Coeliac And Sport

[travelthomas]

Hi Liz,

Because I spend so much time in third world countries I rely on nuts, fruit and dried fish. In Mexico my last girlfriend reffered to the dry fish as "emergency food." It sounded so cute with her French accent, but that fish tasted like bleached paper!

The fish in Thailand was excellent.

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Hello to all,

before i was diagnosed with celiac disease, i really had a bad condition, although i had to run 2 to 3 times a week in police school and i was in the german kickboxing national team from 1994 until 2003 with regular training almost every day. Sometimes i had problems to run one entire kilometer. And in training i had frequent breakdowns. I live in the states since last year november and i am glutenfree since this year in July. Since this time i'm also building up my body again. My big goal is to be in the american national team. The next world championships are next year September/October in Toronto/Canada. I want to be ready for that and hope to be better than ever. My "secret" in building my body up is to eat lots of potatoes and rice noodles and to drink water, teas and juices/smoothies (no coke and other unhealthy stuff) during my training period before tournaments. Then the night before the tournament i eat a big bowl of icecream. A build up for body (carbs) as well as for brain to give me a "reward" for the hard training. Then to get me going during the tournament and the mostly long waiting times i take bananas, gluten-free bars, gluten-free pretzels, pan cakes and gatorade with me. The last tournaments so far were overwhelming. My condition is much better. Before i broke down pretty much after 10 seconds. Now the fight is over and i say "already"? That's pretty cool. My biggest success since going glutenfree was winning one grandchampion and getting a cup that's taller than i am. When i stand up straight and holp up one arm straight in the air i can reach the top of the cup. I'm 5'3"...

I can just encourage you to keep on training and get rest, when you need it. And i can pretty much guarantee you, you will have success.

I wish you guys good luck so far in your training and competitions/runs.

Stephanie

[curiousJ]

Hi there - Good to see so many athletic people out there! I'm definitely on a high today after having run a PR in my 18th marathon this past Sunday (3:16)... This is by far my best time for 8 years or so & I'll attribute it to the gluten-free diet - which I started after being diagnosed with celiac in August - (and getting my iron levels up)! Sorry for that "outburst" but I'm just so excited!

As far as good gluten-free snacks go - I like Balance bars and the fruit & nut Boomi bars. Trail mix is great as well. I haven't tried any of the gluten-free breads yet, but I've found that muffins made with gluten-free pancake/baking mix are quite good (I like making them with apples and raisins). I also have an incredible sweet tooth, so I like keeping a stash of hard candies around (I know a fellow marathoner who likes to take skittles along during long training runs).

I've found that sports drinks (like gatoraid) and sports gels tend to make my stomach cramp... I find if I eat well a couple hours before I race, water is enough to keep me going though. Then I continuously "snack" after I'm done.

As far as the "Runners' Runs" problem - I get that sometimes too (not as often after having gone gluten-free, though)... Usually, I just try to make sure that my route goes by a good place to stop. Although I always hear that it's bad to do this, I like to snack right up to when I go to sleep... That way, I seem to have the most energy when I run early in the morning. Another thing you might try if you have the time is to go for a short walk before your main run - sort of a warm-up.

Anyway - Happy trails!

[veggf]

Hi All,

Hope everyone is enjoying the fall season!

CuriousJ--That is a great PR, you should shout about it! I'm so glad to hear from other endurance athletes w/celiac disease and to hear it is going well with Celiac athletes.

Stef...--Potatoes are a good idea...I had a baked potato after a ride (after my post-ride protein) and the potato really hit the spot...all those yummy carbs.

Everyone--I'm frustrated today, got really "celiac whacked" so my ride today was short Does anyone know of books on sports nutrition for Celiacs or expert nutrionists on sports nutrition for Celiacs? I've been running into nutrition/med/training prof. who either know one or the other, but not both.

Take Care, Liz

[pturse]

Which Balance Bars do you eat that are Gluten Free?

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Hello Liz,

i'm also looking for those books. I wasn't successfull yet. If i find one, i'll let you know.

I'm glad to hear, that a lot of celiacs have better results, since they went gluten-free. Keep up the good work guys. Lots of luck, Stef

[curiousJ]

About Balance Bars:

NOTE that they are all sold with the caveat that they are produced in a facility that also processes wheat, nuts, etc. That said, I haven't had any reaction to eating them (so far). The company's policy is to clearly label all wheat/gluten containing ingredients (so the ingredient "natural flavor" will not contain gluten for these products, for example).

I've been sticking mostly to the Balance+ bars: yogurt-berry and lemon merangue are my favorites.

About Celiac & sports... I haven't seen any books specifically on this either. I do read "Runner's World" magazine, which often has articles about how runners need lots of carbs and provides lists of "runner-friendly" foods. Might consider taking a look at www.runnersworld.com. Much of the advice can pretty easily be modified for gluten-free diets.

[jackbarny]

I cycle almost everyday that the weather permits, and also do spinning at the local Court Club 4 nites a week. But having Celiac Disease has kept me from doing any more Cycling Tours. Does anyone know of any US Cycling Tours that offer Gluten Free Meals? Thanks Jack

[jackbarny]

I cycle almost everyday that the weather permits, and also do spinning at the local Court Club 4 nites a week. But having Celiac Disease has kept me from doing any more Cycling Tours. Does anyone know of any US Cycling Tours that offer Gluten Free Meals? Thanks Jack