Hi Guys,

I am getting some bad indigestion recently - and it has been suggested to me by a doctor that I should try removing the protein shakes from my diet, and seeing if that helps.

So.. as much as this will suck, and be inconvenient, I'm going to give it a go, and see if it helps.


The thing is, I was having a good protein + maltodextrin shake post workout, and I cant come up with something that does the trick and is also convenient.

Actually, convenience really is the problem. I could cook up some chicken and... eat something sugary - no problem. However, that is FAR more effort than taking a couple of scoops of powder and shaking things up. I'm a busy man. ;)

Any ideas?


Also, one other idea is that it might be a result of increased fish oil (I like me my tuna and salmon) in the diet - anyone heard anything about tuna/salmon/fish oil causing digestive problems?

cheers

coopers

Yes, some people get indigestion from fish oil. The good ole' fish burps.

However, here's a little secret ... people have been building awesome physiques for thousands of years, and post-workout shakes have been around only a few decades. You'll do fine without them. If you have to wait a bit to eat, no worries. I personally just have a Clif Bar - tastes great and just as convenient. Get a protein bar or something similar and carry a piece of fruit. No, you don't get the high-GI etc but as I said, that's not going to make or break your success.

Jeremy

Actually, convenience really is the problem. I could cook up some chicken and... eat something sugary - no problem. However, that is FAR more effort than taking a couple of scoops of powder and shaking things up. I'm a busy man. ;)

Any ideas?
I would just cook some food beforehand and have it ready to be microwaved when you get home. It takes less than 5 minutes to microwave chicken and oatmeal, and you can eat a banana while it's in the microwave.

Yes, some people get indigestion from fish oil. The good ole' fish burps.

I am kind of surprised - it is reasonably painful when it occurs - it's not a burp. :)

It is never immediately after eating fish (or indeed after a shake!) but I'm willing to try a few things.

I get indigestion from fish oil. Tastes kinda nasty, like I've been eating pickles and herrings. High levels of fat can also give indigestion, but I'm not sure this is an issue for you.
Are you taking capsules, or eating fish, or both?

It's mostly canned fish - those little cans you can get of tuna and salmon in oil. Theyre like, 150cals or so per pop.

It's more than just burps though - it's reasonably unconfortable heartburn.

As you can see - I'm keen to change... something. :)

I am wondering if it's the fact that I am consuming something like 200-250 grams of protein a day? Perhaps that is the cause. Unfortunately my google-fu is weak, there doesn't seem to be much about this out there.

I dunno- as far as I can recall, the CSIRO diet recommend quite a high amount of protein, too. I wonder how it compares to what you're eating?
I'm thinking perhaps it might have something to do with the oil from the tuna and salmon? Have you tried tuna or salmon in brine or springwater? Even with the oil drained, it's 10g of fat for 200 calories (according to my guide) so this might be it. I just remember getting quite bad indigestion from something akin to this, is all.

I'm gonna do away with the fish for a month - see if it helps...

I can't seem to find any studies on this around the place though.

Maybe just switch to fish that *isn't* in oil? I know the tuna comes in springwater or brine, and I *think* the salmon does- though I remember buying a can of the smokey flavoured salmon, and then realising it was in oil- lots of oil- so it's easy to get confused. :eek: What brand do you buy?

Well, yeah, but there's fish oil inside the fish anyhow. :)

I think I can do without the fish in general - I get heaps of protein throughout the day from other meats and stuff.

Also - plain tuna (a non flavoured variety) while not in oil... is really, really gross. :)

The brands I have found I like enough to eat out of the can are:
Greenseas tuna chunks (in oil)
Safcol premium red salmon (in oil).

If I find that I am missing out on protein (I doubt it will be a problem) cos of this, I can always eat... like shaved ham or turkey or something...

Really? I love tuna. I crave salmon sometimes (like now- all this talk is making me hungry). I can understand you buying it in oil, the Safcol salmon in oil is pretty good. But yah, see how you go without it- I think that's the easiest way to establish exactly what is causing your indigestion. :)

Do you record what you eat? Some people here use fitday, but calorieking (http://www.calorieking.com.au) has a free online diary now that can be really useful. I think you can tinker with the settings to display fat, calories, and stuff, too.
I like it better than fitday.

Yeah, I do record what I eat - except for periods like the 2 weeks over christmas, where I was still quite healthy and active (no net change at all really) but I didn't bother to stick to a more formal bulking/cutting dietc.

Actually, I kind of found this (john stone's) website about 2 years ago, I'm using an xl spreadsheet: seemed easy at the time.

Your doctor's advice smacks of ignorance to me in this case. Why would a protein shake all of the sudden give you indigestion? I can understand the possibility of intenstinal problems for someone who is lactose intolerant, but not why he would think it would give you heartburn?

I agree that the fish oil could be the cause. Other than a protein and dextose drink what other supplements do you take?

