Gastrointestinal symptoms during long-distance walking

Purpose: Gastrointestinal (GD symptoms are common during prolonged intense exercise. To examine whether GI symptoms are also common during prolonged e xercise of lower intensity, we obtained data on incidence, duration, and se verity of GI symptoms during four consecutive days walking with a total dis tance of 203 km for men and 164 km for women. Methods: The research populat ion consisted of 79 men and 76 women, aged 30-49 yr, who responded to a que stionnaire and a diary concerning anthropometric data, activity pattern, di etary intake, and GI symptoms. Results: The results show that 24% of the su bjects experienced one or more symptoms. Nausea, headache, and flatulence w ere the most frequent symptoms. Nine subjects dropped out during the race, two of whom indicated that they stopped as a result of one or more GI sympt oms. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the occurrence of GI sympto ms was a significant exercise-limiting factor. Univariate analysis showed t hat incidence and duration of GI symptoms were significantly related to the subjects' experience (number of prior participations to the event), body w eight loss during walking, and several components of the diet before and du ring the event. A significant relationship between GI symptoms and age, gen der, training status, and walking speed could not be found. Conclusions: We conclude that GI symptoms during long-distance walking can impair exercise performance, although these symptoms occur less frequently and are less se vere in comparison with prolonged intense exercise.