No change, no progress - my new website!

No change, no progress! Same holds true for my coaching. So from now on, all my blogs will be posted on my new website www.in-training.se . You can find all old blogs here, too. Have a look and tell me what you think!

Hope to see you at my new site :)
Hanneke

Work hard, play hard

As athletes, we are a bit like a children. Happy when the sun shines and you can go play outside. Sulky on a rainy day.

Summer days, time to play outside

For the last few weeks, I have been more like a toddler in its Terrible Two period. No to everything I should do but don't want to. What is lacking is me lying on the floor of the supermarket screaming for candy even though it's only Thursday. The only reason that hasn't happened is the timely realisation that I am the proud owner of a bank card. So, no, I don't want to train. No, I don't want to eat vegetables. No, I don't want to go to bed early - or get up early. No, I don't want to do my prehab exercises. No, I especially don't want to go swimming at 7 AM. No, I don't want to follow my schedule - or any schedule at all. No, I don't want to...

Children need vacation. My summer break is in October and November. Last race done and dusted means no homework and no curfew, no prehab exercises and no strict training schedule, at least for a few weeks. This is the (my) assigned period for being recalcitrant. A dedicated time period to be undedicated, if such can exist.

'Bike? What bike'

It's not as if I don't go out and exercise. I love training so I wouldn't be a very smart Terrible Two toddler if I would be denying myself that. Key is to pick the cherries on the cake. I will go out for a morning run but won't go to the swimming pool. Go to the spinning class but really only to have fun with my training buddies. Won't go if it's raining, I'm tired or my favourite TV show is on...

But slowly, slowly the time has come to get off the floor of the supermarket and go home, pack my training bag and go to the gym. Not that I will leave that two year old in me behind. She can peacefully co-exist with the slightly more mature side of me, eager to learn and if necessary, listen to a teacher. I'm sure she will be poking around for some  new adventures and places to play next season. Good thing there is not much rain in South Africa's summer.

(Photo courtesy Eric Wictor and Cape Epic photographers)

'A few truths about diet and training on an empty stomach'

Last week, I wrote a blog for Running Sweden about training on an empty stomach. Does it work, how does it work and what's it good for? What, if any, performance improvements can you expect? Read the full text here:

http://www.runningsweden.se/a-few-truths-about-diet-and-training-on-an-empty-stomach/

The female athlete triad – also an interesting read for guys

I have one more race and then I call it quits for the season. My motivation is low and my body has been complaining, nagging me with small pains, poor sleep and stiff muscles. 

So I will be writing a few blogs about the end of season and recovery. To kick off properly, I’d like to give an example of what can happen if you don’t give your body enough rest and nutrition. It’s a cluster of symptoms called the Female Athlete Triad and is, indeed, seen most often in women. Nevertheless, men can suffer from a similar condition, so I strongly encourage you guys to read on.

Female Athlete Triad – what is it?

The Triad is a cluster of 3 symptoms that are seen particularly in young female athletes: disordered eating, amenorrhoea (loss of periods) and osteoporosis (loss of bone mass). Its prevalence seems to be higher in sports emphasizing leanness and physique, and where body weight is important for performance (running, cycling, swimming, XC skiing etc). Together these symptoms can obviously pose a serious threat to health.

 

This condition is considered to start with disordered eating. Poor nutrition then triggers the other two symptoms. ‘Disordered’ doesn’t necessarily imply an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa or bulimia, but merely that energy intake and expenditure don’t match. This might be unwilling, when the athlete is eating too little without knowing, or, more seriously, the low energy intake is the result of a diet to lose weight. Since both voluntary and involuntary energy restriction can lead to the other two components of the triad (amenorrhoea and osteoporosis) it is important to realise that someone doesn’t necessarily have an eating disorder to have the other two symptoms. One can think of women on vegetarian or vegan diets, or people who have a bowel disease, food intolerance (lactose, gluten) or food allergy, all conditions that might complicate adequate intake of essential nutrients.

Leanness is considered important for performance in weight bearing sports such as running.

