Digestion deserves more attention

Everybody talks about training and nutrition, but not that many people seem to talk about digestion. But these things go hand in hand, so talking about one without the other is pointless.
 
I feel like there's plenty of information out there on training and nutrition, so in this post I will share what I've learned about digestion as it relates to climbing. An estimated 1 in 4 people have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), and an estimated up to 80% of these cases are caused by sibo (small intestines bacterial overgrowth). 
 
 
My experience:
In 2022, I tried to go from having climbed a max grade of a 7a to having climbed an 8a in a single year. This was my response to having received the news that I have a (progressive) hip impairment, and this whole challenge was a way for me to try and overcome the impairment. I've tried to keep track of my progress on YouTube and on my blog in case others were interested (newest video is a work in progress by the way, with hundreds of hours of footage, this one will take a while...).
 
It was a very stressful year: On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays I would work during the day then train in the evening, on Thursdays I would work during the day, then drive to the crag (4.5 hours away) in the evening, then Friday to Sunday I would climb at the crag and sleep in the camper van. Then drive back on Sunday, do all the necessary washing and cleaning, and then repeat it all the next week. It was a grind, but also an amazing experience! In fact, it was a transformative experience.
 
But more importantly for the topic of digestion: it was stressful!
 
I started 2022 by focussing on my fear of falling, but that continued to be a big theme the rest of the year. So in essence, I spent a large chunk of the time being stressed in 2022. Stressed due to the fear of falling, or stressed because of excitement to climb, or psych for being at the crag in general. And the rest of the week I would work or train. As a result, my body didn't have the necessary time to recover. Important note, I'm not saying the training load was the problem: the lack of rest (periods of time with little to no stress) was the problem. 
 
As a result, towards the end of the year my digestion was seriously compromised, and this led to numerous deficiencies (such as vitamin D and B12) and even injuries... Keep in mind, nutrition wasn't the problem. In fact, nutritionally, there was no reason to think I would get a deficiency. But unfortunately, my body was unable to take in the nutrients, which eventually resulted in injuries.
 
Digestion basics:
Here are some basics on digestion. Keep in mind, this is heavily simplified. But I think it's a good enough to serve as a basis for some pointers.
 
Digestion starts in the mouth, through chewing, saliva and some enzymes. Food moves down to the stomach, where stomach acid and enzymes help break down food. Due to the acid, there are very few bacteria in the stomach. After this, the small intestines absorb most of the nutrients using digestive juices, and a small number of bacteria. The large intestines finish the job of breaking down the remaining nutrients by using a large amount of bacteria.
 
Food moves through the GI tract using peristalsis. A process called migrating motor complex (MMC) is used to clean the bowels. This happens 2 to 4 hours after your last meal. By pushing remaining food down, through the valves that separate the different parts of the GI tract, bacteria from the large intestines won't be able to move to the small intestines.
 
 
Rest and digest
Understanding the difference between the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems is vital. The sympathetic nervous system involves action; this is what gives you the energy to climb hard. The parasympathetic nervous system involves long term processes that happen during rest, most notably digestion and recovery.
 
The sympathetic nervous system controls everything related to stress. It's good to remember that a lot of fun activities, like sending a project or even being psyched to see a friend try hard, are sympathetic in nature. In other words, stressful. Stress is often related to negative events... but for the body, even positive experiences can be stressful, in the sense that the "here and now" is prioritized over processes that are necessary for long term health.
 
So in practice, there needs to be a balance. We need the enjoyment, the psych, the high energy that the sympathetic nervous system gives us. But we also need to digest our food, and recover from training. Having a very stressful life (whether through work, training, anxiety or otherwise) means your digestion will suffer. In the short term, this doesn't need to be a problem. But a structural lack of rest (low stress) means your digestion will often be paused, which can lead to disbalance. For instance, if food is often stuck in the small intestines, and isn't being pushed down due to all kinds of stressful events, then the bacteria in the small intestines will start to grow. This could lead to sibo, where bacteria in the small intestines will ferment the food, meaning your body won't be able to take in certain nutrients. This can lead to deficiencies, and eventually injuries.
 
 
Basic tips
Understanding the basics of digestion can help formulate some guidelines:
  • Chew your food
  • Space 2 hours of time between a meal and a climbing session. This period of time needs to involve little to no stress.
  • Taking a snack just before or during a climbing session is still possible, if the snack doesn't need much in terms of digestion (for instance, if you take glucose rather than carbohydrates, then you're not eating something that can linger in the bowels and lead to excessive fermentation)
  • Give your body a chance to clean the pipes (MMC): 4 hours of rest (little to no stress, and no exercise) every day where you're not eating. 
  • If you don't have a satisfying poo, or if you have a (vitamin) deficiency, it's worth looking into a combination of your eating habits, daily rest vs stressful periods, and digestion.
  • If you have food intolerances, it's worth to look into sibo.
 
 
In my case, my gut microbiome was out of balance due to a very long, stressful period. The immediate symptoms were bloating and belching, as hydrogen was formed in the small intestines. Very annoying! It eventually also lead to some deficiencies and even injuries. I'm happy to report I've since found some local experts that have helped me understand the problem and work on a solution. As a result, I'm finding balance again.... which in turns means fewer injuries and more gains :)
 
This is a personal story, and although it's unlikely you have this same thing, I'm hoping that if digestion is an issue for you, you will start looking into it. Digestion just isn't talked about as much as other topics, despite being vital. So I hope this helps!