I have this issue where after intense workouts, like threshold/vo2, I have zero appetite. In fact I actually feel quite bloated and full, as if I just ate a big meal. Obviously this is not ideal since I really need to eat something to refuel and recover. But after these workouts, the thought of eating is so off-putting.
I usually do these rides starting at 5 PM and my last meal was lunch at noon followed by a few light snacks throughout the day. During a 2 hour ride I’ll typically consume 1.5 L of fluid with a total of ~120 grams of carbs (gatorade + malto).
If I do the same eating/drinking routine but do a 2 hour endurance ride with no intervals, I’m not exactly hungry, but I can eat a meal without issue.
This is a problem I’ve encountered for years so it’s not related to any changes I’ve made recently.
Anyone experience something similar or have anything I can try to mitigate this full, bloated feeling after intervals?
Not desperately wanting to eat after a hard session I think is quite common, but don’t fall into the same trap as me, thinking it was very common. It was actually a bowel cancer starting to manifest, thankfully that’s all sorted now and occasionally after a very hard session I won’t be desperate to eat but not after every session as it was before. A simple blood test (for blood iron) will identify if there is anything untoward or not (most likely not).
Gatorade tears up my stomach, same with powerade. You might try just malto dextrin and fructose without any flavor, and add say 500mg sodium per bottle.