Nutrition strategies for digestive symptoms during endurance exercise
A review found no demonstrated advantage for hydrogel carbohydrate products over standard products. Probiotic findings were mixed, while several other strategies were described as promising.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
In studies of endurance exercise, hydrogel carbohydrate products did not demonstrate benefits over standard carbohydrate products, and probiotic results were mixed. Gut-training protocols and some dietary strategies appeared promising for digestive symptoms. The abstract provides no pooled symptom estimates or durations, so it cannot establish how large, durable or consistent those potential benefits were.
The review included different study designs, and the abstract gives no pooled symptom estimates or study durations. Its qualitative conclusions do not establish a broadly effective strategy for all endurance athletes.
What researchers found
Digestive symptoms during endurance exercise
Compared with standard carbohydrate products across reviewed studies; follow-up durations were not reported.
What looked promising?
The authors described gut-training protocols as promising and linked carbohydrate intake strategies with fewer or less severe digestive symptoms. These are qualitative summaries; the abstract does not provide enough detail to compare their effectiveness.
Where were the tradeoffs?
A low-FODMAP diet, which restricts certain fermentable carbohydrates, showed potential for reducing symptoms, but the authors flagged its restrictive nature. Probiotic findings were mixed, leaving uncertainty rather than a consistent demonstrated benefit.
The original publication
Nutritional strategies for minimizing gastrointestinal symptoms during endurance exercise: systematic review of the literature.
Mlinaric J, Mohorko N
J Int Soc Sports Nutr · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40650376
- Record checked
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