Prevalence of gastrointestinal complaints during national triathlon competition
Abstract
Introduction: It is notoriously known that physical exercise promotes many beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal tract. However, among individuals practicing predominantly aerobic exercises and long-lasting, as runners, cyclists and triathletes, the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms is common, a condition that can impair performance during a race. Objective: to evaluate the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms during national triathlon competition. Materials and Methods: The study included 11 amateur triathletes, of both sexes (33.3 ± 8.5% men and 25.0 women), age (33.3 ± 8.5 years), body weight (76.8 ± 9.1kg men and 60.1 ± 4.4kg women) who responded to the finish a questionnaire about the presence of symptoms of upper gastrointestinal tract and lower during the competition. Results and Discussion: Of the 14 reported incidents, 78.6% were related to upper gastrointestinal tract and only 21.4% related to lower symptoms. The most prevalent symptom (36.0%) was the belching, followed by lateral pain, which amounted to 21.0% of the sample. There are several etiologic factors involved in the onset of gastrointestinal symptoms during exercise, such as intestinal hypoperfusion endotoxemia, dehydration, diet, mechanical factors, as well as aspects related to the exercise, which possibly explains the symptomatic prevalence observed in this study. Conclusion: the evaluated triathletes had several gastrointestinal symptoms, and those of the upper gastrointestinal tract predominantly.
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