By Dr. Jodie Lawston
With Jill DeFratis at the podium of the Silver State 508
I discovered cycling later in life, when I realized, after years of only working, that I needed a work/life balance. I started on a mountain bike, but it didn’t take long before I fell in love with the rhythm and freedom of road cycling. I loved how far I could go and how much I could explore. Some of my earliest rides took me from downtown San Diego up the coast to La Jolla, Del Mar, and Encinitas.
As I ventured inland, I realized something surprising: I loved to climb. San Diego’s mountains became the place where I could find a quiet, peaceful grounded-ness, even if I was suffering on the climbs. Palomar Mountain, Cole Grade Road, and Laguna Mountain quickly became my favorites (more on those in another post). I also fell in love with long, remote rides in Borrego Springs and Julian. The longer the ride, the better. Within three months of getting my first road bike, I rode my first century. Soon after, I was tackling double centuries and eventually racing the Silver State 508 (2014) and HooDoo 500 (2015).
Despite my love for endurance, the hardest part of those long days was never my legs—it was my gut. My stomach broke down long before my muscles did.
The Gut Issues That I, Ahem, Endured on Endurance Rides
On the Alta Alpina 5-Pass Challenge in the Sierra Nevada, I learned this the hard way. After drinking too much concentrated fluid, I developed ileus—a temporary paralysis of the gut—because my gastrointestinal tract simply couldn’t handle what I was putting into it. By the time I reached Monitor Pass, it felt like I was being stabbed from the inside out.
A similar disaster happened during the Silver State 508 after I drank a maltodextrin mixture that was far too concentrated for me. I was in absolute GI agony, which brought me to tears in the middle of the night while racing one of the stages (thankfully, I was on a powerhouse two-woman team with my close friend Jill DeFratis that year and I was able to rest a bit between stages). During the HooDoo 500, even though I thought I had my nutrition perfectly dialed, I still suffered immensely trying to hit 350 calories per hour. My stomach bloated so much I looked pregnant. Every mile hurt my gut.
A cold morning at the start of the Silver State 508
Like many new endurance athletes, I made all the classic mistakes:
- under-fueling
- drinking overly concentrated fluids
- relying on sugary foods
- chugging a Mexican Coke when I felt a bonk coming on
Over time, I figured out how to take in more calories and plan my nutrition more strategically, but my gut still struggled, often intensely, to the point where I feared the gut pain that came with even getting on the bike.
Finally, an Answer: Intestinal Methanogenic Overgrowth
Fast forward to around 2022. After years of doctors, specialists, medical tests, doing my own research, and confusing symptoms both on and off the bike, I finally received a diagnosis: IMO (Intestinal Methanogenic Overgrowth).
It’s related to SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), but instead of too much bacteria in the small intestine, IMO involves an overgrowth of archaea, which are microorganisms that slow motility, disrupt digestion, and ferment carbohydrates. For me, this meant persistent bloating, abdominal pain, and poor nutrient absorption. My blood work eventually confirmed I was deficient in several nutrients, which helped to explain the fatigue I had also experienced for years.
Treatment involved two rounds of antibiotics, a strict low-FODMAP diet (a temporary elimination diet that restricts certain types of carbohydrates to manage digestive symptoms), and many supplements that I still take. While all of this helped, my gut remained sensitive, and many foods triggered symptoms quickly. I had been vegan for over seven years, but all the foods I loved—lentils, black beans, many vegetables, even brown rice—became impossible because they triggered so much pain. As much as I value a vegan diet for ethical, environmental, and health reasons, the IMO left me in constant pain, and over time, I lost too much weight because I stopped eating enough.
Today, my diet is more protein-focused (fish and chicken), paired with low-FODMAP fruits and vegetables and healthy fats. It’s not always easy and I still get occasional GI pain, but I mostly function, and ride, without daily agony.
Fueling on the Bike Today
On the bike, I keep things as clean and simple as possible. Long rides remain challenging because my gut still flares after about 70 miles, but I’ve found a few staples that work:
- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
- simple muffins
- rice cakes or rice-based snacks
- low-FODMAP fruits
- small portions of real-food options spaced out regularly
It’s not perfect, and it’s definitely not what most endurance athletes would consider high-calorie fueling. But it’s what my gut can handle, and for me, that’s the key.
Finding Fuel That Works With—Not Against—Your Body
If there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it’s that fueling isn’t just about calories—it’s about compatibility. Every athlete is different, and for some of us, gut sensitivity—rather than our legs or our lungs—becomes the biggest limiting factor. Learning what my body could (and couldn’t) tolerate wasn’t a setback; it was an education in listening, adapting, and getting smarter about the miles I love to ride.
I may not be able to fuel like I did in my early cycling years, but I can fuel in a way that keeps me riding. And at the end of the day, that’s what matters to me. We don’t stop being endurance athletes just because our bodies change; we become more intentional, more aware, and more resilient. If you’re navigating your own gut challenges, you are not alone. With the right adjustments that are specific to your body, you can keep doing the sport you love.
Dr. Jodie Lawston is a tenured professor at California State University, San Marcos. She has published articles and books in the field of sociology and gender studies. A lifetime athlete, she started cycling in 2010, quickly entered the world of ultra cycling and raced both the Silver State 508 and Hoodoo 500. She now rides road and the mountain bike for fitness and fun.
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