Elite athletes increasingly seek to optimize every factor affecting performance, regardless of discipline—for example by adopting new training and recovery techniques, using new equipment such as bicycles, shoes, rackets and technical clothing, and changing their nutritional strategies. Whether it involves a dietary change or a new nutrition strategy, everything in sport must be trained and planned, in this case with the support of a qualified sports dietitian. Here we examine how training the digestive system can improve performance.
This post presents a new nutrition strategy that is beginning to be used in sport, particularly endurance disciplines requiring high carbohydrate intakes: digestive-system training.
DETAILED GUIDE TO DIGESTIVE-SYSTEM TRAINING
First, you can download a detailed guide that we created with Rubén Cuenca Arce using the following link:
YOUTUBE VIDEOS ABOUT DIGESTIVE-SYSTEM TRAINING
If you prefer a quicker overview, we have created a video series, also in collaboration with Rubén Cuenca Arce, a sports dietitian who works with high-performance athletes. The videos are available on Crown Sport Nutrition's YouTube channel and provide a general introduction to what digestive-system training is, how it can help and how to carry it out.
These resources explain the latest methods used by some sports dietitians to help athletes consume and absorb large amounts of carbohydrate—more than 90 g of carbohydrate per hour. These videos are the first in a series that will explore the method in greater detail with Rubén over the coming months.
What is digestive-system training?
As the name indicates, this is a form of training and must therefore be performed over time. In this case, the objective is to train the entire digestive system, both the upper and lower sections. The upper section refers mainly to the stomach, while the lower section refers to the intestine. The duration of this training period varies between individuals.
How can digestive-system training help?
Its main benefit is improving the ability to consume more food during training and competition. In prolonged endurance sports, that means consuming large amounts of carbohydrate. The goal is not simply to “eat more,” but to absorb and use those carbohydrates to improve performance.
Why is digestive-system training necessary?
To absorb high carbohydrate intakes—more than 90 g per hour, as noted above—we must consume larger amounts of fructose. This is not initially easy for the digestive system because baseline tolerance is limited. Among other adaptations, digestive-system training increases tolerance and absorption of fructose amounts above what would normally be considered standard (30 g/h).
How can digestive-system training be carried out?
This training comprises between 4 and 6 phases, depending on each athlete's starting level, including whether they already consume carbohydrates during training. The length of every phase is also individualized, but each phase may generally last around 2 weeks when the athlete completes approximately 3 specific digestive-system sessions per week during the early phases and 2 sessions per week during the final phases. The video above explains each phase.
Possible discomfort or side effects of digestive-system training
Like any new training method, it can cause discomfort or side effects, especially if it is not implemented correctly under the supervision of a sports dietitian. Because two sections of the digestive system are trained, two main types of discomfort may occur:
- Stomach: primarily heaviness or bloating. Mild reflux or nausea may also occur in some cases.
- Intestine: bloating, gas, changes in bowel movements and, occasionally, diarrhea.
This first resource on digestive-system training is accompanied by 2 others: an introduction to carbohydrates and an example comparing the classic approach with digestive-system training for the Treparriscos race.
OTHER RELATED VIDEOS:
This video explains in simple terms what carbohydrates are and which foods contain them.
This video outlines 2 nutrition strategies for a race such as the Treparriscos, the shorter version of the Quebrantahuesos: a classic strategy for intermediate athletes and a modern or advanced strategy for high- or very-high-level athletes.
At Crown Sport Nutrition, we always seek to meet athletes' needs while remaining at the forefront of scientific progress. Alongside our classic range with moderate fructose content, we are developing a high-carbohydrate Hyper range (1:0,8), designed for high-performance athletes and anyone who wants to progress. It provides practical nutrition tools for consuming large amounts of carbohydrate in the ideal ratio by simply combining our drinks (HyperDrink 45 and HyperDrink 90), gels (HyperGel 30 Hydro and HyperGel 45) and bars (HyperBar 45).
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HYPER ENERGY TESTER PACK
ENDURANCE TESTER PACK 3.0
HYPERDRINK 90
HYPERGEL 45
HYPERBAR 45
HYPERGEL 30
Energy gel with 30 g of carbohydrates in a 1:0,8 maltodextrin-to-fructose ratio and added sodium (110 mg), with a neutral flavor.
