After hard workouts where we do a lot of sprint work, I have noticed that my stomach is in knots and it stays that way for hours. I don't know why- lactic acid build up maybe? I am eating a banana before practice, like I have done before every practice for the last 8 years. I drink water during practice and I warm down at least 300-400 yards at the end. The stomach issues (pain, lack of wanting to eat, etc) come in to play only when we're doing a lot of sprint work (yes, I'm a distance lover). Today it's so bad that I've only eaten a banana and a bit of chicken and green beans and it's 2:30 now and yet I swam 7-9 this morning.
What can I do to prevent this? What is causing this?
Unfortunately, I don't know until I get there. I usually eat the banana about 30 min before practice begins and before I leave the house.
I agree, I'm allergic to sprints. :applaud: Today's was rough. We did an Ultimate 500. All these were all out. 25, 50, 75, 100, 100, 75, 50, 25. Doesn't sound bad but we were having our times called out so it meant we had to swim fast and couldn't cheat. Last 25 was from the block, too. Then 400 with 100's at 80%, 85%, 80% and 90%. Then 100 easy (our only recovery) and 4x50 drill down, swim back IM order. Then we went right in to an Ultimate 400 IM 25 fly, 50 fly, 25 fly, repeat with back, *** and free. Then repeated the 400 free and on. Then again the Ultimate 500 set. It was brutal. Total yardage 6000 in 2 hours. Oh and did I mention this is with an age group team?!
Not a lump, just gurgling issues. Lack of wanting to eat, pain, cramping, etc.
Right now it's after 4 and still haven't eaten more than a banana and some chicken and green beans. Not much considering what I swam off this morning.
What does stomach in knots feel like? Last year I felt a very tender hard spot, like a hard lump, right above my belly button. I asked myself if it could be swimming related, maybe some muscle thing, however I had not swum for the 2 weeks before that. In the following weeks/months the lump-like thing seemed to have moved around. Could it be stomach knot caused by previous swimming?
Here is a thought...
when you do sprints you might be rushing your breathing and consequently ingesting more water than usual.
Chlorinated water is pretty nasty and if you get enough in your stomach it will let you know pretty quickly.
Thanks. I'll try the tums before next time I see that we're having a sprint day. I can take some in my bag and pop them when he hands out the workout (we get them on paper at the start of practice). I'll start small amounts and see how that works.
Here is a thought...
when you do sprints you might be rushing your breathing and consequently ingesting more water than usual.
Chlorinated water is pretty nasty and if you get enough in your stomach it will let you know pretty quickly.
That is a definite possibility. I'll have to watch for that next time. Thanks! :)
in the sprints, you tighten the muscles in your core a lot more than you do while doing a 3/4/500. after that sprint pyramid thing, you did a boatload of stomach clenching, and that probably exacerbated any other internal issues going on in there.
with the eating before practice thing, perhaps your body has suddenly cried foul on eating before practice. it happens for people of all ages, that suddenly the body stops liking something you've been doing regularly for years, so i wouldn't rule that out either. if the issues are indeed digestive, the tums may help out too.
After hard workouts where we do a lot of sprint work, I have noticed that my stomach is in knots and it stays that way for hours. I don't know why- lactic acid build up maybe?
What can I do to prevent this? What is causing this?
Yeah, lactic acid buildup is a good guess. Your question reminded me of this article that was written by breastrokr (sp?).
www.breaststroke.info/tums.htm
Since you don't know in advance, maybe you can pop a handful of tums on the way out of practice?
I understand the chemistry behind the recommendation but I don't understand the physiology, so maybe someone has a more in depth article they could share or a deeper understanding of dropping a buffer in the stomach would benefit acid buildup in the muscles. By eating tums, do you ultimately lower the pH of your blood? fiik
Just to be clear, I am sharing the article with you since it might apply, and i think taking the recommended amount of tums as defined on the back of the tums package might help. I am not recommending you take 40 tums the next time you have sprint day.
Maybe breastrokr will drop by and comment.
