# IBS and cycling



## tindrum (Mar 5, 2008)

i'm a young cyclist, and i suffer from diarrhea-centered IBS (if you weren't aware, there is also the sort that causes constipation). anyhow, it really "psyches me out" so to speak, and often prevents me from going on long rides because i'm afraid of an "emergency" far from facilities. the the other problem is anxiety is a trigger, so when i'm nervous before a race or something i'm in the porta-john until the gun goes off. it's a vicious cycle, and i feel like i'm too young to be worrying about all this, i just want to get out and ride. so anyway, any tips? anyone else riding with this problem? i know andy hampsten had it bad and he did ok for himself  

ps- if you DO have this problem and don't want to share openly, PM me. thanks all.


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## morkm (Nov 12, 2002)

My wife suffers from gluten-intolerance/celaic.

She was told for years that it was upset stomach, acid reflux, etc. It caused bloating and diarrhea as well as made her tired all the time. Once she was off the gluten, she has been MUCH better.

IBS is often the diagnosis for celaic or gluten issues. Try staying away from gluten (it is hard, but not impossible to do) for a few days and see if your issue doesn't improve. Many websites with great information. Hope this helps.


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## cwg_at_opc (Oct 20, 2005)

indeed, what morkm said; i am in my sixth(?) month of wheat-free, dairy-free with a negative blood test for Celiac Sprue, and i haven't had IBS since i started. It is hard when you can't eat a good cheese burger, pizza, ice cream, chocolate milk, etc. one the plus side, i am very 'regular' now and very happy. you can find good rice pasta, but so far i have come up empty looking for a good pizza substitute. i completed the Solvang Century a couple of weeks ago and while it took 8 hours, i never once had to worry about needing to find a porta-potty.

good luck and don't be afraid to experiment with your diet. start by eliminating only one item at a time from your regular meals. you'll know when you're headed in the right direction. if you ever want to confirm which item causes you problems, you can always try eating it once and seeing what happens. either way, you should eat good food(fruits, veggies, brown rice, lean meats, etc.) and eliminate as many artificial ingredients as you can; reduce/eliminate HFC(High Fructose Corn Syrup) as well.

for grins, i ate a burger with a white bun at Islands yesterday, and while it did not make me sick, i immediately had heartburn and some bloating, so it confirmed the zero/minimal wheat for me.


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## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

Check out this thread in the Lounge: http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=200725&highlight=download+turds


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## fontarin (Mar 28, 2009)

I feel your pain. I've gotten a good bit better in recent years as I age. I'll echo what Cwg said - watch your diet. I've found that since I've started eating healthier, I'm much better off. Pizza is definately a no-go on ride days or those preceding them, as is anything very high fat (like burgers).


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## Apus^2 (Sep 5, 2007)

My wife was diagnosed as having IBS--basically a catchall phrase for a group of symptoms the docs couldn't figure out where they came from. She finally got tired of all the tests without being able to solve the problem and all the drugs they wanted her take (amitriptyline, etc) that she started keeping a food diary and doing her own research. All her reading led her to Candida. Also, she started seeing a correlation with her being sick and consuming foods with large amounts of fructose--she forced her doctor to do a fructose malabsorption test and her results were off the charts. 

So she went on the candida diet. I can't remember what exactly it was, but for a couple weeks we ate simple food with very little to no carbs/sugars, lots of veggies, etc. For a couple days she felt like she had the flu (expected from the book), but after the initial period was over she felt great. We gradually added foods back in, began to learn what would set her off, how much of certain thing she could have before she got sick, realized sometimes we would have to go back to the simple foods for a bit if things got out of hand, etc.

She also knew that stress was a contributing factor, so she learned techniques to handle stress better. 

As for the fructose intolerance, we avoid HFCS like the plague (you would be surprised what it is in), she avoids honey, fruit in small doses. Interestingly enough, many people are fructose intolerant to some degree--look it up. Only a certain amount can be absorbed at any one time, and the rest, well, out it goes taking a lot of water with it.

And get a fiber supplement if you haven't already and work yourself up to the maximum amount. It will help.


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## sexybeast (Dec 8, 2009)

I have know knowledge of the conditition but i imagine that it is very disruptive. I cant imagine how it would interfere with a training schedule. Good luck


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## Don Duende (Sep 13, 2007)

Get a blood test for food allergies (E & A Combo) at Meridian Valley Labs in Renton, WA. I found that many other labs' results far less reliable.

http://www.meridianvalleylab.com/allergy_extended.html

IBS is not a disease but a lack of a proper diagnosis. Most cases are food allergies / intolerance, gluten sensitivity and fructose intolerance.

Candida can over grow in the bowel when the bowel is constantly reacting to allergic foods and this disrupts the normal function of the bowel. The bowel contains 70% of the mass of the immune system so allergic reactions can be severe. Most allergic reactions do not produce hives or a trip to the ER. 

It is important to remove the causative factors, first. 

Even after the diagnosis is made it may take up to 18 months for the digestive tract to fully recover, although improvements can be noticed within days. You will be surprised at the other symptoms, that you did not suspect were related to food allergies, that will improve or vanish.

Regardless of the test results you should avoid gluten. Gluten allergies to varying degrees are exceedingly common and put your overall health at great risk. Remember there is no medical test that is 100% perfect. So avoid foods that frequently produce an unpleasant reaction anywhere in your body. Your body is the ultimate testing instrument.


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