Any suggestions for a seasoned, in shape, non newbie, who get an upset stomach (nausea feeling) during and continuing for a several hours after a hard half marathon running race effort? Last experience - had a couple of Gu gels before the race, good start - then, about half way, nausea feeling lasting for several hours after the finish. I would have thought, if it was too much nutrition before the race that would be burned off within a hour or so and should not have a continuing effect. Any thoughts as to what’s going on and/or what could be done differently? It’s making racing not that much fun anymore.
The worst stomach ache I ever had after a race was when I realized I drank a 20 oz. water bottle in about the first 10 minutes on the bike.
if you’re not on the verge of spewing after every race you haven’t dug deep enough and tapped into that dark place of pain…read a few quotes from Pre and it will all come clear about your perceived race effort!
The ONLY thing I can consume after a race >1.5hours is coca cola, sipped every so easily.
I hear you, it is not that much fun. I can only share what has happened and is still happening to me. I get gut issues even on the mildest of runs - as little as 30 minutes at a conversational effort. As of today when I swim, bike or run, I have a lot of sloshing in my colon that sounds like a bathtub full of water in there (and it’s not due to drinking too much plain water or my Trace Minerals electrolytes water).
During the 2010 Branson 70.3, I became severely dehydrated. It surfaced at the start of the run. The heat (it was upper 90’s that year), humidity and bike course put me behind the eight ball, so to speak. Pushing the bike too hard and not consuming enough electrolytes set me up for suffering on the run. Because I wasn’t consuming enough electrolytes, I suffered from hyponatremia (diluted sodium levels because I was mostly drinking water). Halfway into the run, I felt really bad in my gut. Started getting nauseous, bloated and sore throughout my legs and torso. I finished the race (at least the run was flat), but when I started feeling bad, I ran from aid station to aid station, walking through the stations taking in as much liquid as I could. By this time, I was already cooked. I couldn’t take in enough electrolytes to offset the damage. After the finish, I slowly walked to the medical tent and laid on a table. My blood pressure was something like 65 over 40. Not positive on that, but it was crazy low! The EMT gave me two bags of an IV solution of sodium chloride. This procedure took about 45 minutes. By the end of it, I literally felt reborn. The nausea, bloating and muscle soreness evaporated. Because I was initially nauseous, I lost my appetite. By the time I walked out of the med tent and did my stretches, it was time to eat! After refueling, I drove back to AR where I was staying with my parents. I felt pretty good. The next morning, I was a little sore, but I loosened up after going for a 75 minute recovery ride. The next day I was a little sore, but no gut issues. By Thursday, and back at work, I felt awesome! Just continued my reverse taper and prepared for the off season. That was Sept 28, 2010, and had no gut issues until the fall of 2011. Then, something just felt “off.”
Fast forward to today and my gut issues have taken over my life. One physician noted IBS when I explained my symptoms and she couldn’t find anything amiss in my lab results. That was July 2012. Ever since then, when I go for a swim, bike or run, I get this bloated, sloshing, nauseous sensation in my gut. I notice it when I get off the bike to immediately go for a run. I have a lot of gas (without an odor most of the time) and diarrhea sometimes before my run and definitely afterwards. The bloated, nauseous feeling will often last for the rest of the afternoon until I go to bed. I thought it was happening only during my bricks, like when I go for a 1:30 to 2 hr ride (with intervals thrown in after a 45 min warmup), followed by a 45 to 60 minute run (with some intervals thrown in, depends on my training cycle). But, I still get these nauseous, bloated feelings in my gut when I do just a 10 minute bike warmup followed by a 30 minute run at a moderate pace. Thinking it was exercise altogether, I stopped for two weeks just to test things. My gut issues didn’t improve. Tried so many different diets (gluten/wheat/nut free, raw, cooked, etc.) and supplements, but no improvement.
This week, my naturopath received my lab results. Among other things, he noted the presence of parasites called entamoeba histolytica/dispar and entamoeba coli. Trying to determine right now where I could have picked up these bugs. But, due to this new found evidence (my previous labs from other physicians only showed “normal”), it explains other issues on the test where I’m getting malnourished. So instead of me getting nourishment from the food, the bugs are getting it.
Without knowing your history, I would experiment with your food and drink. Then get some lab work where they test your blood, urine and feces. If you do have some underlying issue, the labs should show something. My labs were done on different days (turned in labs on a Friday, then turned in others the following Monday). My naturopath and lab techs said this is done to catch something that may not appear in the first test, but might show in the second one. Although, this mainly applies to the stool samples and the potential presence of parasites. Those critters can hide by burrowing deep into the intestinal walls. Some will even lie dormant for a long time before a person starts having symptoms. The e. histolytica can cause other problems if it gets bad enough. If they break through the intestinal wall, and make their way into the bloodstream, they can negatively affect other organs, like the liver and brain.
Even with these miserable symptoms, I’ve done a few events. Did the 2012 Branson 70.3, and 2013 and 2014 local half marathon, and a local sprint tri last year. Yet, even those events were difficult and were spaced several months apart. I don’t have a training program now because it, and other activities (work and social), keep getting hijacked by my gut issues. I spend more time now riding the porcelain bus than my Specialized Tarmac. 
Let me know how you do because I’m with you that exercise and racing is not fun when you feel so bad physically.
2 GUs before a somewhat high intensity run (like a HM) would give me the stomach grumbles.
Try eating normal food 2 hours before the race, and then a GU 30 minutes in. That should be plenty of calories and in a more easily digestible package.
I’ll go out on a limb and say that about 50% of my hard efforts are limited by my fitness, and the other 50% by my gut. I have had episodes where I would experience exercise-induced diarrhea for up to 24 hours after a workout (TMI maybe…).
Factors that seem to influence onset for me are high humidity, not “going” before a workout, type of workout (never had any issues with biking/swimming - just running), and length of workout (if I’m out for a 30-45 min run no prob, but as I start pushing an hour+ in high humidity it can start getting bad).
I agree with others to avoid the 2 gels right before a race and try it on a more empty stomach. Google “runners stomach” or “runners gut” to get some good tips.
I’ll go out on a limb and say that about 50% of my hard efforts are limited by my fitness, and the other 50% by my gut. I have had episodes where I would experience exercise-induced diarrhea for up to 24 hours after a workout (TMI maybe…).
This. I’ve had to stop at a porta-potty 3 times during my last HM. If anything though, it’s good motivation to run faster. It’s better to be the 10th guy in there, than the 300th!
Thanks for all the responses – appreciate it. I hope it maybe helps someone else with similar problems.