"Stomach Bloat" during Century rides

Mike Jacobs

Hmmm... I don't feel that I'm eating too much but feel very "full" to the point where I can't imagine eating or drinking anything at all from about mile 60 or so. I also crave water at that point, not sports drinks, but am feeling even fuller.

What could be going on? I need the fuel!

I think I've read that sugar slows the stomach from emptying. Is this what may be happening to me, and if so then are sugary sports drinks/bars/gels to blame? I am finding that the gels don't work for me after the first one.

Bro Deal

Are you using an energy drink that contains fructose? Some people don't handle that well. In my experience it takes a rather high sugar concentration to make an energy drink sit in my stomach. Ultrafuel will do that to me, but it's 400 Calories for 18 oz. and even that gets absorbed in about twenty minutes. Everyone is a little differest, though. You might try diluting your sports drink and see how you handle that.

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Mike Jacobs

Thanks, that helps. I started with Gatorade, which I think recalling is fructose but then switched to Accelerade, with 20g of Sucrose and 5g of protien. I began to dilute the Accelerade after I began to feel the fullness but by then too late - nothing was moving.

I have never done well with gels. The first gives me a little hit, the second *might* and then after that nothing. I have always used a few on long (3+ hour rides so can't say that they are the problem.

I'm going to do a 4 hour ride in 2 weeks and I'll try no gel, diluted Accelerade and water with Clif bars. How does that sound?

I'm getting ready for the MS150 at the end of April, so don't want to do a lot of long rides between now and then.