I’ve started preparations for a road sportive later in the year when I’m hoping to do my first century ride. I’ve started tagging along with a road cycling group on training rides to try and get my average speed up and increase distance.

However, after the first few sessions I have been suffering with post ride IBS – During the ride I have been breathing out of every available orifice as I struggle to the keep the pace, so the workout is much harder than my usual rides.

I get mild IBS sometimes anyway – it’s a dairy intolerance – but I don’t eat dairy products anymore. I have been using SIS PSP22 during the rides and SIS Rego after, which is soya based. I tried the Torq stuff but it’s based on skimmed milk and it doesn’t have a good result with me.

Does anyone else get this and how do you prevent it? Is the bike setup causing it? Or is it a side effect of working hard and will ease in time?

I think your probably just not used to the hard work of a road ride, and that on-top of drinking a (unknown to your body) energy drink has your body in a bit of a panic. I had this a bit when i started road riding, i thought it was due to my stomach getting very cold due to sweat so started wearing a gillet all the time. It helped a little but tbh i think it was more to do with taking it easier to start with and really diluting the energy drink (or keeping it in another bottle as an emergency get me home drink).

The trouble with energy drinks is that the amount of sugar in them can affect your guts – keep on them all day and you’ll feel sick from consuming too much sweet stuff.

So, I wouldn’t be surprised that, together with the extra exertion, the drink is casuing you to suffer.

Do you mix up the full percentage recommended? You might find that lowering the amount of powder in the mix lessens the effect. Also, what else do you wat when you’re riding? Is there anything else you can eat whilst moving along that wouldn’t have such a bad effect.

In terms of training for a sportive later in the year, you need to be able to cover the distance – there’s no easy way to do it than to ride long distances. However, it doesn’t mean you need to do it at a quick pace all the time.

Drop the energy drinks for starters. A quick google didn’t get me full lists of ingredients but they will be the cause I bet.

Drink water with a little salt and eat foods that you know won’t upset you. Go for more complex carbs such as oats. Ithink but am not sure that the products you mention contain large amounts of sugars which can cause ibs. certainly the rego has maltodextrin in it in large amounts.

I did wonder if it was the drinks – I do mix to the instructions. I guess the combination of the exertion and the drinks isn’t helping. I’ll persevere with the effort and drop the drinks for now and see what happens.

I have always struggled with recovery (IBS doesn’t help) – I’m of a slight build anyway and I don’t seem to be able to recover very quickly. Think “zombie” the next day after a hard ride. Are there any foods that you recommend that are good for recovery? Most info I have read seems to say chocolate milk is good – but I can’t have dairy.

Thanks for the advice so far!

You’re pushing too hard and your body says nooooooooo.
It used to happen to me when I over did it/pushed too hard, be it rugby, on the road bike or at 24 hour races (the first mountain mayhem at Eastnor was 6 hours on the bike & 18 in the pollyjohn!!).
I had to back of when I could feel the start of the stomach cramps and if all else failed reach for the diocalm ultra (not recommended though)

Some info here:
Excercise induced diarrhoea

I only mix a bottle of energy drink to the reccomended strength if ive got 2/3L of plain water in my camelbak. If im on the roadie one bottle of water and one of 1/4 to 1/2 reccomended strength is all you need.

If your getting that ‘zombie’ feel just back off. You need to do more less intense stuff and build up. At the begining of last year i was useless, but slowly building up (after suffering the same as you and backing off) peaked in a crazy weekend of crit race, follwed with a century ride, followed by a night out on the town, and i felt fine the day after. Just took time, learning your limits and knowing you should back off. One of the best bits about road riding is you learn to feel how your body works/reacts to effort, keep at it, youll love it!

Phil_H – Thanks for the link – I think there are some useful suggestions on there that I may well try out. It seems to make sense too.

Training ride tomorrow night – I’ll see how I get on with a bit more info to guide me.

Thanks again guys.

Stato – I think you’re right – More, less intense rides and build up may be the answer! I think I have a learning curve about how my body feels when doing this type of riding. All good to know though.

I’d forget the Rego stuff; I don’t have IBS, but the times I’ve tried it it made me shite like a wizard. Just have a sandwich when you get in; you don’t need to use ‘recovery’ drinks, take all that stuff as you would any kind of advertising; don’t fall for it.

shite like a wizard

😯

That’s a pretty accurate description!

Funnily enough this actually happened to me for the first time ever tonight on a run. I was pushing hard and ended up doubled over in pain. I have nettle stings where you don’t want nettle stings.