The Athlete's Gut: The Inside Science of Digestion, Nutrition, and Stomach Distress

I am a Dietitian and athlete and was looking for a fun read to help refresh and expand my knowledge. I am about half-way through this book and find that it is written in a fun and engaging way while not dumb-ing any of the topics. I want to share this book with all my other endurance athlete friends!

Well written to understand all of the complexities with great advice and humor.

I’m not a scientist so it was a little hard to understand all the info, but the author did try to provide the basics. Interesting read for those of us who are athletes and who are trying to identify gut issues that impede performance. Good informative background totale with you to your doc.

A pretty good discussion about the gut and how to manage it.

The practical advice and knowledge helped my husband while training for his marathon. Good read!

Haven’t read it all yet but seems like a great GI book!

I've struggled with GI issues on the run more than any other running issue. So you can only imagine my excitement when I saw the new release The Athlete's Gut by Patrick Wilson, PhD, RD. A whole book dedicated to GI issues on the run? Has Wilson been reading my blog? Or is it really a thing? I clicked over to Amazon quicker than it takes me to find a porta-potty and bought the e-book.Who knew that there was so much information about tummy troubles? I poured over the information he presented. Let's just say that this science nerd wasn't disappointed. But did I find any answers?Dr Wilson, a registered dietitian with a PhD in exercise physiology, is a professor of exercise science at Old Dominion University in Virginia. He knows his subject well, having published many papers on gastrointestinal conditions, diet, and exercise. Throughout The Athlete's Gut, he shares his insights, all backed by research and sprinkled with a sense of humor. He notes that athletes may be more predisposed to GI issues, 'poohaps' because they don't want to lose precious time stopping to use the toilet and because athletes are used to pushing through discomfort. While no one knows for sure how many athletes struggle with GI issues during a run or a race, estimates are that between 40-70% of long distance runners struggle with the the 'urge' while running long distances.The Athlete's Gut is loaded with science. For background, Wilson provides an in-depth review of the function of the parts of the GI tract. This information is helpful as he discusses possibilities of why certain diets may or may not contribute to GI distress for athletes. He also provides information about fueling, which I found really helpful. He even expands his exploration into proper fluid intake for athletes during competition, which he calls the 'Goldilocks zone'. Isn't that what we should be focusing on during training, along with our miles? Looking for that balance between too much and too little? Wilson makes the claim that we can train our GI tract to behave. But what if your GI tract is rebellous?Wilson also delves into electrolytes, ie sodium, as well as supplements and their effects on performance and GI issues. With a disclaimer that he isn't an expert in psychology, he devotes an entire section of the book to psychology and the athlete's gut. There is such a strong mind-gut connection and many of us (me included) have had those pre-race jitters which send us multiple times to the porta-potty! If you haven't experienced this, I'm jealous. Again, he backs up all of his information with science.I found The Athlete's Gut to be thoroughly researched and highly informative. I loved Wilson's sense of humor--just because you're a scientist doesn't mean you can't laugh about farts and poop. I also loved that Wilson also provides real life examples of athletes who have experienced GI distress during competition. Athletes! They're just like us! Does anyone remember Paula Radcliff's dash into the bushes on her way to setting the womens' world marathon record in 2005?Glad to know I'm in good company, although I won't be setting any records. As I prepare for my first 50k, I'm happy to have Wilson's book for reference. If you experience GI issues, this is a great book of the why and the how. Even if you don't suffer from running-related tummy problems, the nutrition advice is worth the read.

This is very interesting subject to me, and the author certainly seems to know his stuff.However, the book is, so far, riddled with anecdotes and analogies of useless pop culture references that distract from the book's main take away. If you're up on pop culture and a jock, this may be a great book for you. But for someone just looking for the facts and science...its a bit too whimsical.

Wasn’t a good read.

Helping change my training

Finished this a few months ago.The book is very detailed and the author references absolutely any study he refers to.It's almost like a text book but has a useful summary at the end of each chapter.I would recommend it to people who are serious about their diet almost from a scientific perspective when it comes to activity.

A very good book. Nothing new if you are into the subject and have researched it. But it is a good resource