The disordered eating can lead to a fertility problem, reflected in the absence of menstruation for 3 consecutive periods, also called amenorrhoea. Low body mass and/or low energy intake is a signal to the body to go into an energy conserving mode, which, not surprisingly, does not include being able to conceive and grow another little human. Thus, fertility is reduced. Problem is, birth control measures like the pill can mask this symptom very easily. Osteoporosis is the loss of bone mass from the body. Up to the age of about 30, bone mass should be build and bones get stronger and stronger. But, when intake of nutrients essential to bone mass, like protein, calcium and vitamin D, is too low, bone mass will actually decline. Also, the change in hormone levels that accompany menstrual problems compromises bone mass increases. Stress fractures as well as ‘real’ fractures are often a warning sign of low bone mass. Sure, you break a collar bone in a failed attempt to avoid your neighbour’s dog on your bike, but frequent stress fractures and other recurring injuries should get you worried over your bone density.

A stress fracture in the hip bone, surgery was needed. Source: femaleathletetriad.org

While (voluntary) disordered eating can and should be treated with psychotherapy, the loss of fertility and bone mass might not be as reversible, thus potentially leaving huge consequences for the rest of one’s life.

A myth?

Science wouldn’t be science without a controversy. The definition of the Triad as stated by the American College of Sports Medicine is rather broad, meaning that many female athletes (>60%) might fall into this category. And what if an athlete, for example, has disordered eating and no periods, but her bone mass is not (yet) in the danger zone? Studies investigating the prevalence of the syndrome are also ambiguous. The symptoms of the Triad are, after all, also seen in non-active women –and perhaps even as often as in athletes. All in all, some scientists fear that focussing on the negative effects of sports casts a shadow over the positive effects, and might scare women away from activity. In a society where overweight and obesity rates are sky high, this might not be the right direction to take.

The female triad in men

Okay, guys don’t have periods. But they do have sex hormones. And these levels can be disturbed, just as in women, and with similar consequences for fertility and bone health. And, not to mention, adaptations to exercise such as muscle growth, protein synthesis and production of red blood cells. Indeed, male endurance athletes often have lower testosterone values. Problem is that not much research has been done on the prevalence and consequences of disordered eating (or downright eating disorders) in men so it’s hard to say whether disordered eating is a part of this.

Take home message? It’s worth remembering that too much of a good thing might not be...good. Don't restrict your energy just because it makes you a little faster. Ask for a bone scan if you think you are at risk (have had stress fractures, have bowel disease etc). And, dare to talk to a fellow athlete (or his/her coach) if you think someone is at risk. But don’t use this syndrome as an excuse to open another bag of chips.

Interested in reading more? Click on the text for a link.
- www.femaleathletetriad.org

- Andrological aspects of physical exercise and sport medicine.

- American College of Sports Medicine position stand. The female athlete triad.

 

Source: femaleathletetriad.org

Places to run

One of the great things about running, is that you can do it anywhere. So I always throw a pair of running shoes in my travel bag. Whether travels are for vacation or for work. It's a nice way to get to know the city you are in, and, in case of travel for work, it's an excellent way of getting some fresh air in between boring meetings.

For those of you wondering why it's been so quiet on the blog, I have been travelling. And thus, running. Last week I was in Nova Scotia, Canada. The day after I arrived, I went out on a run. I had just recovered from a nasty cold and after 4 days of full rest, it was great to be out and running again. Especially if you consider Nova Scotia's beautiful environment. Snif fresh air and feel strong again. Whilst running, I realised I have run in quite a few places and wondered what my top 5 would be...

So here it is. What's yours?

1. Nepal (Himalaya region)

OK, major cheating here, because strictly speaking I didn't run here, but walked. We were at an altitude of at least 3500m and my body didn't cope with more than a brisk walk. But anyway, it felt as if I was running. Or perhaps it was because of the breathtaking views. Wanna go and run? Nepal has an ultra trail run http://annapurna100.com/

2. Nova Scotia, Canada

As said, what a beautiful place. The same Ice Age appearance as Sweden with loads of rocks, water and pine trees. Every second you expect to see the acorn obsessed squirrel from the Ice Age movie. I saw a few squirrels but they weren't carrying acorns. Very quiet and lots of unpaved roads to run on.

3. Keystone, Colorado, USA

My first real run at altitude - and in snow. How bad can it be, I thought? Well, pretty bad. I suffered throughout the whole 90 mins 'easy run' but the views and runner's high were worth every second of it. I think I slept during the afternoon's conference session, though.

4. Archipelago, Sweden

No place like home. And what better than to spend midsummer with some running buddies? So in between drinking alcohol, playing kubb (forever) and singing songs, we got out in the forest and just ran. We lost the path but who cares, if your on an island it's hard to get lost. Perhaps hangovers from the night before helped in more reckless behaviour?