I used to get pretty bad indigestion daily not sure from what it was coming from. I started trying to practice these techniques here http://www.wholeapproach.com/diet/digestion.html obviously you can't follow all of them due to the nature of our diets but ever since I don't drink anything cold during my meals i've been getting a lot less stomach aches. I usually drink a few cups of water about an hour before I eat and a few cups an hour or so after I eat. Seems to work.

I could be wrong, but I got the impression that it was the quantity of protein, and not the protein shakes, that the doctor thought was causing the indigestion?

Lactose seems a possibility too. :nod: But my money is on the fish oil. I reckon it was giving me indigestion as well. Maybe scale back (ha!- pun not intended) to only having a couple a day?

Cooperspale, also, have you considered trying the kids' fish oil? I don't know how it compares in price, but just an idea. Also- maybe try having the oil in, like, milk, or something? Which is a crap idea if you're lactose intolerant, but...

Dudes and Dudesses.

The oil tuna is packed in is NOT FISH OIL. It's soybean, sunflower, olive, or "vegetable" oil. Just thought I'd clear that up.

Oh- yeah- I meant I got indigestion from the Omega 3 fish oil capsules. I'm assuming that's what Cooper's Pale meant? I buy my tuna in brine, but I think many of the flavoured tunas and salmons are in oil- I'm not sure, I've only bought the one variety, which was in oil (but, yeah, like vegetable oil).

Dudes and Dudesses.

The oil tuna is packed in is NOT FISH OIL. It's soybean, sunflower, olive, or "vegetable" oil. Just thought I'd clear that up.


Another reason to buy canned tuna in spring water.

I had the same problem. I found out I was lactose intolerant. It was crazy because it happened just like that too.

Hey folks,

I do notice that it is worse when I have a large meal - I think I have conditioned myself into having a smaller stomach, eating more regularly. Not that this is a bad thing, but a single large meal (say out for dinner on the weekend) causes discomfort. If I mix it with a beer... whoa.

This has been an on and off problem for a couple of years now, but has worsened recently.

I have dropped back to a 30/50/20 P/C/F split this week, and nothing has really changed.

Your doctor's advice smacks of ignorance to me in this case. Why would a protein shake all of the sudden give you indigestion? I can understand the possibility of intenstinal problems for someone who is lactose intolerant, but not why he would think it would give you heartburn?

I agree that the fish oil could be the cause. Other than a protein and dextose drink what other supplements do you take?

Why wouldn't it give me heartburn? Seems to me that if fish oil could to it, protein could do it too - I may just somehow be intolerant?

I'm not taking anything other than that right now, while I'm cutting. While bulking I also have glutamine and creatine.

Dudes and Dudesses.

The oil tuna is packed in is NOT FISH OIL. It's soybean, sunflower, olive, or "vegetable" oil. Just thought I'd clear that up.

Yeah, this stuff is extra virgin olive oil packed.
Still, that's got plenty of goodness in it, as well as the fish oil in the fish.

I could be wrong, but I got the impression that it was the quantity of protein, and not the protein shakes, that the doctor thought was causing the indigestion?

Lactose seems a possibility too. :nod: But my money is on the fish oil. I reckon it was giving me indigestion as well. Maybe scale back (ha!- pun not intended) to only having a couple a day?

Cooperspale, also, have you considered trying the kids' fish oil? I don't know how it compares in price, but just an idea. Also- maybe try having the oil in, like, milk, or something? Which is a crap idea if you're lactose intolerant, but...

I have no idea what the doctors point was. He suggested I eat more carbs, so probably he was stating that I was eating too much protein.

Kids fish oil? Sounds nasty. I think I can do away with fish oil in general temporarily. We'll see if it helps.

I used to get pretty bad indigestion daily not sure from what it was coming from. I started trying to practice these techniques here http://www.wholeapproach.com/diet/digestion.html obviously you can't follow all of them due to the nature of our diets but ever since I don't drink anything cold during my meals i've been getting a lot less stomach aches. I usually drink a few cups of water about an hour before I eat and a few cups an hour or so after I eat. Seems to work.

cheers, bigears!

I had the same problem. I found out I was lactose intolerant. It was crazy because it happened just like that too.

Huh... lactose intolerance that came on suddenly you mean?

Cos I'm 29, and I've been drinking milk all my life... without previous problems.

what were your symptoms, and what did you need to get a diagnosis?

I always thought that you either were or you weren't lactose intolerant, but one of my lecturers last year said that you can just get it; his son got it after a tummy bug.
Usually the symptoms are bloating and the runs. Your body isn't breaking down the lactose (sugars in the milk) so the gut flora break it down, and they do this anaerobically, which causes the bloating and the farting. Diarrhoea is also a symptom. I wouldn't have thought indigestion was a usual symptom of lactose intolerance, simply because the breaking down (or not breaking down) of the lactose occurs in the intestines (that's where the lactase that the body uses is), rather than in the stomach (which is where the indigestion would happen).
I read somewhere that an iron deficiency can contribute to lactose intolerance, if this is the cause of your indigestion.
Also, FWIW, the lactose intolerance thing usually doesn't last (unless it's congenital). Your body will eventually regenerate the lactase enzyme...

