Whether you are into regular sports, extreme sports or just exercising for occasional fun, it’s always a good idea to take precautions against injuries. Most of us know a good deal about wearing protective equipment to shield our bodies from harm, but did you know that our digestive system needs protection from sport-related discomforts as well?
Generally speaking, many sport lovers frequently encounter digestive problems, most particularly in endurance training and fitness sessions. According to studies, an average of 40% of athletes, runners and marathoners are found to have bowel disorders. Sport-related digestive problems are often guilty of nearly 30% of limited performance for these athletes, to eventually abandoning the sport altogether.
What do we need protection from?
When we do sports, it’s very important to know that vibrations, the shock created by the impact of our feet hitting the ground, can lead to significant consequences to your intestinal mucous. Intestinal mucous is the lining of your gastrointestinal tract that comes in direct contact with the digested food, and is responsible for secreting a layer of mucus that helps food to move forward in your system. This secretion is extremely important, because it protects the cells of your gastrointestinal tract.
When the lining of your gastrointestinal tract is shocked and produces inefficient mucus to protect the cells of its lining, it can lead to diarrhea, vomiting and nutrient malabsorbtion. This also explains extreme fatigue and vitamin deficiencies found in a great number of extreme amateur athletes.
Other factors that can diminish the capacity of your intestinal mucous are poor diet, ingestion of nonsteroidal and anti - inflammatory drugs. However, you can adapt to a good diet regime to help your body anticipate and prepare for any discomforts and injuries that might incur during exercise.
What else should I watch out for?
Regardless of the type of sport, dehydration is one of the leading causes of reduced performance in many athletes. A of 2% water loss in your system can be translated into 20% loss in athletic performance! When the water loss percentage reaches 4%, depending on external temperature, you can lose up to 40% to 60% of your performance potential! It is extremely important to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day, before and after doing sports. Otherwise, you may risk experiencing symptoms like anxiety, reduced blood flow, which leads to dizziness, fatigue and nausea.
Can you recommend something good to snack on after sports?
Depending on the type of sport that you are doing, the diet can vary – it’s important now to listen to your body. In most cases, a fruit compote without added sugar or a potassium-rich banana with some water would do you good. What is not recommended is whey protein. It is a mixture of proteins derived from whey, the leftover by-product of coagulated milk, often taken by muscle-building athletes. However, there are many side effects to whey protein, including nausea, headache, muscle ache, and stomach pains.
We eat and do sports to feel good, not worse!
Instead, you can also enjoy a delicious protein shake with sprouted seeds and a dash of cocoa powder, packed with a bunch of mineral goodness like calcium, magnesium and B vitamins.
Ms. Kane is a certified nutritionist who specialises in nutrition therapy and micronutrition, providing natural solutions to physical discomforts through bioanalyses. Medically trained at the University of Lausanne, she works extensively with medical doctors and has years of experience in sport nutrition.