food from coming back up!

Now some of you may not want to acknowledge this part… but… caffeine, alcohol and smoking all relax the ever important esophagus muscles and sphincter. So if you continue to have problems look to cut these items out. Also, only eat 2 hours or longer before cycling, longer is better if you have a sensitive tummy.

Catch an upset stomach cycling early!

An upset Stomach cycling can destroy a ride, but if you know the signs and catch it early enough you can fix it without it slowing you down.

Honey Stinger Chews Review

October 8, 2013 by Lee Agur

Honey Stinger Chews Description:

Honey stinger chews are small soft chews and are a healthy way to fuel your workout. Enjoy the sweet taste of honey and organic tapioca syrup. Made with USDA certified Organic ingredients. 160 calories per package Gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO ingredients. 0g Trans Fats and no partially hydrogenated oils.

Pro’s

Does not dry out your mouth or hurt back of the throat like a lot of other nutrition
Goes down easy – Is not so dry you have to flush it down with water/sports drink
Good taste – lots of flavors listed below, tastes like candy without being too sweet [Read more…]

5 Healthy Tips for Cycling

October 1, 2013 by Lee Agur

Cut Out Excess

Thursday is doughnut day at my office. Now I don’t know about you, but I like a good doughnut! I used to sneak three! Who needs three doughnuts before noon? As I got a little more serious about cycling I decided to reason with myself, I decided that one doughnut should suffice. I did not cut them out all together, and I think that is important.

Eat Breakfast

Why did I want three doughnuts? Well, it is likely that I ran out the door on the way to work because I valued sleep more than food. I am not a morning person. I recently heard a phrase that goes something like, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” Although I do not necessarily think they had the cyclist in mind, because of hard workouts, I do believe in the theory. Unless you just returned from a long bike ride, then your body likely does not need all the calories in the evening as it is shutting down for bed; on the other hand, in the morning, it is just getting fired up!

Swap

Swap unhealthy snacks for healthier snacks. Even swapping Potato chips for popcorn is a win. Cake for dark chocolate. Ice cream for frozen fruit. I used to get hangry (hungry angry) between 4 and 5 o’clock, I would wait until Mary (the receptionist at work) left her desk so I could steal the candy that was meant for the clients. Now I go to the grocery store and buy a veggie plate and stick it in the lunch room. Simple.

Plan Your Meals

Here is definitely one of my weak points. Thank God for my Fiancée! She loves cooking! I buy her a cookbook and she thinks I am wonderful. Go figure. It has nothing to do with my hidden agenda of having delicious and healthy food cooked for me. Variety is the spice of life, your body needs different nutrients in order to stay healthy; otherwise, we could just eat power bars and honey stingers all the time.

Fuel Properly During and After Rides

I used to get on a bike, go for a rip, have a few swigs of water, then take a shower and eventually get around to eating. I would wake up sore and tired and it would undoubtedly turn into a couch day. Now when I ride i make sure to fuel properly. That in itself allows me to ride harder and get in a better workout. Then I eat within 30 minutes after a workout, and this allows me to recover more quickly. The faster you recover the better cyclist you will become. If you eat within 30 – 60 minutes after a workout your body will fast-track those nutrients to muscle repair and glycogen replacement. Cycling is really about fast recovery.