I have done 6 IM and in each case I have crashed hard on the run, making a normal 3:15 run into 5+ walk. I thought it was nutrition for the longest time
Then I did a yearly check up and it was found I have a thyroid problem ( hyper ). Thinking I had it all figured out I just did Texas and the same thing happened. So after beating myself up I went back to my doctor and did more blood work.
Today I found out that I most likely have celiac disease and now need to move to a new diet.
Is there anyone else who has found themselves in the same position? If so how long before you seen a change in performance?
Hey mate, I don’t personally have celiac disease but know a little bit about it… Which you may already know…
From what I know the gluten in foods destroys/damages the villi in the intestines of people with the disease, which impairs the bodies ability to absorb nutrients optimally…
I have been told that it takes up to 1yr for the micro villi to fully regenerate, given the person does not have any gluten… Even the smallest amount can have an affect…
I’m am not sure of the affects that this damage to the micro villi would have on the ability to absorb carbohydrate rapidly during a race scenario but imagine it would have some… I would be interested to know more myself…
In addition I know it sounds difficult to completely remove gluten from the diet but there are so many options these days that it has been made much more easy to do so…
Did you say that during training you are doing 3.15 marathons?..
Do you do many brick sessions?
I’m sure that everything will come together soon with the right steps
Hey mate I found out just under 2 years ago that I was gluten intolerant. This is slightly different from celiac in the sense that Gluten makes me feel like sh#* but does not necessarily damage my intestines. but the diet is the same and I now avoid it like the plague.
BTW there was an article here on ST about Tim O’Donnel her also has it and was diagnosed after falling apart in the his first few IM attempts also on the run.
I found that after 8 weeks of being Gluten free, I stopped my reflux medication (I was on it for 10 years), I stopped my migrane medication I was on it for years too, I do not need naps in the day at all and I have a level of energy I have never before experienced. I also lost 4 kgs.
It is not that hard to be gluten free these days anyway you can get pretty much anything gluten free. Sports bars etc as far as I know there are none but My wife figured out some recipes and its even better. You will most likely feel much better (even if you did not think there was anything wrong with you now) just give yourself a couple of months of gluten free diet.
I have celiac as well and the biggest change is finding the correct nutrition which is gluten free. I have noticed a small increase in performance but mostly that I am not bloated and feel like crap after eating certain foods. There is plenty of info out there and manufactures do a good job of listing nutritional info on their site. Love skratch drinks.
Get a definitive diagnosis before going gluten-free. This involves a biopsy of your small intestine. This is really important. If you really have Celiac disease you are going to have to be very strict with the gluten-free diet for the rest of your life, so you must get a definitive diagnosis. Otherwise, it will be easy to cheat in future years which could be very risky for you. Celiacs have a much higher chance of other auto-immune diseases (including malignancies) until they are 100% gluten free at which point their chances go down to the normal population.
Eating gluten-free in this day and age is not that hard. More and more restaurants are offering gluten-free menus. It’s very easy to cook at home as long as you have gluten-free soy sauce, gluten-free bread crumbs, etc. You just have to read every label before eating anything. You also have to watch what you drink.
My daughter has Celiac and was severely anemic due to it. Took her about 4 months after diagnosis and starting a gluten-free diet before her iron levels started to rise. She’s a high-level volleyball player and played through it all, but it was very hard. During tournament days she had to nap between matches. She’s now 1.5 years from diagnosis and is essentially at full strength although her iron levels still need to go higher.
Any GI problems you have will likely clear up almost instantly after starting gluten-free. Any damage to your small intestine will take longer, so if you have low iron, low hemoglobin, etc that will take longer.
Good luck with it!
also watch out for things that you would never think about. Basically any sauce (salad dressings, bbq, etc) can have gluten in them. A lot of corn cereals have malt which people who are sensitive to gluten shouldn’t have. Barley, rye, oats, wheat are the things to watch out for. Like other have said though it’s actually surprisingly easy to be gluten free and things like pasta, bread, and cookies all come in gluten free versions and they’re surprisingly not bad.
Thanks for the info. I do have a scoping booked in a few weeks. It’s amazing how much reading is out there and I want to be well informed. It going to change a lot of things I do. But the most is what I can eat befor and, DURIG a IM. Is perform ok?
Hi Ron
I have Celiac - was diagnosed a year ago after many years of GI problems that kept getting worse. There is a lot of good info out there. Here is the most reputable source i know of http://www.cureceliacdisease.org/
For fueling - just a quick piece of info
powergels and perform (drink) are ok
gatorade is ok (most sport drinks are ok)
powerbars and clif bars are NOT ok - they have wheat in them
All of the GU products are gluten free
For a powerbar replacement I do envirokidz bars (2 of them = one powerbar). Very similar macronutrient profile.
