Find out how to properly deal with stomach and intestinal problems if you are in the phase of weight gain or drying. If the body cannot get all the nutrients it needs from food, then the process of gaining muscle mass will slow down dramatically. In this situation, an analogy with a bank that stores your savings is very appropriate, and due to various hidden fees, you practically do not receive income.
Nowadays, you can often hear complaints from builders about problems with the digestive system. If, with the use of several basic products, you have an increased gas formation process or bloating is observed, then the question of how bodybuilders cope with gastrointestinal problems becomes very relevant.
Any person who cares about his health should take good care of his digestive system. This applies not only to athletes, because if the organs are working intermittently, then you will not be able to provide the body with all the important nutrients. Today we will tell you how to avoid such problems and at the same time improve your results in sports.
First, we suggest that you take a simple test that will show how efficiently your digestive tract is working. To carry it out, you need activated carbon. Take five grams of this drug on an empty stomach, and remember the time of use. Then it is necessary to monitor the stool and when its color changes to black, then this period of time is the duration of the passage of food through the intestinal tract.
If this took less than 12 hours, then there is a high probability of problems with the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and not all nutrients have been absorbed. Under normal digestive function, it takes 12 to 24 hours to process food. If the time exceeds the maximum, then food is retained in the large part of the intestinal tract. This fact is also negative, because the risks of developing diseases of this part of the intestine increase.
The structure of the gastrointestinal tract
To make it easier to determine the reasons for the low performance of the digestive system, you should get acquainted with its structure. As a result, you will quickly understand how bodybuilders deal with gastrointestinal problems. This system is 7-11 meters long, and its inner layer is renewed every 3-5 days. The main task of the digestive tract is to break down food into various simple substances.
All products we use are split into amines, glucose or glycerin. After that, the body uses all these substances to solve certain problems. The most unpleasant point here is that even the right nutritional program cannot guarantee one hundred percent that there are no problems. If the work of the digestive organs is disturbed, then any food will not be completely absorbed. It should also be remembered that during the day the body can absorb only a certain amount of calories.
By and large, the digestion process begins in the head and when food is in the mouth, the process of salivation is activated. Saliva contains a special enzyme - amylase, which breaks down some of the carbohydrates. As a result of these reactions, malt sugar (maltose) is formed.
From the oral cavity, food enters the stomach through the esophagus and most often this does not take more than six seconds. However, if you have not chewed food well, then the time it takes for it to enter the stomach can take up to several minutes. The lower esophagus has a small valve called a sphincter. During normal functioning of the body, it is closed most of the time and thereby prevents food and gastric juice from getting back into the esophagus.
In the stomach, food is crushed and moistened and the result is a viscous homogeneous mass - chyme. Under the influence of hydrochloric acid, protein compounds break down into small fragments. It should be noted that hydrochloric acid, as well as chyme, has a high acidity index. This eliminates most of the bacteria entering the digestive tract.
We also note that lipase and pepsin are synthesized in the stomach, which break down fats and protein compounds, respectively. Most of the substances will be absorbed by the body a little later, but water, salt, and also ethyl alcohol can enter the bloodstream from the stomach. Actually, it is precisely with this fact that if you consume alcohol on an empty stomach, a person quickly gets drunk. Depending on the composition of the food, it stays in the stomach for 2–4 hours, and vegetable fibers and fats can slow down the processing of food.
The intestinal tract has a length of 4 to 6 meters and it is in it that almost all substances are absorbed. The inner side of the intestine is dotted with tiny villi, whose task is to produce enzymes, as well as assimilate nutrients and prevent the absorption of harmful substances.
You should also remember that certain foods and medications can significantly reduce the ability of the walls of the intestinal tract to distinguish between beneficial substances and potentially harmful ones. In medicine, this condition is called leaky gut syndrome. This disease can cause various troubles and the question of how bodybuilders cope with gastrointestinal problems will become relevant. The entire intestinal tract can be divided into thin and thick. The first section of the small intestine is the duodenum. It is here that many trace elements such as manganese or calcium are absorbed. In addition, the processing of fats and some types of carbohydrates continues in the duodenum.
The second section is the jejunum, and it processes and absorbs other types of carbohydrates, such as lactose. Amino acids and protein compounds are also absorbed in the jejunum. Thus, for bodybuilders, it is the second section of the small intestine that is most important, because it is here that the basic substances necessary for athletes are absorbed. The last section is the ileum, in which cholesterol, bile salts, and vitamin B12 are absorbed. The large intestine is called upon to assimilate the water and nutrients remaining in the chyme.
How can bodybuilders improve their digestive tract performance?
So that you are not tormented by the question of how bodybuilders cope with gastrointestinal problems, you need to try to make the digestive system work more efficiently. We have already talked about the syndrome of a leaky intestinal tract, and the main task in this case is precisely the prevention of this disease. Various injuries to the inner walls of the intestine cause the disease, which allows not only nutrients to enter the bloodstream, but also various pathogens, as well as toxins.
Most often, this syndrome is observed with various intestinal diseases, if they are accompanied by its irritation. There are many reasons for the development of leaky gut syndrome, but most doctors tend to single out one main one - chronic stress. As you can see, stress cannot be underestimated, because they negatively affect not only the nervous system, but also other internal organs.
Let's find out how bodybuilders cope with gastrointestinal problems, because this is the main issue for us today. If you suspect that your intestines have a high permeability, then we recommend that you undergo a special test with a doctor. To do this, you will need to drink a special solution and pass a urine test after a few hours. Based on its results, the final verdict will be delivered. If for you the question of how bodybuilders cope with gastrointestinal problems is already relevant, now we will tell you about ways to correct the situation.
- Use probiotic supplements. If you have problems with the digestive system, it is likely that you need to restore the microflora of the intestinal tract. Note that the specific gravity of bacteria that live in the digestive tract is about two kilograms, and not all of these microorganisms are beneficial. We recommend that when choosing the appropriate supplements, pay attention to the presence of lacto- and bifidobacteria in their composition.
- Take prebiotic supplements. Prebiotics are substances that cannot be absorbed by our body, but at the same time they are used by the microflora of the intestinal tract as food. These substances are found in foods such as bananas, honey, garlic, etc. It is quite obvious that they should be part of your diet.
- Glutamine and antioxidants. These substances are able to protect the digestive tract, reducing the negative impact on it. Glutamine is essential for accelerating the regeneration of the intestinal mucosa, and for maximum effect you need to take the supplement twice a day at a one-time dosage of five grams. Another great supplement is alpha lipoic acid, which has a positive effect on liver function by reducing the negative effects of free radicals. In addition to the supplements we have just discussed, there is also N-atetyl-L-cysteine. It is a great antioxidant that also boosts the activity of the immune system.
- Foods that stimulate the growth of intestinal microflora. Of note is sauerkraut and its Asian counterpart, kimchi. In addition, introduce into your diet natural yogurt, cottage cheese and kefir, enriched with beneficial bacteria. Do not forget about the benefits of plant fibers that cleanse the intestines.
In the following video, you will learn how you can eat a lot of calories without overloading your digestive tract:
