So I come off the bike at Steelhead this year feeling great 3:03 into the race. I’m thinking I’m going to crush the run (for me) as that is my strongest discipline (did about a 1:37 last year). About a 1 1/2 miles in my hamstring starts cramping. Then I get a terrible case of slosh stomach. I try to relieve that at the portapotties with only minimal success. Then I feel very dehydrated and my calves start cramping. Then I just plain bonk.
Background. Consumed about 1-2 bottles of fluids/hr on the bike (I know that’s low). Also went through about 4 gu’s. At about mile 8 I started feeling very hungry so although not part of the plan, I ate 1/2 a banana (wouldn’t have usually gone for solids in a HIM). Drank as much water and gatorade as possible at the aid stations on the run as I felt incredibly thirsty.
So, what happened? what causes slosh stomach? Too much fluid or not enough? Give me your best diagnosis.
I’m not a nutrition expert by any means, so keep your BS meters running…
But, I’ve heard that low electrolyte intake causes both of your symptoms – cramps and slosh stomach. When the sodium level in your gut gets too low, the osmosis in your stomach stops and you can’t absorb fluids any more. The trick is to keep electrolytes up before this happens.
Low water = dehydration = stomach problems and predisposes you to cramping.
If you drink enough water, then you won’t have problems with the concentrations of your drinks and therefore your gut will keep working. Take salt whenever you take water to aid with hydration.
Remember that cramping is also related to pacing mistakes and/or lack of race specific fitness.
How was your hydration going into this race? Did you take in enough water with your carbo loading regimen–assuming you loaded at all? As a general rule of thumb, I avoid Gatorpiss at all costs due to mixing issues at the water stops. If I resort to coke in a race at least I know what I’m taking in and can adjust accordingly. Gatorade is also just sugar, but too much can mess with your stomach, especially if your downing Gu’s too. One other question what is your technique for eating GU?
Slosh stomach mostly related to exertion. It takes a bit to realize that in many cases your rate of absorption through your stomach is actually the limiter in half and ironman racing. In shorter races the limters are muscular or related to muscular pH, so it is a shock to the ego to find in longer races t is not the case.
Classic stomach “shutting down”. I think slowman has a good article on it somewhere on the site. Cause is usually exertion and the only solution is ‘stand down’.
While nututrition make-up/content is always very personal, my favorite motto is: “Stomach shut down is your body telling you your pace is too fast.”
I would put money on Low electrolyte levels as the primary cause. Salt tablets save my race at steelhead big time, helped me process water and prevent some nasty cramps that started to set in on the run.
One mistake I made was going from Heed (complex sugars) to Gatoraid (simple sugars) made me feel prety crapy in the middle of the bike.
I think it could be too high a concentration of calories (gu + gatorade) and/or lack of electrolytes. Sounds like you are getting the fluids in, but then they are just not getting processed. So they slosh in the stomach and do not relieve thirst or hunger. It’ll probably take some trial & error to figure out which of the two (or combo) will help you.
“Stomach shut down is your body telling you your pace is too fast.”
Or that your mix is too strong, or you are ingesting too much. Going fast and taking in a good number of calories are not mutally exclusive.
I certainly didn’t feel like I was pushing too hard. I hadn’t really tapered much that week as Steelhead was really more of a glorified training day for IMOO and it had been very hot here, so perhaps there was some lingering dehydration? Maybe in my attempt to make up for it at the last minute I drank too much. I have never taken salt tabs and, as far as I know, never suffered from it. However, I will definitely try mixing it up a bit on my next long training day. I’ll try salt tabs, gu and water (no gatorade). I need to get this nailed before IMOO.
I certainly didn’t feel like I was pushing too hard. I hadn’t really tapered much that week as Steelhead was really more of a glorified training day for IMOO and it had been very hot here, so perhaps there was some lingering dehydration? Maybe in my attempt to make up for it at the last minute I drank too much. I have never taken salt tabs and, as far as I know, never suffered from it. However, I will definitely try mixing it up a bit on my next long training day. I’ll try salt tabs, gu and water (no gatorade). I need to get this nailed before IMOO.
I was in the exact same boat last summer before my first IM in Wisconsin. I had never taken a salt pill, and I didn’t think I needed to. I was wrong. Start taking them. If it’s hot in Madison (and you know it will be), you will need to take some on the bike and the run unless you basically don’t sweat.
If it’s hot in Madison (and you know it will be), you will need to take some on the bike and the run unless you basically don’t sweat.
-C
Oh, I sweat, boy do I ever—a ridiculous amount actually. I think I read somewhere that if you have very salty sweat (which I do) you weren’t supposed to load up on the salt pills as the salty sweat was a sign that your body had enough. Sounds like I’ve been reading the wrong crap.
I certainly didn’t feel like I was pushing too hard. I hadn’t really tapered much that week as Steelhead was really more of a glorified training day for IMOO and it had been very hot here, so perhaps there was some lingering dehydration? Maybe in my attempt to make up for it at the last minute I drank too much. I have never taken salt tabs and, as far as I know, never suffered from it. However, I will definitely try mixing it up a bit on my next long training day. I’ll try salt tabs, gu and water (no gatorade). I need to get this nailed before IMOO.
Temperature of the fluids can also be a factor. I generally have better success avoiding ‘slosh stomach’ if I have cold drinks rather than the warmer fluids usually available at the aid stations.
I certainly didn’t feel like I was pushing too hard. I hadn’t really tapered much that week as Steelhead was really more of a glorified training day for IMOO and it had been very hot here, so perhaps there was some lingering dehydration? Maybe in my attempt to make up for it at the last minute I drank too much. I have never taken salt tabs and, as far as I know, never suffered from it. However, I will definitely try mixing it up a bit on my next long training day. I’ll try salt tabs, gu and water (no gatorade). I need to get this nailed before IMOO.
Temperature of the fluids can also be a factor. I generally have better success avoiding ‘slosh stomach’ if I have cold drinks rather than the warmer fluids usually available at the aid stations.
Totally true, but where do you get a cold drink at mile 85 of an ironman?