Training and treating IBS

HI, I would like to hear if anybody has been able to continue to fuel workouts in a Low FODMAP diet which is typically what is suggested by doctors with patients with IBS

I was diagnosed with IBS. they diet prescribed is very limited. Trying to figure out why to fuel correctly my workouts

There’s another thread where we were discussing this. Low FODMAP diets need to be followed very strictly ie it’s not a total FODMAP exclusion after the first couple of weeks. Everyone reacts differently.

Good luck though as constipation is painful and the constant fear of filling your shorts is grim.

I don’t know anything about your diet but I cured my IBS buy going vegetarian, I switched about 12 months ago and apart from losing 15kg I’ve never felt better and my IBS has almost completely cured itself. I want to make a full switch to plant based just need to find a milk substitute for breakfast and coffee along with cutting oil out.

I am actually VEGAN. Over the last 6-8 months slowly became one. it wasn’t overnight . so all I eat is plant based foods, like vegetables, grains, etc

Diets are often very individualistic. In general a low fodmap diet is good for my Crohn’s disease when I am having problems. There are still low formal foods that are trigger foods for me. I can only say diet is still a challenge and it is a lot of trial and error. 40 years of assessing trigger foods.

My basic diet is to eat less processed foods as much as possible and limit sugar. For me eating enough protein was critical to helping me handle extra work from harder cycling. Most of my trigger foods are vegetables.

Experiment. It can often just be the quantity that is the issue.

I

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Hi. Maybe take what I say with a grain of salt, but I was diagnosed 16 years ago with ulcerative colitis. Doctors told me (it still tell patients) that it was not curable and gave me 10 cortisone pills a day to take & told me to eat whatever I wanted, minus raw veggies. Fast forward 16 years: I’m 36, take no pills, and fully cured. I cut out all dairy, processed sugar, and limit my red meat, chicken and gluten intake. Morning consists of only water & fruit. And most of my meals are salads, wild rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa, …

And I’m not any less strong on the bike. Although I don’t have any numbers to brag about I have an FTP of roughly 280 and weight 62kg.

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Treatment of UC had changed considerably in the past 16 years.

Also although the symptoms are very similar IBD and IBS are very different.

what do you guys use to fuel long rides? are you finding Gels OK with IBS?

Maple syrup, dates

Highly suggest nature’s bakery gluten free fig bars for long rides and topping off glycogen stores hour plus before a race/workout … I’ve learned to tolerate green apple hammer gels for the couple races I do a year

Someone needs to make an IBD/IBS official thread for training, nutrition, etc…

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I find SIS isotonic gels work ok on my gut. Also trying out Velforte bars and so far, so good. I don’t get on with any energy drink mix I’ve tried. Like all things I suspect this comes down to individual tolerance.

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Bringing this up again after seeing it in conjunction with the other thread. Sis are completely fine for me, as is generally Maltodextrin, it seems. Mixing it with fructose, i.e., trying to make the home made beat fuel, was an incredibly bad idea! :frowning:

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The Veloforte didn’t seem to cause me issues despite having lots of dried fruit. Expensive but tasty.

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Are they the fig based ones?

None caused me issues. I tried a sample pack including fig and apricot. So far so good. And I have really sensitive bowels after cancer surgery.

So this is bizarre, perhaps I need to dig out my old chemistry books. Is this the same then if you opt for say a bag of figs or apricots as a ride snack?

Thing about bowel disorders is that individuals react differently to different things. So experimentation is definitely necessary.

Almond milk (go with the unsweetened) or coconut milk both work great as milk substitutes for coffee.

For cereal, go with unsweetened almond milk.

I do the above

Have you tried Larabars? These are made out of real food, without very few ingredients.

For example for their Banana Chocolate Chip bar, the only ingredients are:

  • Dates
  • Almonds
  • Unsweetened Bananas
  • Semisweet Chocolate Chips
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In Europe the equivalent are raw bars, which are nice and I don’t have issues with. I do try to get Lara bars when over in the US. However they are easy to make, so I tend to do that. On a ride today I just had a few peanuts and it was a relief for my gut to not get inflamed any further! :frowning:

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