I having been having awful gas (belching) and bloating issues and fatigue only after my rides. It started a few weeks ago I am doing liquid carbs both granulated and malto:fructo and same reaction. I was not really trying to dial in fueling before this, just used clifboks or gummy bears and was taking in way less carbs. I know too many carbs too fast makes it flare up but I don’t know exactly what triggers it (tried different ratios and less carbs same thing). I tried drinking less water (didnt help) but haven’t tried drinking more. I wait at least 75 minutes after eating small meal oatmeal and raisins or toast. Sorry I don’t have more info to give but I was wondering if anyone had anyone had any suggestions or approaches for this issue? Could swallowing air from water bottles cause this? I have been trying to follow Dr Harrisons advice and have the book (thanks for all work) but I seem to missing something.
What happens if you eat your during ride carbs, and only drink water / electrolytes (just electrolyte, no carbs)? Does the gas / bloating / belching still happen?
I usually take 2 tums after a big ride. Over 4hrs with the efforts sometimes makes me feel a bit like that. Try them right after you get off the bike. They seem to nix it for me
I only did clifbloks and gummies before so I don’t know if that quantifies as eating :). Had no issues with those but was taking in way less carbs with those. May go back to that and see.
I did actually take an antacid after as well and it did really help!
I would look at the sucrose / fructose ratio of the cliff blocks and gummies vs. the bottle mixture, and see what happens if you match from the bottle mixture to the cliff blocks.
Also, how much are you trying to increase you carb/hour with drinking the carbs vs. eating them? A too big increase could also be upsetting your GI tract.
Me to… for example yesterday I had 3hr ride with two big bottles with 75g carbs (homemade malto and fructose in 2:1 ratio) and two sis gels. I did 6x10min at SS and a few hours after the ride i was bloated and had really smelly farts… and this is not the first time…
Maybe I tool too much carbs or maybe jusy fructose…
My wife would appreciate any suggestions here 
For me it would be:
- Too much fructose (or rather lack of tolerance, it needs time)
- Too little water in relation to carbs (I mix all my carbs in one bottle).
- It is highly dependant on a meal before the ride (proximity to a ride and a composition - animal protein, fried or a lot vegetables)
I’m a plant based so 2hrs before the ride tofu sendwich and right after the ride 30g plant based protein. (Khm… maybe it’s the proteinn because yesterday I took one was opened for a long time and not one that I usually have)
This is 100% a guess, but have you tried cutting out the meal before the ride just to see if that’s it? You said you eat 75 mins before, but everything usually says 2-3 hours is the recommendation.
This sounds very much like you’re ingesting too many carbs or the wrong mix (malto/fructose) for what your stomach can tolerate.
You havent’ said what mix of malto/fructose you are doing, or absolute quantity of carbs you are ingesting.
If you’re pushing 90g+/hr try dialing back the overall amount of carbs you are ingesting per hour and see if this addresses it. And post your mix ratio so that we can see what you are actually doing and not overloading one or the other.
If you’re not using a kitchen scale when mixing these, get one. eyeballing with these mixes never goes well.
Tried this morning and seemed to help.
See a doctor @getbent and get them to do a simple blood test. Its 99.9% certain to come back negative but get it done. I had bloating after a ride which I ignored for a long time and self medicated, turns out that it was serious. A simple blood test would have caught it earlier and it wouldn’t have become serious.
I was doing 50-60 first hour then 60-80 for 2nd hour and above. I would do granulated or 1 to 0.6 m/f varying ratios usually less on the fructo. Today I did a 3 hr endurance ride fasted and fueling looked like.
start half clifblk (3 squares)
1hr other half clifblk
130 half clif
2hr half clif
215 half clif
230 gu gel
32 oz of water
No gas or bloating so guess this worked! Any thoughts? Is this too little water?
Since I have been upping my water intake (around 32 oz an hour up from 16 or less sometimes) and riding fasted I have been having no issues. I feel the increase in water has been the real factor in eliminating the gas and bloating issues. Hope this helps anyone who is having these issues
Can you add what the problem was? I am belching a lot sometimes since I have (suspected) lactose intolerance together with sometimes a ‘too much cramped’ digraph muscle.
It was a cancerous growth in the bowel as it grew it caused more more bloating and heartburn etc. In my late 30s then, being fit/slim and at the time no history in the family it was the last thing I was expecting. If I hadn’t been complacent and it had been identified earlier it might have been scraped out by the colonoscopy without any need for surgery. Thankfully I made a full recovery but I would urge anyone with stomach problems to get a simple blood test. Mine identified a catastrophic deficiency of Iron in my blood which led to further investigations which found the growth.
Thanks, I will get my blood re-tested to check again. The issues do seem to correlate with stress and Lactose, but can’t be too sure with these kind of things. Thanks.
Could be sweeteners. The sugar alcohol (erythritol) in Ben & Jerry’s non dairy ice cream gives me gas.
oatmeal does that to me