Walnut Stomach

Ste_S · June 2007

Did a 74mile club run today, and felt fine for most of it bar the last six miles. Energy levels dropped, my stomach started to do an impression of a walnut, and I felt slightly nauseous.

I probably didn't drink enough (700ml Sis Go, 500ml Water, 330ml Diet Coke), would this explain the walnut stomach ? I had a banana, 2 x quaker oat bars and a flapjack to eat whilst out.

binlinus · June 2007

Diet Coke! No energy in that. Only the caffeine to keep you going. Ordinary coke can be a good pick-you-up towards the end of a ride because of its sugar and caffeine content. Doesn't sound like very much in the way of fluids and your electrolytes may have been depleted. Could do with putting a quarter-teaspoon of salt and some orange juice in with the SIS Go to give you some sodium and potassium. Been a hot day in London, don't know about where your are. I did 25 miles and drank about the same amount of fluids as you did for three times the distance.

What did you have for breakie?

Bin

Ste_S · June 2007

Porridge for brekkie. I need to get another bottle cage for my bike really, only have one on at the moment.

Heat probably did pay a factor, not too bad to start with, but probably up to low to mid 20's 3/4 through the ride.

So, would dehydration cause the walnut stomach feeling ?

BeaconRuth · June 2007

What do you mean by 'walnut' stomach?!

I'd have said you ate plenty and I personally would do that distance on that much fluid....... but then I'm not very big and not renowned for the amount I perspire. Are you used to riding that kind of distance? How long did it take you?

I'm not inclined to blame a lack of electrolytes - you were on Go and solids after all.

Ste_S · June 2007

My stomach essentially felt as though it had shrunk to the size of a walnut, and i felt nauseous.

I didn't feel as though I was overly perspiring, average speed was about 16mph. I'm not used to that distance however, although I can do around 50miles and feel ok.

simmers · June 2007

Too much sweet stuff, not enough solid food?

BeaconRuth · June 2007

Well come to think of it, if it was me, drinking a can of diet coke on top of all that food and the Go would probably make me feel pretty nauseous. I would've got by just fine with about half the food and the same volume of fluid but just plain water - but everyone's different and has to work out for themselves what works best for them. Maybe you could try different things next time you ride that far and see if it helps?

binlinus · June 2007

You had a good breakfast and ate enough during the ride. My guess is you didn't drink enough water. Perspiration is not a good indication of fluid loss as if the humidity is very low then you would appear to sweat less than under very humid conditions. I'm about 70 kg and would eat about the same as what you did for that ride but have at least twice the amount of plain water to drink.

Bin

ut_o_cykla · June 2007

Too much all at once and too little water? Coke can be very irritating for a gut that is already struggling to do its job in a funny position, and with a minimal blood supply. The harder you ride (longer/effort) the kinder you might need to be with your guts whilst riding. Little and often is a usually a good idea...
Hoep you're ok now!

pousse moi s'il vous plait

Ste_S · June 2007

Fine now thanks, got some water in me when i got back home. Two hours later and was eating everything that wasn't tied down [;)]

domtyler · June 2007

Hi Ste_S,

I would say that the fact that you were 'eating everything that wasn't tied down' is a definite symptom of not having got your nutrition strategy right.

I did about the same distance as you yesterday and consumed no breakfast due to still feeling bloated from a heroic Chinese eating session the night before, went out with 2 x 800ml PSP22 which I didn't quite finish, a cup of coffee and a slice of carrot cake in the cafe, an apple bar sort of thing (about 40 cals) and then as soon as I got home had 500ml of REGO and a banana. I didn't feel like eating again for some hours and only had a piece of rye bread and marmite until dinner plus a couple glasses of vino.

I think the protein recovery drink is what has mainly stopped me hitting the fridge in a big way after rides, along with swapping energy drinks for plain water plus solid snacks which I was doing until a few months ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Porridge not Petrol
________
Medical marijuana news

BeaconRuth · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by domtyler
I would say that the fact that you were 'eating everything that wasn't tied down' is a definite symptom of not having got your nutrition strategy right.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Sorry to keep disagreeing with you Domtyler but............ I simply can't accept that statement. 'Eating everything that wasn't tied down' is a natural and perfectly normal post-long-ride desire. Your energy levels are bound to be depleted after a long ride and you have to replenish them. What is wrong with that? It's not an indication that Ste S has failed in his 'nutrition strategy' at all.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I think the protein recovery drink is what has mainly stopped me hitting the fridge in a big way after rides, along with swapping energy drinks for plain water plus solid snacks which I was doing until a few months ago.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">So, you think going out for a long ride with no breakfast is a good nutritional strategy....... and that a bottle of synthetic protein recovery drink is better than a healthy snack which contains some protein and carbodhydrate? Guess what?....... I disagree.

domtyler · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
Originally posted by BeaconRuth
Sorry to keep disagreeing with you Domtyler but............ I simply can't accept that statement. 'Eating everything that wasn't tied down' is a natural and perfectly normal post-long-ride desire. Your energy levels are bound to be depleted after a long ride and you have to replenish them. What is wrong with that? It's not an indication that Ste S has failed in his 'nutrition strategy' at all.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Hi Ruth, Sorry but feeling ravenously hungry after a long exercise session is all good and normal?