5. Melbourne, Australia

This was fun because I have never been greeted by so many runners before.  I was still jetlagged (didn't think I would ever get over it, either) so I was running slow for about an hour or so. It struck me how happy people looked. Which was not surprising, given that it was 30C at 10AM (or was it 9PM?), the sun was shining and the ocean was beautiful.

So next time you travel, don't forget to pack your shoes!

1ST PLACE COLOGNE TRIATHLON

And so... I won my other/second A-race of the year. Winning in Sövde was fun, but, since I kind of hit the wall after 10K on the run, I had felt my victory had been more the grace of my fellow competitors than thanks to my own power.

Winning in Cologne, on the other hand, felt really, really good. I had to fight for it and I turned out the strongest. That feeling of having the bike with "1st female" just in front of me, updating me on the distance between me and nr 2 (also a very strong, Australian girl, with whom we spent quite a bit of time chatting after the race). That feeling is just worth all the training efforts, the blood, sweat and tears. Oh well, you fellow athletes know what pain (and happiness) I am talking about.

So what went right? Well, for me to win this kind of event, everything has to just click. To start with, I wasn't as bl**dy nervous as at the Nationals the week before. I also felt strong and recovered. I had taken it easy during the week, with only 2 short interval trainings (5x30sec sprints, 5mins recovery) and 2 easy evening rides. That all made me and my start a lot more relaxed.

The swim was on a regatta track (sort of a sprint track for rowers). There are lanes for each boat, which means the lines of the buoys are visible under the water and it was just to follow that line out - and then back. I found a good pair of feet to draft on (not stinky, not sweaty and reasonably fast). I came up from the water after about 25.50. By far my best time ever.

Then the bike. A decent amount of rain had made the roads slippery so I couldn't make the turns as fast as I would have wanted. But hey, nobody said it was easy...

And then the run. Have I ever run 42 mins on a 10K in a triathlon? In April I had struggled running 41.30 on a flat, easy 10K course... So, no. But now I did. I had recovered from the off-road tri the weekend before, and had not run anything to give my body time to recover. Which it did.

 So, there I was, with 3L (alcohol-free) beer to celebrate :).


Thank you Eric, for support, pictures and finishing the beer. Thanks SPIF for sponsoring and being such a great club to train and race with. Thanks to everyone who follows me, reads this blogs and inspires me to keep testing my limits.

National Championships Off Road Triathlon in pictures

Signing up for the National Championships Off Road Triathlon, I knew I couldn't compete for any title, as I have a Swedish Triathlon Licence. No problem, I thought, it's a nice way of getting to know the level of competition in this niche of triathlon - which, by the way, seems to be the perfect niche for me, given my background in mountainbiking.

On Friday morning, 2 days before the race, I got an email saying the organisation just realised the rules had been changed for 2013 and, since I have a Dutch passport, I could still compete in the official competition. In my mind it made a big difference. Give me a bib number and a chip and everything changes. Butterflies in my stomach. Me, competitive? Hmwah, maybe a bit...

Well, I got a taste of how it is to compete in a field with former Olympians, XTERRA podium finishers and the like.

Here's my race report. In pictures, because pictures are worth a thousand words...

Serious face... I'm nervous.

 

 

 

 

I struggled the whole 1500m to find the right position in the field.

Out of the water after 27.02 (?) minutes. At this point, I thought it had been much more than that and was irritated (with myself).

Can you see me smiling?! Definitely (back) in my element. The girl behind me wasn't as technical, but faster, so we alternated position for 25K, when I finally got rid of her in a few technical corners.

Just cruisin' :). With an average pace of 20k/h, I am satisfied with my time and performance on this technical course. From a tactical point of view, it would have been better to push hard on the long stretches, keeping me ahead of my competitors with less technical skills. Now I ended up behind them on the technical sections, where it was hard to overtake them (and thus, gain time).

Some of the obstacles we faced...

Run! Vlaardingen (Google!) is at +1 over sea level, mostly flat (and ugly), but the dikes are steep...

Last lap! My only goal was to maintain my position, so I am taking it easy, saving my legs for the triathlon in Cologne. Finishing 8th overall and 5th age group, I am happy with my results but most of all, for the experience of starting in such a high-level race. There is definitely a difference - particularly in mental stress levels. Me, competitive? Mwah, maybe a bit...

