I am finding I have a very sensitive stomach when running was wondering if anyone else with that same problem can give me some suggestions on fuel replacement during the marathon and breakfast that morning. I understand everyone is different and you just have to play around with it. But I'm finding I have gas pains, and burping while running and sometimes significant cramping. I drink watered down garatorade and eat cliff shots. It is really difficult to figure out what to eat for breakfast as well as I seem to burp up everything. I am also finding I get quite queesy during my long runs. This isn't enough to make me stop but is enough to make me pretty uncomfortable. I usually eat fruit and or granola based cereal for breakfast.

Thanks for anyone who can help!

Marion,

I am a walker, and I too have trouble with burping during my walks, whether they are in the morning or evening, but they are not causing me discomfort. Maybe the granola and fruit is upsetting your stomach. My friend also has problems eating certain foods in the morning and has to stay away from Cliff bars because they give her so much gas. Cliff Shot Bloks work for her though.

Have you tried a bagel, or hard boiled egg, yogurt? All those work for me without any upset stomach.

Good luck .

Kathi

Hi there,

For what it's worth...

Eggo waffles...it's random, but it works for me. I'll also do plain toast and a very little bit of butter if the freezer is empty. Instant oatmeal has worked in the past and I find I prefer this in the winter months.

I avoid whole grains, peanut butter (burps for sure), and fruit until after my run.

Hope this helps!
Jess

I drink Slimfast before a long walk. It's got lots of vitamin and carbs and doesn't fill me up like solid food does.

I typically have oatmeal, sometimes with 1 TBL raisins or crushed peanuts (protein) 1 1/2 - 2 hours before my long runs. This gives my system time to digest the food so it is not sitting on my stomach. This has always worked for me, so I do not vary from it.
Hope you find the right combination.

I have heard that a common cause of stomach upset during running/endurance events is the glucose/fructose/name-your-favorite-sugar-syrup in sport drinks and foods. You may be getting a double hit of this with fruit for breakfast and Gatorade in your hydration. I haven't yet tried, but have heard recommended, HEED (high energy electrolyte drink), made by Hammer as an alternate as it has malodextrin rather than the other sugars- more broken down and easier to digest I think. You can pick it up at Portland Running Co.

Marion,
Within the group of cyclist I ride with - some of whom are also distance runners like us - we have all switched to Hammer Nutrition (HN) HEED and Perpetuem for event fueling. That's not to say that we have totally eliminated any GI problems amongst the group, but we know better than to take Gatorade or any of the plethora of products containing "words that end in ose" or simple sugars. Fructose is especially bad for performance.

By supplementing HEED and Perpetuem with Hammer Gel and Endurolytes as needed, and watching hydration intake, we have found that we actually feel better on long events (6 hours+) by not eating solids for fueling. The liquid fuels feel better than having something solid in our stomach, which tends to divert blood and energy. Remember JR and the ketchup? As we know, liquids empty from the stomach easier and faster. It also alleviates the issue of having to gnaw on something like a cliff bar. Sometimes you just don't feel like chewing and swallowing something of that texture. Show me a Power Bar after 4 hours of hard anything, and I'll show you a great doorstop. Come to think of it, they might work for orthotics in a pinch. And it also requires more water to wash it down. I can't say that it's going to work for everyone, but we've been using these products for well over two years and know what we can tolerate by now.

Gassy stomach tends to come on when we are "over-carbed" and the system just can't process the carbs fast enough. The nice thing with the HN products is they are inter-mixable. If you cant tolerate Hammer Gel full strength, you can always shoot it into your water or fuel bottle and get more of a sustained release.

On the other hand, these fuels can also be mixed in higher concentrations and nursed with supplemental water. I can't think of anything more common on a racecourse than plain old water. (Okay, maybe oxygen and a lot of heavy breathing.) This would allow you to carry a greater supply of fuel in the same amount of space, and then take water as needed. It also solves the issue of trying to carry additional fuel to mix on the course. Sticky hands for the rest of the race? Yuck! Gatorade in higher concentrations? I think NOT!

Pre-race meals have always been a challenge for me. I'm not much of a breakfast person anyway, but I have tried the Slimfast type liquids (Boost) with O.K. results. Half a bagel of the non-wholegrain variety, about 1-1/2 hours prior, tends to give me something to kick the system into gear. Peanut butter make it palatable, but I don't rely on trying to get protein from it. Protein does nothing for my fueling needs. From then on it's liquids.

As you can see, I'm an advocate of the HN products. They have treated me well and I can be assured of predicted results in their usage. One other item that I love and wish more people would try, is HN Recoverite. I swear by the stuff and once I forced my wife and sister to "just try it" after the Pacific Crest Half Marathon, they too swear by it. AC Randy is a recoverite user and I'm sure he can attest to its "mythical" powers. Okay, maybe not mythical, but it has the right balance of "...high Glycemic Index complex carbohydrate and whey protein isolate... ...that promotes maximum glycogen synthesis and muscle tissue rebuilding." L-glutamine is also included for enhancing recovery. I'm telling you, it works! Body builders have known about these types of products for years, and we all know how hard they are on their muscles. Try Recoverite, and stairs no longer have to be the enemy.

My 2 cents!
Doug

Wow, thanks for all the great insights! I'm going to try a bagel, toast or waffle for breakfast and am looking up the HEED stuff now. I hope this works great! It couldn't hurt to try, especially now...BEFORE the marathon.

It took me WEEKS of long weekend runs to find a combo where I was not vomitting. I could go up to 14 miles and than wammy - everthing came back up. I finally found that plain Oatmeal for an early breakfast and then durning the run I only use Water and GU and Electorlye pills every hour (I sweat alot). I never expected to have tummy troubles like I do.

Dave,
Glad you found a combo that works for you. You hit the nail on the head with the statement: "It took me WEEKS of long weekend runs to find a combo..." There is no magic formula until you find the one that works for you!

Good luck with the rest of your training,
Doug

Great post Doug! I too have a very sensitive stomach and have found that the Hammer products work very well for me - I use Hammer Gel and Endurolytes. I also have found that Cytomax mixed at about 3/4 strength for my drink works best for my stomach. I can also tolerate Cliff Bloks, but not Cliff Shots. From trial and error, for breakfast I eat one package of instant oatmeal with about a tablespoon of honey and soy milk two hours before any morning long run or event of any distance (running or biking). I've completed 11 marathons and several endurance bike events and I'm still playing with the mix to find the absolute best combination for my stomach. It takes time, persistence and a couple of "OMIGOD what did I do to cause this!" runs to find what works for you.

One suggestion - don't try too many new things at once. It makes it difficult to narrow down what works and what doesn't. I would change the sports drink first, wait a bit, and then change the other nutrition bits.

I like to eat a piece of toast with pb on it, or an oats &honey granola bar. Something with complex carbs to keep me going.
During the run I use water, and cliff shot bloks. I find I really like the blocks and are easy to use. In the past I have to use sharkies, those are good too. Cliff shots are hard on my tummy, and make me feel like crap too, can't use those! Yucky!
Sometimes, no matter what I try, I just have a bad run...that is expected...but mostly I can avoid it by eating good stuff and not too much right before a run!

Good luck, let us know what the new stuff does for you!