cycling causing digestive problems?

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some of you may have seen my post regarding gels making my puke. after throwing up on more than 50% of my rides (highly abnormal for me) i went to see the doc. aparently my acid reflux has been acting up causing the throwing up while cycling. the doctor referred me to a specialist whe sat down with me and analyzed my food and lifestyle. he said that between my age, fitness level, and diet, i shouldn't need to be on medicine like i am. (40 mg omeprozole daily). what he said next really surprised me though. i was the third cyclist this year with the same problems: nausea, vomiting, heartburn, etc. and that i may never get over the acid reflux, and my be on acid reducers for the rest of my life. he did some checking and said that stomach problems are normal for cyclists, and he honestly didn't know why.
has anyone else had any digestive problems due to cycling?

Here's a reference for you to read with an alternative opinion,

http://www.westonaprice.org/askdoctor/gerd.html

Regards, Anthony

I have also been getting reflux for many years (usually gets aggravated during times of stress or if i eat certain foods) and i find that if i eat a meal (like breakfast) before or within an hour or two after my ride then i will either throw it up, have terrible stomach cramps for the rest of the day or have terrible reflux for the rest of the day.
for this reason, i wont eat anything but a banana or half a protein/carb bar before my ride and only have coffee/tea afterwards. i also make sure that if i am going to go for a ride later in the day then i dont ride until at least 2 hours have passed since my last meal. i used to take proton pump inhibitors but found that a change in my diet helped much better than the medication.

i think alot of cyclists get digestive problems... could it be something to do with the pressure placed on a relatively still/unmoving digestive tract when your legs are constantly pumping away?

One thing to be aware of, caffeine aggravates reflux, so avoid drinks containing caffeine especially before and during your ride.

The problem with cycling - if you are prone to reflux - is that your stomach gets compressed when you are bent over riding in the drops, causing the contents to reflux. So you might also want to look at your position and spend more time in a more upright posture.

One thing to be aware of, caffeine aggravates reflux, so avoid drinks containing caffeine especially before and during your ride.

The problem with cycling - if you are prone to reflux - is that your stomach gets compressed when you are bent over riding in the drops, causing the contents to reflux. So you might also want to look at your position and spend more time in a more upright posture.
ive tried different positions and haven't noticed a difference. right now i have to stop for around 10 min if im going to eat, or ride with no hands (not always convenient or safe) going back for an endoscopy after the first of the year. im going to have to cut out the coffee during the rides (that's one of my favorite parts though) and see how that helps.

interesting.. I had the same problem last monday in the first half hour of my ride. It was a 1.5km uphill climb to start. half hour prior I remember having cereal, milk, I may have had coffee but I have had coffee before other rides and no problems. I felt heartburn and acid and felt like hurling after a about 20minutes. I slowed the pace and drank some water, and sucked down a gelpack. I think my body needed energy but tried hard to digest food to feed my muscles resulting in extra acid and naseau. I was doing alot of physical labor the day before so I was probably dehydrated and depleted of energy stores.

A number of things I know that would cause this in me is - riding too soon after I eat breakfast. Milk-lactose, Dehydration, having an empty stomach, having too full a stomach, Lumpy hard grain type foods that are hard to digest.
I'm usually good on ride, if before hand I am well hydrated, carb loaded night before or 4 to 6 hours before. I usually start drinking and feeding before I get thirsty or hungry. every half hour or so. I prefer not to eat a full meal with two hours or so of starting a ride. Small meals during a ride I find okay.
But I make it a point to not have any caffiene in any of my gels that I use. Some gels do have caffiene so maybe its worthwhile checking the ones you use.

Just some random thoughts, I hope this can help you narrow it down some more.

interesting.. I had the same problem last monday in the first half hour of my ride. It was a 1.5km uphill climb to start. half hour prior I remember having cereal, milk, I may have had coffee but I have had coffee before other rides and no problems. I felt heartburn and acid and felt like hurling after a about 20minutes. I slowed the pace and drank some water, and sucked down a gelpack. I think my body needed energy but tried hard to digest food to feed my muscles resulting in extra acid and naseau. I was doing alot of physical labor the day before so I was probably dehydrated and depleted of energy stores.

A number of things I know that would cause this in me is - riding too soon after I eat breakfast. Milk-lactose, Dehydration, having an empty stomach, having too full a stomach, Lumpy hard grain type foods that are hard to digest.
I'm usually good on ride, if before hand I am well hydrated, carb loaded night before or 4 to 6 hours before. I usually start drinking and feeding before I get thirsty or hungry. every half hour or so. I prefer not to eat a full meal with two hours or so of starting a ride. Small meals during a ride I find okay.
But I make it a point to not have any caffiene in any of my gels that I use. Some gels do have caffiene so maybe its worthwhile checking the ones you use.

Just some random thoughts, I hope this can help you narrow it down some more.
well, ive had to go full on the meds, but you wouldn't believe the difference it has made in my life. im taking 20mg of prilosec twice a day. i never knew what it felt like to live without heartburn or an upset stomach until i started the double dose and stopped all lactose. it had become such a normal feeling to have upset stomach/diarreah and hb that i didn't even notice it. i still have to be careful about riding in the drops too long, but have made some adjustments that keep me slightly more upright (though less aero). my digestive dr guy (forget what its called) said that coffee is fine, but to limit it to 2 cups a day. that is doable.

I have had some pretty awful experiences with stomach cramps/reflux in the past few months. I've noticed that for me it only comes with cold weather and the acompanying runny nose http://cyclingforums.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif. Seriously though, I think it results from pre-ride nutrition intake. For example, if I have caffeine, or a high-protein snack... I get an upset stomach. Seems to really only become a problem if I'm sprinting or doing intervals though... My $.02.