Photo courtesy Eric Wictor (and, thanks for the support)

Tapering for a race

A big weekend ahead! Kalmar Ironman, Cykelvasan and Midnattsloppet.

So-called tapering, a reduction in the volume and intensity of training, is an essential component in the finale preparations before the race. Why?

Taper induces changes at the cardiovascular (heart and vessels), haematological (blood), metabolic, hormonal, neuromuscular and immunological level. In other words, your
-    VO2max improves
-    Hb (‘iron’) and red blood cell levels increase
-    Glycogen stores increase
-    Peak blood lactate concentration decreases
-    Blood creatine kinase levels, a marker for muscle damage, decrease.
-    Levels of several (stress) hormones improve
-    Muscles contain more metabolic (oxidative) enzymes
-    Muscles can contract harder
-    Mood improves, you sleep better and you feel you can do more with less effort.

So what should the taper look like?

Ideally, you start decreasing volume and intensity 3 weeks prior to the race. Every week you take off 20-30%, ending with max 30% of your normal training volume in the race week.

Most beginner (tri)athletes benefit from lots of rest and only a few easy sessions, while more experienced athletes can be confident enough to include high-intensity work. No long endurance sessions but instead short sessions of 30-60 mins of short (15-90sec) intervals with lots of rests. Decrease total time and number of intervals while race week progresses and take a day of rest between each session. That will give your body time to recover without feeling slow or sluggish.

Så vila hårt nu!

Rest hard!

Why the Dutch bike

One prejudice about the Dutch really is true: we all bike.

But why? Here is an interesting article that accurately explains.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23587916

I’ll grab this opportunity to express some thoughts I have as a Dutchie biking in Stockholm. I know Stockholm City is trying to get more people to bike and I think one can learn ‘how to’ from a nation that has biking in its blood. Where biking, by the way, doesn’t mean doing 40k/h on a 50.000SEK road bike but on a granny bike without any gears…

Funnily enough, health reasons don’t seem to be an argument for ‘us’. We bike because it gets us where we want to be - safe, fast and without traffic jams or parking problems. The separate bike lanes give us our own, safe road to bike on. No one thinks we are strange for biking through heavy, rainy weather - with one kid in his seat at the front of the bike, one at the back and 2 shopping bags dangling at the steer – because everyone else does it, too. The law protects the biker in case of an accident. As long as you have your lights and reflectors on, you are king of the road :).

Who needs an SUV if you can carry it on your bike.

Stockholm City is trying very hard to make the city biker-friendly. It’s a really good try, and I appreciate the goody bags with chocolate a lot. But honestly, they ('we'?) have some way to go. Better signposting, separate well-maintained bike lanes and most importantly, more awareness among car drivers on the needs of cyclists, would help a great deal. For sure, the latter would come when more car drivers are also cyclists, so really, the solution to everything (yes, everything!) is to get more people on the bike!

Something else: In the Netherlands, employers can offer their employees a so-called ‘bike plan’, meaning one can buy a commuter bike with big (tax) benefits. Raise your hand if you don’t want a bike for free (and while you have it, you might as well use it…).

Of course nothing can be done about the weather, but with good gear even wintery conditions can be tackled on a bike. And with properly ploughed snow, a bike lane can turn into a fast lane, bypassing traffic jams and technical problems with the public transport system. Who’s first at work, now?

But perhaps the biggest change has to come from within, as it did in the Netherlands. Who wants to sit in a traffic jam, while you can be out on the road enjoying the wind in your hair? Who wants to sit in a crowded underground subway system when the sun is shining outside? Who wants to help the environment by reducing ones CO2 emissions? Who wants better health (and a goody bag with chocolate) as a bonus?

But why would you want to have everyone on bikes?

Well, there is the indisputable argument that biking is environmentally friendly - save the polar bears/trees/house sparrow/everything else as you go. For short stretches, it's hardly slower than taking the car. No parking problems and I can't imagine rush hour on a bike. As an athlete, a short bike ride home is the perfect cooling down. And, I personally believe biking makes the world a better place. When on a bike, you can let your mind wander and come to new insights. The exercise wakes you up in the morning and gives you time to wind down from work when biking home. You don't have to honk or blink your lights to get passed someone, a friendly ring with your bell will do. It's not often another biker cuts your way or shouts at you when you are not biking entirely on the right side of the bike lane. Last but not least, fresh air makes you happy. Biking makes you happy. And smiling is contagious, so you can put a smile on someone's face, too. When was the last time you saw someone smile in the subway?

I know it’s not for everyone or all occasions and that is perfectly okay. I mean, going to your wedding by bike might be overdoing it. But for all others, just look at all the advantages (including the goodie bag with chocolate). Bike, even if it’s just to a short stretch, to the shops or your friends. Encourage others and be a biker-friendly car driver. Smile. I would love to see this type of bike parking in Stockholm in the near future…

Photo courtesy BBC articly/Getty Images

PS I should add that Denmark shares the first place of top cycling countries with the Netherlands. So feel free to learn from the Danish, too ;).

Gut feeling

We have not one, but two brains. Look down for the second one. Yes, your gut. An organ system that is both fascinating and annoying at the same time - who doesn't recognise the slowly emerging feeling that the course of your long run will need to include a portable toilet? Or that your stomach refuses to take in one more gel? You're certainly not alone -  in long-distance events, prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) distress is thought to affect 30-50% of participants, and up to 93% of long-distance triathletes.

From top to bottom - the gastrointestinal system.

That second brain, however fascinating, is one of the reasons for the well-known gastrointestinal (GI) problems athletes encounter. This time I'll explain why, what other causes for GI problems exist, and what you can do to prevent that ‘breaking the wind’ no longer means your training buddies are happy to draft off you.

The 'second brain' refers to a special complex of nerves in the lining of the gut, called the enteric nervous system. It is connected with the brain through the autonomous nervous system, the part of our nervous system that we have no conscious control over and that, amongst others, makes sure our inner organs exchange information with our brain.

The gut is not only controlled by the brain, but - and this is so special about the enteric nerve complex - it also controls itself, via reflexes. Signals also travel from the gut up to the brain, telling it how it’s doing. To make matters even more complex, different hormones from the blood can influence the gut – and even the gut itself excretes hormones into the blood, giving other organs a status update. All signals can both be stimulatory (increasing gut activity) or inhibitory (slowing down gut activity).

Yes, it’s complicated. No wonder the gut reacts to emotions. Good when it comes to butterflies before competition (or when in love) – bad when the gut turns ‘angry’.

Nervous control of the gut not only by the brain, but also by the gut itself (blue dots are markers for the enteric nervous system).

So how does that relate to GI problems before, during or after exercise and in particular, races?

Before a race, the mental excitement and anticipation of competition can trigger the whole autonomous nervous system, including the nerves to the gut. An excess of stimulatory signals to the gut can cause 'urgency', cramps or even diarrhea.

During exercise, there are many different factors at play:

Reduced blood flow

The main physiological cause of GI problems is thought to be a reduced blood flow to the gut, also called splanchnic hypoperfusion. Strenuous exercise causes the release of noradrenalin from the gut's nervous system, causing constriction of the gut's blood vessels. This  redistribution of blood flow, away from the digestive organs and to the organs that need oxygen and energy the most (=muscles, heart, brain), decreases blood flow in the intestinal system by 20-50%. As the gut's cells also need blood, oxygen and nutrients, this hypoperfusion can result in gut cells being damaged. With damaged cells, the barrier function of the GI tract is compromised, making it easier for bacteria and other potentially harmful bugs to move from the gut into the bloodstream (this, by the way, might be one of the many explanations for being more sensitive to illness directly following intensive training).

Also, absorption and digestion of nutrients from the gut is more difficult when blood flow is restricted and cells are damaged. It is not hard to imagine that poor absorption and digestion of food can lead to abdominal pain, cramps and diarrhea - though it must be noted that hard evidence and full understanding of the problems is still lacking.

Mechanical trauma

The repetitive high-impact 'jostling' of the gut during running is another physiological cause for GI distress. The bumping movement of running mechanically increases the gut’s contractions, pushing food faster through the gut. In combination with the hypoperfusion I mentioned above, food pushes through the gut fast and without proper absorption or digestion. The mechanical stress can also damage the gut cells, even leading to intestinal bleeding.

There seems to be an effect of posture in itself, too. On the bike complaints are, in contrast to running, often more limited to the upper gastrointestinal tract. This is likely due to the increased pressure on the abdomen.

Upper versus lower abdominal problems. From Oliviera and Jeukendrup, SSE, 2013.

Nutrition

A wrong choice of nutrition can trigger or exacerbate problems. Some are obvious, others aren't.

