Thanks to everyone for your patience with my first-time-coaching-XC questions.
One of my F runners - our fastest F, has won a couple races outright and should make New Englands- is getting so nauseous toward the end of her races that she feels like it stops her from being able to push the end of the race. The first time this happened it was just nausea; the second time she threw up; the last couple meets it has been “just” nausea. Today (PM race for her, 1:30 start) she told me it felt like nausea that turned into triggering her gag reflex. No vomit though!
Races tend to be in the afternoon. (And she’s not pregnant). Those “sea band” wrist bands don’t do anything.
My instinct is this is food/hydration related, and to ask how she would feel about keeping a food-and-hydration log for a couple of days this week, including (1) easy run practice (2) a workout day (3) our Fri meet, and see if there are any patterns. I think she’s simply eating and drinking too much too close to running hard.
IDK if I am allowed to suggest trying a Tums (am wondering if there’s some acid reflux). Question for the athletic director and trainer.
Are there any other things that would be on your “differential” for what’s causing this and then how to make it stop happening?
Thank you 
Curious to see suggestions here. We’ve got a girl that had this issue and was diagnosed with low iron and is taking supplements and it’s still not really helping. Maybe it takes time.
Maybe it’s too much sugar. Maybe not enough. Maybe it’s the fake sweeteners or other substances in the dumb electrolyte drinks.
Women at this age and intense sport seems like it adds another layer of complexities than men do. But if you factor in other medications that they could be taking these days, outside of the myriad of other issues you mentioned like dehydration etc. It’s a real crapshoot.
Zero insight other than I am about 50/50 chance on dry heaving or puking at cyclocross races. Once with about 3min to go. Puke and rally.
Good luck!
AI says “Low iron levels can cause nausea indirectly through dizziness and weakness, while iron supplements used to treat low iron are a very common direct cause of an upset stomach. [1, 2]”
not sure I’d have thought to look at sweeteners
I agree on feeling like the girls have another layer of complexity. I also realized today I need to avoid generalizing things as “girl issues.” I have a M who has been pretty exhausted for awhile and today was the first time I wondered about his iron level. I won’t ask - I’m a volunteer asst coach and leave all medical related questions to the head coach, trainer, and nurse (I just help our team brainstorm) - and his mom is an MD so they’re probably on top of it.
I have sort of wondered if she has just figured out how to push hard enough that… this is how it feels. I know how my stomach feels when I run or swim fast and while it isn’t nausea, it also isn’t a good feeling.
I do feel pretty sure for her this is a nutrition and hydration thing. I think they just sort of grab food and fluids and don’t think about it (which generally is great - I don’t have any runners I’m worried about inadequate food intake with)… even my really fast ones. I think they just haven’t figured out yet that the other 23:40 of the day matter more than they think when it comes to the best 20 minutes of the day.