Nope, this feeling is normally associated with near total depletion of blood glucose levels which I cannot believe you are saying is good for this persons body?

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
So, you think going out for a long ride with no breakfast is a good nutritional strategy.......
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

As for me skipping breakfast, I did recount in my previous post that I had eaten rather well the night before after having been out for the day and was in fact still feeling overfull come morning. I normally would have a hearty breakfast before hitting the road.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
and that a bottle of synthetic protein recovery drink is better than a healthy snack which contains some protein and carbodhydrate? Guess what?....... I disagree.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Why are you choosing to use such rhetorically charged language I wonder?

Rego is no more synthetic than any other manufactured food. It contains soya protein, complex carbs and many essential micro-nutrients.

Look, I love real food, really I do, and I eat real food at all other times and at every opportunity. When it comes to fuelling my cycling and running though I will go for processed sports drinks and gels that I know will not let me down and will enable me to concentrate on performing to the best of my ability without having to worry about whether I have eaten or drunk enough, I just follow the instructions on the packet and it works...well. I really do not see any point in your near pathological aversion to anything labelled as a sports drink/gel, it doesn't make sense.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Porridge not Petrol
________
Glass Weed Pipe

Fab Foodie · June 2007

Mmmmmm
Interesting question people...
As BeaconRuth states, having the munchies post-ride is a perfectly normal/common response post ride. The question is:

Is it a good thing?
or
Is it a sign of poor fuelling strategy which is what domtyler I think is trying to say?

For my money, the munchies are a sign of severe glycogen depletion, hence the huge craving for sweet stuff. This must imply that you are pretty much at the end of your carb energy supply and close to bonking, hence poor refuelling.

On long rides I really eat well as I go along and rarely bonk or have the munchies at the end.
After a normal 34 mile club training run (of which the middle 22 are flat-out) on water, I could eat a whole chocolate factory. Thing is it doesn't matter if I crawl the last 6 miles home on a bit of fat reserve and the last of me carbs.

As far as recovery products, I think I've been vindicated by the latest C+ mag as they have also recommended Chocolate milk/milkshake (though Strawb or Banana Nesquick for me) as an ideal post ride recovery product. What's more it is naturally satiating so keeps the munchies at bay long enough to get some proper food prepared.

Those are my thoughts, what do others think?

The pessimists of this world are rarely disappointed....
Fab's TCR1

simmers · June 2007

FWIW after long or intense rides I find my appetites is suppressed. So a recovery drink is quite convenient in this respect. I then eat normally. I do find solid food a bit better during longer rides though. However, the day after a long ride I do find myself quite hungry, or at least feeling the need for 'more fuel'.

Ste_S · June 2007

I perhaps should of made it a bit clearer. I ate a lot as I was at a tasty barbecue, not due to any post ride ill feelings [;)]

The shrunken stomach feeling and nausea started about six miles from home, and lasted about an hour post ride. I drank a couple of pints of water on getting home over the course of an hour, after which I felt ok-ish and tired (not surprising I guess though)

On a side note, I'm amazed my legs feel ok today, so much so I've been out enjoying some gentle spinning

bexley5200 · June 2010

i had pains in my abdomen for about 3 months it turned out to be an ulser which i had surgery on

scapaslow · June 2010

My guess is dehydration.

Next time before you do a 75 miler try to drink at least a bottle of energy drink and more water before you head out the door.

You need water to release energy from the glycogen stores so if you dehydrate you will run out of energy no matter how many carbs you have consumed.

The High 5 isogels contain water so it might be useful to carry one for emergencies.

Experienced cyclists have told me that a suppressed appetite is usually a consequence of dehydration. In this case drink energy drink/ recovery drink and water and nibble something salty (like salted nuts) until your appetite comes back.

pinkbikini · June 2010

Ste_S wrote:

Did a 74mile club run today, and felt fine for most of it bar the last six miles. Energy levels dropped, my stomach started to do an impression of a walnut, and I felt slightly nauseous.

I probably didn't drink enough (700ml Sis Go, 500ml Water, 330ml Diet Coke), would this explain the walnut stomach ? I had a banana, 2 x quaker oat bars and a flapjack to eat whilst out.

You didn't drink enough, and on top of that downed a can of super-fizzy diet Coke (seems harder on the stomach that real Coke I always think) - I'm not surprised your stomach was in knots! I find that SIS Go really nasty too, but that's a personal thing.

On a run like that (assuming about 4hrs-ish) I would have drunk about 3 or 4 x 500ml water and 1 or 2 x 500ml energy drink, eaten a banana or two and maybe a sandwich/roll/energy bar. Depends what you've eaten and drunk before you set off, of course. I do tend to drink quite a lot though, esp. if it's hot.

Walnut Stomach

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