Post Competition Recovery: Stress Induced SIBO
Could you imagine what happens when you combine: high stress hormone, constant over training, high amounts of fake sugars, chronic dieting / a caloric deficit for long periods of time, with binging or no post comp refeed? Add some pain relievers and antibiotics, and you’ve got the perfect environment for SIBO. This stands for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, which is also known as “commensal bacterial overgrowth.”
Hailey goes harder then any bikini competitor you've ever seen. Her goal-oriented mindset is her best asset, but it is also her worst enemy. She was training 2-a-days and lots of cardio for years at a time.
This type of stressful training will influence high levels of cortisol, and sometimes way too much. This cortisol secretion turns your body “sympathetic dominate.” Your body under produces digestive enzymes which leaves food to sit undigested; and in the presence of carbs, they “ferment,” in the gut which can grow a lot of bacteria quickly. Also under that much training, your immune system gets tired and secretory IGA (the antibodies that kill foreign invaders in the gut) begin to decline. Now your bacteria that resides in gut isn't optimized for use, and I'm sure you can imagine how it could wreak bodily havoc in the long run if it were to begin to grow out of control.
In that instance the overproduction produces biofilm, which blocks antibiotics and antimicrobial herbs. At the same time, yeast begins to grow, allowing other other planktonic, parasitic bacteria to get into your gut tissue and begin to grow as well. It's like a bacterial feeding ground happening in your stomach! