cycling causing digestive problems?

[snaps10]

some of you may have seen my post regarding gels making my puke. after throwing up on more than 50% of my rides (highly abnormal for me) i went to see the doc. aparently my acid reflux has been acting up causing the throwing up while cycling. the doctor referred me to a specialist whe sat down with me and analyzed my food and lifestyle. he said that between my age, fitness level, and diet, i shouldn't need to be on medicine like i am. (40 mg omeprozole daily). what he said next really surprised me though. i was the third cyclist this year with the same problems: nausea, vomiting, heartburn, etc. and that i may never get over the acid reflux, and my be on acid reducers for the rest of my life. he did some checking and said that stomach problems are normal for cyclists, and he honestly didn't know why.
has anyone else had any digestive problems due to cycling?

 

[anthonyg]

Here's a reference for you to read with an alternative opinion,

http://www.westonaprice.org/askdoctor/gerd.html

Regards, Anthony

 

[asterope]

I have also been getting reflux for many years (usually gets aggravated during times of stress or if i eat certain foods) and i find that if i eat a meal (like breakfast) before or within an hour or two after my ride then i will either throw it up, have terrible stomach cramps for the rest of the day or have terrible reflux for the rest of the day.
for this reason, i wont eat anything but a banana or half a protein/carb bar before my ride and only have coffee/tea afterwards. i also make sure that if i am going to go for a ride later in the day then i dont ride until at least 2 hours have passed since my last meal. i used to take proton pump inhibitors but found that a change in my diet helped much better than the medication.

i think alot of cyclists get digestive problems... could it be something to do with the pressure placed on a relatively still/unmoving digestive tract when your legs are constantly pumping away?

 

[matagi]

One thing to be aware of, caffeine aggravates reflux, so avoid drinks containing caffeine especially before and during your ride.

The problem with cycling - if you are prone to reflux - is that your stomach gets compressed when you are bent over riding in the drops, causing the contents to reflux. So you might also want to look at your position and spend more time in a more upright posture.

 

[snaps10]

One thing to be aware of, caffeine aggravates reflux, so avoid drinks containing caffeine especially before and during your ride.

The problem with cycling - if you are prone to reflux - is that your stomach gets compressed when you are bent over riding in the drops, causing the contents to reflux. So you might also want to look at your position and spend more time in a more upright posture.

ive tried different positions and haven't noticed a difference. right now i have to stop for around 10 min if im going to eat, or ride with no hands (not always convenient or safe) going back for an endoscopy after the first of the year. im going to have to cut out the coffee during the rides (that's one of my favorite parts though) and see how that helps.

 

[Rockslayer]

interesting.. I had the same problem last monday in the first half hour of my ride. It was a 1.5km uphill climb to start. half hour prior I remember having cereal, milk, I may have had coffee but I have had coffee before other rides and no problems. I felt heartburn and acid and felt like hurling after a about 20minutes. I slowed the pace and drank some water, and sucked down a gelpack. I think my body needed energy but tried hard to digest food to feed my muscles resulting in extra acid and naseau. I was doing alot of physical labor the day before so I was probably dehydrated and depleted of energy stores.

A number of things I know that would cause this in me is - riding too soon after I eat breakfast. Milk-lactose, Dehydration, having an empty stomach, having too full a stomach, Lumpy hard grain type foods that are hard to digest.
I'm usually good on ride, if before hand I am well hydrated, carb loaded night before or 4 to 6 hours before. I usually start drinking and feeding before I get thirsty or hungry. every half hour or so. I prefer not to eat a full meal with two hours or so of starting a ride. Small meals during a ride I find okay.
But I make it a point to not have any caffiene in any of my gels that I use. Some gels do have caffiene so maybe its worthwhile checking the ones you use.

Just some random thoughts, I hope this can help you narrow it down some more.

 

[snaps10]

interesting.. I had the same problem last monday in the first half hour of my ride. It was a 1.5km uphill climb to start. half hour prior I remember having cereal, milk, I may have had coffee but I have had coffee before other rides and no problems. I felt heartburn and acid and felt like hurling after a about 20minutes. I slowed the pace and drank some water, and sucked down a gelpack. I think my body needed energy but tried hard to digest food to feed my muscles resulting in extra acid and naseau. I was doing alot of physical labor the day before so I was probably dehydrated and depleted of energy stores.

A number of things I know that would cause this in me is - riding too soon after I eat breakfast. Milk-lactose, Dehydration, having an empty stomach, having too full a stomach, Lumpy hard grain type foods that are hard to digest.
I'm usually good on ride, if before hand I am well hydrated, carb loaded night before or 4 to 6 hours before. I usually start drinking and feeding before I get thirsty or hungry. every half hour or so. I prefer not to eat a full meal with two hours or so of starting a ride. Small meals during a ride I find okay.
But I make it a point to not have any caffiene in any of my gels that I use. Some gels do have caffiene so maybe its worthwhile checking the ones you use.

Just some random thoughts, I hope this can help you narrow it down some more.

well, ive had to go full on the meds, but you wouldn't believe the difference it has made in my life. im taking 20mg of prilosec twice a day. i never knew what it felt like to live without heartburn or an upset stomach until i started the double dose and stopped all lactose. it had become such a normal feeling to have upset stomach/diarreah and hb that i didn't even notice it. i still have to be careful about riding in the drops too long, but have made some adjustments that keep me slightly more upright (though less aero). my digestive dr guy (forget what its called) said that coffee is fine, but to limit it to 2 cups a day. that is doable.

 

[spinner32]

I have had some pretty awful experiences with stomach cramps/reflux in the past few months. I've noticed that for me it only comes with cold weather and the acompanying runny nose

. Seriously though, I think it results from pre-ride nutrition intake. For example, if I have caffeine, or a high-protein snack... I get an upset stomach. Seems to really only become a problem if I'm sprinting or doing intervals though... My $.02.

 

[1harekrishna]

No, cycling doesn't cause any digestion problem. In fact it reduces the problem. I have been using motorcycle for daily commutation for more than 20 years. I had severe stomach problem and acid reflux and heart burn. For the past 2 months I have taken to cycling and commuting to office. In fact most of my problems which was there for more that 20 years have come down. This is dramatic for even with all types of medication tried right from ranitidine to omez and alprax plus (for stomach). Hence cycling is excellent for digestion.

 

[printingray]

Cycling is good for health but excess of everything is bad like if you ride more than 40 miles d day, it will effect your health or carrying a lot of weight on bike may cause certain diseases.

 

[JSWin]

I doubt it is due to cycling. Acid reflux try some mastic gum for about 6-8 weeks. Cures it. Sounds like you need to learn some food combining techniques. Drink a good amount of water before you eat, not during.

 

[Corzhens]

My husband has acid reflux and he noticed that he should be relaxing after eating and physical exertion should be after 2 hours otherwise he may experience indigestion that gives him difficulty of breathing. My husband said that if you throw up with the physical exertion that means your acid reflux is not that serious yet. The next stage is getting air trapped in your abdomen which make your breathing difficult. Take care of that symptom.

 

[pwarbi]

I have to admit, while I know that everybody is different, I've never suffered from any sort of digestion problems that can be put down to cycling either.

The only time I have, was because I ate a full breakfast then went out too soon after, but that was my own stupid fault.

 

[integrity101]

I have had similar problems but my case is different since I have type 2 diabetes and often prone to indigestion, excess gas, and stomach cramps. I normally don't ride immediately I've taken a meal or when I feel bloated as I'll definitely feel weak, nauseated, and may even throw up without warning.

 

[Personablue]

I have to admit, while I know that everybody is different, I've never suffered from any sort of digestion problems that can be put down to cycling either.

The only time I have, was because I ate a full breakfast then went out too soon after, but that was my own stupid fault.

Same, I have also never experienced any kind of reflux or digestive problems due to cycling. Though, I have been cycling only for 2 years which is not a whole lot of time to cause any kind of long term effect.
You should never eat or drink immediately after cycling.

 

[pwarbi]

Same, I have also never experienced any kind of reflux or digestive problems due to cycling. Though, I have been cycling only for 2 years which is not a whole lot of time to cause any kind of long term effect.
You should never eat or drink immediately after cycling.

Well I've been cycling for more like 20+ years and I haven't suffered!

Seriously though, I think it's just common sense a lot of the time that people don't think about. You wouldn't go and eat a 5 course meal and then go for a run immediately after, so why do people have that, go cycling and then complain about getting indigestion?

It is kind of logical that it's not going to be good for you to do any kind of exercise so soon after a big meal.

 

[Dilof]

I've never suffered from any digestion problems, especially not from biking. My mum has Crohn's disease as well so it'd be pretty obvious if I did have any sort of digestion problems from biking. It probably depends on how you bike but as the above poster said, I, for one, have not had any experience with this.

 

[chrislee99777]

Shift your position
"Some people get heartburn or acid reflux, or a gnawing stomach pain, and that’s all because things aren’t moving,” Ross explains. If you find that your stomach hurts more if you’re spending most of your time in the drops on your road bike, versus the slightly more upright position on your mountain bike, it might be time to get a bike fit to adjust your road position so it’s less aggressive. The bent-over position on a road bike may be causing blood flow issues, so making your position slightly more comfort-focused could alleviate that pressure on your midsection.


Avoid overeating
Ross says one of the main issues he sees in cyclists is a tendency to eat too much. “Cyclists think they need 4,000 calories,” Ross says. “I’ve been to talks and on panels where I hear how much athletes eat and I think, ‘Wow, you can only use a fraction of that!’”

"A lot of the stuff people are eating is just too concentrated, so it leaves your stomach quickly,” he adds. “That’s why people belch while riding, and why people get gassy and bloated. It just can’t get absorbed, it’s too thick." To avoid this, make sure that your calorie intake matches your ride, sticking to under 400 calories per hour. "A lot of these bike foods look super delicious, but there are so many calories in them,” Ross says. "And most people don’t need to eat white rice with eggs and bacon on a ride!” He also adds that when your intensity increases, you may want to cut back on the food, since it’s going to be even harder to absorb it properly in the gut.

 

[erook7878]

I'd avoid acid suppressors if you can. I had some pretty bad reflux as a kid and it went away when I drastically cut carbs out of my diet. The biggest culprit was replacing sports drinks filled with sugar with lemon water. That seemed to help the most. That could be why athletes and cyclists who consume a ton of sports drinks like gatorade will get reflux.

 

[cycle93]

Sorry to hear that, but it can be cause by gels and energy stuff containing acid as you and other sad before me.
When opening the thread I was awaiting a different story, because cycling is always making me go to the loo, but that is my problem, it looks like.