Be careful with a lot of the gfree bars out there for race day fueling - most of them have too much fat and fiber to be good for racing.
Bonk breakers are GF as well… And they are fantastic!
…
I have done 6 IM and in each case I have crashed hard on the run, making a normal 3:15 run into 5+ walk. I thought it was nutrition for the longest time
Then I did a yearly check up and it was found I have a thyroid problem ( hyper ). Thinking I had it all figured out I just did Texas and the same thing happened. So after beating myself up I went back to my doctor and did more blood work.
Today I found out that I most likely have celiac disease and now need to move to a new diet.
Is there anyone else who has found themselves in the same position? If so how long before you seen a change in performance? **
Drop jonnyo a PM. He is celiac as well, and a pro.
John
I have done 6 IM and in each case I have crashed hard on the run, making a normal 3:15 run into 5+ walk. I thought it was nutrition for the longest time
Then I did a yearly check up and it was found I have a thyroid problem ( hyper ). Thinking I had it all figured out I just did Texas and the same thing happened. So after beating myself up I went back to my doctor and did more blood work.
Today I found out that I most likely have celiac disease and now need to move to a new diet.
Is there anyone else who has found themselves in the same position? If so how long before you seen a change in performance? **
What was the cause of your hyperthyroidism? Guessing it was Grave’s disease, an autoimmune cause. How is/was it treated? Celiac is also an autoimmune disease. The two can be associated. You need tight control over both of these conditions before the next shoe drops.
Lots of gluten free threads on here.
It takes a good 3-4 weeks for your body to really ‘flush’ out most of the gluten so you don’t have GI issues.
Gluten free is great. I’m a fan. Just read the labels and don’t always buy something just because it is gluten free as even tho it may be GF, it still may be trashy food.
Didn’t read all the responses - - so forgive me if this is redundant but Vega makes really awesom gluten free and vegan sports nutrition - - bars, gels, hydration, recovery drinks etc. I swear by them and have done an IM with a combo of Vega products pre - race and on the run, and corn-based maltodextrin / Skratch Labs products on the bike.
You can find Vega stuff on line, at some bike shops and at Whole Foods. Just a warning though - - it is pricey. I usually wait until it is on sale at WF and then I back up the truck.
Also, reiterate what everyone else said (cuz I did just read the posts). ALWAYs read labels, never assume. Sometimes stuff gets reformulated and bam, a week ago you could eat it but today you can’t.
Always always always ask in restaurants too. If you get the slightest hint of ignorance on the topic from your server or the kitchen, stick to carrot sticks or walk out.
yep, diagosed celiac/coeliac september 2012. i am mainly a cyclist competing in events up to 100 miles but plan to get into 70.3. FWIW my energy levels have always remained the same but my recovery has got a little better since adopting the new diet.
The worst thing is the loss of convenience when you are out…suddenly buying food becomes a whole lot more different especially in restaurants. My advice to you is do you homework on what foods you can eat, be prepared to take alot of your own food to places, dont cheat or get disheartened. Soon your new diet will become totally normal. Move on with your life and dont worry about complications because they might never happen.
What were some symptoms before you knew it was celiac?
Any general feeling of ‘weakness’ and/or lack of energy?
GI problems?
What were some symptoms before you knew it was celiac?
Any general feeling of ‘weakness’ and/or lack of energy?
GI problems?
Feeling bloated after eating certain foods, lack of energy, wheat stomach. No real gi issues.
What is wheat stomach?
Any other issues that hurt training and racing?
Bloated stomach similar to beer belly. Went away quickly when I went gf.
Any real world advice…
I coach (swimming) a woman that was diagnosed with “gluten intolerance” a few months ago.
Trying to figure out if other issues are related?
These issues pop up occasionally, sometimes same time, sometimes not:
Light headed/dizziness of sorts - exercise makes it worse
Muscles feel " weak"
Stomach hurts - " acid like"
A lot of it seems like a classic bonk, but usually if she stops and sometimes just back off a bit, the symptoms will subside. With nothing more than water. Of course, if bonking she would need calories.
Seems like sometimes she does not eat or drink enough during the day if feeling these issues. Usually because food is I unappealing & if try to force it down her stomach rebels.
Supposedly, is following a strict gluten free diet.
Any insight? Thanks