Stock image from Microsoft
There is some buzz going around in my neck of the woods and it’s betwixt my runner friends.
Ya know, since we’ve been known to share a lot of information with each other. Too much information in fact.
Like running and unwanted *cough* pitstops in the bushes and whatnot on account of the GI tract misbehaving.
A friend of mine pulled off near the elephant exhibit at the Miami Metro Zoo when that moment struck during a half-iron distance triathlon last year (not me by the way, it really is a friend in this case), for example, and to be honest, I don’t know many runners who haven’t had to make a run for the porta-potty at some point during a run. For me, the after-party of the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon was misery and I can assure you there was (sadly) no wining nor dining when I completed that race because of it. Although I did PR that race (hurrah!)
But we’ve all heard of the terms for what I am talking about: gut rot, the trots, runner’s runs, etc.
And this same friend who pulled off near the elephants (who, by the way, is an amazing athlete) has turned to a gluten-free diet and has seen some amazing results. But she’s not the only one; many runners are going gluten-free and not only in my neck of the woods because as I began to hear buzz about it in real life I began looking online too and finding lots of articles on this particular topic and I’m seeing a trend. Gluten-free is gettin some buzz. And not just for people with allergies.
So it got me to wondering: is gluten really the enemy? Or is this another fad?
Gluten
According to Dictionary.com, gluten is “a protein consisting of a mixture of glutelin and gliadin, present in cereal grains, esp wheat. A gluten-free diet is necessary in cases of celiac disease.”
Sometimes the gluten proteins just don’t digest well.
Sometimes it’s more serious. People with celiac disease have an intolerence to gluten that can cause their immune system to attack the upper small intestine and because of this, they must live on gluten free diets. People with other autoimmune diseases like fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis have been known to respond well to gluten-free diets as well. There is also a question about how gluten affects behavior in children (whole ‘nother topic for another day in which I am researching in my house.) However, many people have a simple, undiagnosed insensitivity to gluten and suffer side-effects like bloating, digestion problems, fatigue or joint pain without ever knowing why. And it can be a reason you’re running for the porta potty during a race or a workout.
If you think diet might be a culprit in the latter particular area, it’s worth checking into. You can try gluten free for 7-10 days to see if there is an improvement. But obviously (or not so obviously sometimes) you should run it by your doctor too and find out what he/she thinks. That is very important.
But I run and I need carbs!
Carbo loading is another big topic in the running community and if wheat and gluten’s off the list, what on earth do you use to carbo load?! Rice, quinoa, VEGGIES, potatoes, all natural nut butters, brown rice, gluten-free bread & pastas, corn tortillas, beans, granolas, there’s lots of stuff out there that can replace the glutenful stuff.
Benefits
Some of the benefits besides not having to run to la toilette during a race or long training session are:
- The ability to better absorb food and repair muscle more efficiently
- The ability to maintain stable blood sugar levels
Friends of mine have reported less bloating and fatigue which they say leads to better overall performance. I have a friend who has reported shaving 1:30 off his 5k time and another friend who says her running has improved immensely and she has limitless energy. I am not a registered dietician nor a doctor, nor have I done studies to confirm or deny any of the claims whatsoever, but I’m writing about this because the discussion is out there and the runners in my community are having it and I thought I’d bring it up with you to see if you’ve been having the same conversations.
Some of the articles I’ve read and have gotten my information from are this one in Runner’s World, this one on Cool Running, and this one on Livestrong.
I am considering a switch on a trial basis because I’ve been known to have issues during or after races and/or long training sessions and I am a gluten ADDICT.
So what do you think of gluten-free and exercising? Do they go hand in hand in your case? Or not at all?
Tags: EAT IT, featured, sisterhood
Category: Christie O., EAT IT, The Sisterhood