The ordeal of Jan Reitner* (name changed) begins in 2003, in the middle of the Alps. At the Pfitscherjoch, his stomach rebels so much that he has to let his group go. He spends the day in the toilet. The next day, the same game. Reitner believes he has caught a virus. "I thought there was something in the Kaiserschmarrn I had eaten. But somehow the problem never really got better - at least not on long tours." It wasn't until twelve years later that the 45-year-old discovered the cause of the problem. "I always had problems on long rides ... so much so that I only rode my routes alone so that I could quickly disappear behind a bush. I could kiss my dream of the Transalp goodbye."
It took a lot of research and discussions with experts to crystallise Reitner's problem: his drinks and gels. "All my drinks and gels contained either dextrose or fructose. These substances don't bother me much in everyday life, but if I take more of them, I spend the rest of the day on the toilet." Stomach twinges, flatulence, diarrhoea - sports drinks and the like can cause all of this. The reason: the concentrated form of certain substances and intolerances. BIKE shows you how to filter out the substances that may cause problems. There are three things to bear in mind: Incompatibilities, overdoses and poor adaptation to the products.
Hidden problems can occur with these foods:
Before you grope in the dark: These three ingredients are among the most common causes of complaints. The following usually applies: The quantity makes the poison.
Fructose: If the intake is too high, there is a risk of osmotic diarrhoea. Isolated fructose can be uncontrollably converted to glucose in the liver, causing insulin fluctuations even under stress.
Lactose: With lactose intolerance, the consumption of foods containing lactose leads to symptoms such as abdominal pain, flatulence or diarrhoea. Around one in five adults (Germany) has a poor tolerance to lactose. Therefore, if you have problems, pay attention to casein and other milk components.
GlutenThe wheat gluten protein can cause irritation of the intestinal mucosa. If you have problems with this, you should always make sure that a product is labelled gluten-free. Why: Wheat is often used as a raw material for maltodextrin or glucose, for example.
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"Detective work" - Interview with Philipp Rauscher, nutritionist
Everyone knows the saying that you should test products before long sessions and a race. Do you really find out anything?
Yes, definitely. The first thing you notice is whether you can tolerate something. It is important that you actually take the quantities you are aiming for in the race. Only with these real quantities can you see whether your stomach can really cope.
What happens when the stomach causes stress?
Then the detective work begins: if you have an intolerance, you should search the powders, gels or similar for their ingredients. For example, if you have a lactose intolerance, look for milk proteins.
If you don't have an intolerance, are there still many bikers who have problems?
This is true and usually has to do with the pure amount of intake. One example: If you consume large amounts of dextrose, you may experience problems, as dextrose binds a relatively large amount of water in the intestine. Fructose - if consumed in large quantities - can also lead to difficulties. It is also possible that the gastrointestinal tract is simply overwhelmed. However, this can be trained - the products should be used frequently and in good doses during training.
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Florentin Vesenbeckh
Editor CvD
