You can find supplements for just about anything if you look hard enough. Not all of them though live up to their marketing hype. One area of interest is in helping athletes avoid stomach and other GI (gastrointestinal) issues. For individuals who push their bodies to the extreme, it puts a lot of strain on the body. This includes straining the gut and can cause some unwanted side effects. Typically, this can result in some hurried trips to the bathroom, nausea and burping. None of which are very pleasant experiences. As a result, some supplements have started to claim the ability to help those symptoms. Sadly, many of them aren’t quite all that they claim to be.
Supplements that may be helpful
Anytime that the gut is involved probiotics tend to make an appearance. In this situation they are a welcome addition though. With so many different types of probiotics it’s important to make sure you are taking the right ones. There is a lot to still be learned but the most beneficial strains are likely to be Biffidobacterium- and Lactobacillus-based species.
Glutamine is another supplement that in theory could help. Studied individually glutamine is involved with helping keep the gut lining tightly bound. This prevents any inflammatory items from getting into the body. While in theory this is great, be careful if trying it out. It is about a 50-50 chance that it could actually cause some negative GI effects on its own. Ginger is another supplement that can have some benefits. It is generally used to help reduce and relieve feelings of nausea. This is why most cruises will have ginger candies on board! Be careful with this as well though as sometimes the flavor doesn’t sit well and can also cause issues.
Supplements that could wreck your gut
It may come as a surprise but carbohydrates is a common one. Carbs are beneficial as a quick source of energy but it needs to be with the proper types and amounts. Too much carbohydrate can upset the stomach due to flooding the system with more than the gut can absorb. Consuming a mixture of different carbs that provides both glucose and fructose can help. Those two use two different transports to be absorb and ease the burden on the stomach. This is a great example again of why more isn’t always better for certain things.
Caffeine is one of the most studied and proven performance enhancers out there. Too much though can have a negative effect (notice a trend). Just like too much coffee itself can cause you to have to go to the bathroom, too much caffeine via other means as well can have a similar effect. Try limiting yourself to ~2 cups of coffee to avoid overdoing it while still getting the caffeine benefits. Sodium bicarbonate has also been shown to be beneficial with helping high intensity activities and muscular endurance. The reason many don’t use it though is because it can be easy to take too much and if that happens, you’re in for a rough ride. A very small amount is all that is needed to get the benefits so when scooping it be very careful. GI issues (most commonly diarrhea) can occur within about just an hour give or take.
Remember safety first
Like with all supplements you want to be very cautious with where you are getting them and the brands that you are selecting. Especially if you are an athlete getting drug tested! The two main logos to look for on a product to show it’s been tested are NSF Certified and Informed Choice Sport. While this doesn’t 100% guarantee anything it certainly helps provide a safety net.
Key takeaways
It goes back to rule number one, no new foods/supplements on game days! All of the items listed here do have benefits when used in the proper manner. It’s important to test things out during practice to ensure you know how to properly use them. There is also a lot of individualization with everything regarding how someone responds to it. What works great for one person could send another running to the bathroom. So make sure you are testing this in practice first to avoid any unwanted surprises during the game.
If looking to help provide a little extra protection for your gut though, probiotics as of now seem to be the way to go. As mentioned earlier the strains you will want to look for are Biffidobacterium- and Lactobacillus-based species. While there is lots of research needed to be done across the board, those seem to have the most promise.
Study referenced: click here