How to train your gut to win your marathon?

Digestive discomfort can undermine your chances to run your best marathon. Optimum digestive function depends on the composition of the food and fluid ingested, the timing of ingestion before during and after exercise and your stress level. Just as you train your muscles and mind, you can train your gastrointestinal tract to meet the demands of exercise

Do you suffer from?

• Heart burn*
• Acid reflux
• Nausea
• Belching
• Sharp stomach pain & cramps
• Excessive gas and bloating
• Diarrhoea 

The development of heartburn on exercise must always be investigated fully in order to exclude the possibility of cardio-vascular complication even in younger athletes. 
Tips to improve your digestion on your race day

1. Always consume foods and drinks you have tried and tested before: you need to know what nutrition works best for you
2. Test your meals timing to determine the optimum timing for you
3. Have a fluid/ hydration plan
4. Eat a low GI (low GI) diet a few hours before your run
5. Limit high fat food, spicy foods, peppermint, cinnamon and vinegar
6. Limit your intake of high fibre food for 2 days before the race such as beans, lentils, whole grains, peppers, onions, broccoli, cabbage…
7. Avoid milk, caffeinated drinks, citrus juices, carbonated and fermented drinks and do not drink through a straw
8. Eat slowly, making sure you chew your food thoroughly
9. Avoid excess intake of fructose, xylitol and sorbitol, make sure sports drinks are mixed correctly and test your sports drinks and gels for a few weeks before the race