Food items high in fiber, fat, protein and fructose are known to induce GI problems. So are hypertonic sport drinks. Lactose-containing dairy is another common pitfall, as even mild lactose intolerance can trigger GI irritation and distress. Probiotics, dairy products that contain extra bacteria, might cause bloating and diarrhea, so these are best avoided the days prior to competition. The timing of caffeine intake deserves some special attention too, as one needs to carefully balance its mental effects with its toilet effects. Adequate fluid intake is important, as severe dehydration decreases blood volume and rises core temperature, which hampers nutrient absorption and affects GI motility, respectively. Intolerance to food components, such as lactose, gluten or milk protein, are sure to make you run for the bathroom as well.

Other

A (worrying) number of athletes use pain killers such as NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin) to relieve existing or anticipated pain, which are thought to increase the risk of upper GI complications.

After a race, the damage done to the gut cells might trigger intestinal bleeding. Though not uncommon, it is not unharmful. Amongst others, the damaged cells let bacteria and other harmful components slip into the blood stream easier, and your immune system will have a hard time fighting these off - energy that is better spent on recovery.

Though there is currently limited scientific evidence to support these guidelines, the following might help you run to the finish line rather than the toilet:

- Avoid dairy products and foods high in fiber, protein, lactose and fat 24-48 hours before competition. Dairy products can be exchanged for alternatives such as lactose-free milk, soy-, almond- or rice-milk. Artificial sweeteners can have a laxative effect, too.

- Stay well hydrated. Start the training or race well-hydrated and ensure an adequate intake of fluid during exercise. In a triathlon, make full use of the tummy-friendly bike leg to drink sufficient amounts of sports drinks (never just water) to replenish the fluids lost by sweat and evaporation and load up for the run. Remember that the rapid evaporation of sweat by riding wind (even a mild breeze) might mask fluid loss rates!

- Avoid sport drinks with only fructose as fructose is not as easily absorbed by the gut. The combination of glucose and fructose does not seem to elicit any problems, on the other hand.

- Avoid hypertonic drinks (pre/during/post exercise). Here, it is about finding the right balance between energy supply, liquid intake and osmolarity. A low concentrated sport drink has low osmolality and is less likely to trigger GI distress, but also has low energy and sodium content. (For those who wish to refresh their memory from biology and physics class ages ago - osmolarity is a measure for the number of particles in liquid. (Over)simplified, it’s a measure of how concentrated the sports drink is. A sports drink that is hypertonic means its osmolarity is higher than in your blood, whereas a hypotonic drink has an osmolarity lower than your blood. Thus, you can determine the osmolarity of the drink itself by making it more or less concentrated)

- A history of GI problems is a risk factor for more problems. If you know you are sensitive (and you wouldn't be the only one), take the time to figure out what works best for you.

- Make sure you are properly trained for the race. The higher the relative intensity, the more restricted blood flow to the gut will be. Things go from bad to worse once you end up in a down-ward spiral of feeling nauseous, having side aches or diarrhea, and not being unable to drink and eat as a result of that. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), dehydration and severe damage to your gut cells are all possible consequences that are best avoided.

- There is a scientific debate whether one can actually 'train' the gut to be less sensitive. Some say you can, others say you can't. In effect, it does no harm to practice new nutrition strategies many times before race day to determine what does or doesn't work. Get used to the brand of sports nutrition that the organisation of the race will give you on race day. Determine fluid loss rates by weighing before and after hard training sessions in a climate comparable to the expected race weather, and make sure you don't lose more than 2% of your body weight.

- So obvious it is easily forgotten: When travelling to foreign races, postpone experimenting with the local cuisine to after the race and pay extra attention to the freshness and ingredients of food. If you can't read the ingredients list of an unknown product, don't eat it. Don't show your cultural awareness by eating sausages with undefined content, prepared with an unknown level of hygiene and predictable level of bacteria. Be careful drinking water from the tap - the water may be pure and bacteriafree but high levels of chlorine can also upset your stomach. Choose your restaurant with your eyes, nose and brain rather than your stomach.

All this said, some level of GI discomfort seems unavoidable, given the fact that even well-trained, well-prepared elite athletes often experience problems. However, regular heavy damage to the gut should be certainly be avoided as it might make the gut more sensitive to food intolerances during every day life. The gut is a fascinating organ, but when it's not happy, nobody is happy.