This may be a dumb question, but are you eating anything spicy? Or mustardy, or pickly, or vinegary or even tomato-ey? I don't normally get indigestion, and I *love* spicy food, but every now and then I do. And, same as you, it gets worse with beer, or even carbonated drinks, like coke.
I had a doctor who once told me that it was because my diet may be too high in fat. He might have been right (I ate hot chips occasionally) but at the time I skinny 18 year old, so I'm not convinced. :confused:

Maybe you have IBS or something similar. My stomach got really bad when I drank whey shakes, milk etc... dairy and caffiene were the first things I dropped, followed shortly after by the fish oil caps. I also can't handle any meals too large or too high in fat and I definately know what you mean about the beer. I think I may have IBS but have not been to the doc yet. And it just sort of came on gradually the same way you describe. I'm 28 now, up until about 2 years ago I could eat anything I wanted with no problems. Just thought I would share that.

This may be a dumb question, but are you eating anything spicy? Or mustardy, or pickly, or vinegary or even tomato-ey? I don't normally get indigestion, and I *love* spicy food, but every now and then I do. And, same as you, it gets worse with beer, or even carbonated drinks, like coke.

Yeah, I do eat all that stuff: but not excessively.

Maybe you have IBS or something similar. My stomach got really bad when I drank whey shakes, milk etc... dairy and caffiene were the first things I dropped, followed shortly after by the fish oil caps. I also can't handle any meals too large or too high in fat and I definately know what you mean about the beer. I think I may have IBS but have not been to the doc yet. And it just sort of came on gradually the same way you describe. I'm 28 now, up until about 2 years ago I could eat anything I wanted with no problems. Just thought I would share that.

Hey! Thanks for sharing - yeah, this is pretty much exactly what I am going through. How are you managing it, and getting enough (convenient!) protein, especially if you have dropped the shakes?

And, does it help?

Hey CoopersPale, just had a look and found this:

Irritable bowel syndrome

Around one in seven people experiences the unpleasant symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which include abdominal pain, mucus in the stools, and alternating diarrhoea and constipation. Other terms for irritable bowel syndrome include 'spastic colon' and 'irritable colon'. It seems that people with IBS have sensitive bowels that are easily 'upset'. More women than men are prone to IBS, and symptoms tend to first occur in early adulthood. The cause is unknown, but environmental factors - such as changes of routine, emotional stress, infection and diet - can trigger an attack. Irritable bowel syndrome doesn't cause lasting damage, and doesn't contribute to the development of serious bowel conditions, such as cancer or colitis.

Symptoms of IBS
Some of the more common signs of irritable bowel syndrome include:

Abdominal pain or cramping that is often relieved by passing wind or faeces
Alternating diarrhoea and constipation
A sensation that the bowels are not fully emptied after passing a motion
Abdominal bloating
Mucus present in the stools
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Other types of indigestion, such as heartburn.
None of these symptoms are exclusive to IBS. In particular, it would be unusual for IBS to produce these symptoms, for the first time, after the age of 40.

Two main IBS categories
Irritable bowel syndrome can be subdivided into two major categories, including:
Constipation-predominant - the person tends to alternate constipation with normal stools. Symptoms of abdominal cramping or aching are commonly triggered by eating.
Diarrhoea-predominant - the person tends to experience diarrhoea first thing in the morning or after eating. The need to go to the toilet is typically urgent, and cannot be delayed. Incontinence may be a problem.
The cause is unknown
The cause of irritable bowel syndrome is unknown, but certain factors have been associated with the condition, including:
Diet - low fibre, high fat diets can exacerbate the condition. Some people find spicy or sugary foods cause problems.
Emotional stress - strong emotions, such as anxiety or stress, can affect the nerves of the bowel in susceptible people.
Food intolerance - lactose intolerance can aggravate the bowel.
Infection - a bout of gastroenteritis can irritate the bowel and cause symptoms.
Medications - certain drugs (such as antibiotics, antacids and painkillers) can lead to constipation or diarrhoea.



My italics- just thought that this bit was relevant, from what you were saying before.

The article then goes on to talk about diagnosis being very important, to rule out other issues such as polyps (which, if I can remember anything from last year, can be a precurser to bowel cancer).

More info can be found at Better Health Channel (http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/BHCV2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Irritable_bowel_syndrome?OpenDocument)

Hope this helps. :nod:

Im actually going through the same thing right now. I used to have plenty of shakes and egg whites and now I just cant eat them without my stomach being in cringing type pain. It sucks, and its not IBS (my doc friend told me that). My diet has suffered since and its been tougher for me to lose the lbs because I cant consume as much protein.

If you do get the symptoms again, eat some rolaids (calcium fortified of course), handfuls of nuts and plenty of water and it should pass. Your gonna feel bloated but passing gas never killed nobody. :D

BTW, doctors are not smart when it comes to bodybuilding...unless they do it themselves.