have you tried some pepto or immodium before a race?

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the world's still turning? >>>>>>> the world's still turning

Keep doing it! Just pound that shit! No one likes a quitter!

Not sure I agree with you or want to further this addiction but there is caffeine gum that you might enjoy. Chomp away and then spit it out, might give you the dose you want without really anything else.

 How do you know it’s the caffeine giving you stomach problems? Have you raced without it and not gotten stomach problems?

I would wager it is not the caffeine.

What if you type caffeine pills? I find convenient for racing and easier to stomach than coffee.

I’ve raced without caffeine with no issues using the same nutrition otherwise, so I know it’s the caffeine. Has anyone tried the Imodium or pepto who previously had stomach probs with caffeine? I’ve heard that helps but not sure if it helps with caffeine upset stomach in particular. Anyone use Redbull vs caffeinated gels or drink mixes? I believe a lot of gels/drink mixes use green tea extract and I think that’s what gets me.

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"One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."

how much caffeine are you taking and when in the race?

Usually about 50- 100mg toward the end of a 56 mile bike leg and then another 50mg during a 13 mile run. I should clarify- ive never gotten diarrhea, moreso constipation.

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"One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."

The studies I read require way higher dosage, like 350 mg or so depending on your weight, to get a performance enhancement. I think they suggest 1 hr before race. Other studies show that you can take smaller doses during the event that accumulate to the pre-race dosage.

I would look it up if I were you and decide if your stomach issues are worth it when you aren’t hitting the suggested dosage.

Suppository.

The stomach cramps, bloating and porta-potty stops seem more urgent than constipation, which (presumably) you can address after the race. If the former, Tums tablets work really well for me.

One question, since no one has asked it yet, how does your race ingestion differ from your training ingestion? And how long after ingestion do you begin to experience symptoms?

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https://connect.garmin.com/modern/profile/domingjm

This was my question. Are you using the same caffeine transport method (drink/food etc) in a race as you do in training? If so, do you experience the same symptoms? If not, back up to your full race day nutrition plan and see if anything changes from training. You need to train your body to digest all that sugar and other carbs just like you have to train your run, bike and swim.

This is my bet too.

People also don't realize the half life of caffeine is 5 to 6 hours. So, someone doing a 1/2 Ironman is still at 50% morning coffee jolt by the time they're either through the chute or within 20min of the chute.

At worst, you could take a gel with it in it to top up before hopping on the bike and still carrying a lot by the time you finish.

Sip frequently, don't gulp half the drink once every 1/2 hour.

Gonna say that has little to do with the caffeine.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

That’s weird how you know my body better than me. Tell me then, what’s going on in my body?

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"One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."

That's not much caffeine. That's like.5-1 cup of coffee at the end of the bike and .5 cup during the run. Everyone keeps telling you it's not the caffeine because that shouldn't do anything if you're used to it. And if it is only the caffeine, then your question doesn't really make sense.

And constipation during a race? Is that bad? Are you wanting to poop during the race? And how does the constipation cause the porta-potty stops that you said the caffeine causes? Do you stop to sit there and not poop?

Well yeah, I guess constipation is better than the alternative. But yes, the caffeine does make me need to poop and I’m not trying to poop when I’m racing. To be clear- I always poop before the race. I’m moving up to full IM distance this year after several years of competing in halfs and qualifying for the HIM World Championships this year so this is about optimizing performance and not having gastric issues during the race. So no one else has issues with caffeine while racing?

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"One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."

That's not constipation.

I'm confused.

If you're ok with coffee, but not ok with gels it's not the caffeine.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Like others have said, there are too many other factors that could be causing this issue - which in all honesty, I am not sure what the actual is. You either are crapping yourself or you don't. The latter definitely is better.

What is your pre-race diet like? 48 hours? 24 hours? < 3 hours?

What is your race fueling plan for a 70.3?

Other thing to look at is effort - many athletes go too hard on the bike, and then wonder why they can't shake the GI issues on the run.

Last thing - you are right, we don't know your body as well as you do. But if you know it so damn well, don't post on a forum and get pissy when others are trying to help.

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IG: NCGregory8778

Pre-race diet is low fiber usually chicken and pasta or pizza the couple of nights before. Pre-race breakfast is usually a bagel or two. Those routines have worked well for me for HIM distances and down, the only variable being when I use caffeine or not. When I use caffeine I get the urge to go, but don’t get diarrhea. I get bloated and have a hard time getting additional nutrition down. During the race I do all liquid nutrition using carbo-pro and gatorlytes plus nuun for electrolytes. Usually 7-800 cals on the bike in 2:30ish and 300 or so cals for a 1:30ish run.

Regarding your thoughts about me getting pissy- my question wasn’t identify what’s going on here- my question was any suggestions of alternatives or other options. When people start telling me I’m wrong about what’s going on with me, that’s what I take exception to, especially when it’s phrased in a way that’s not helpful. Thanks for the helpful questions and thoughts.

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"One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."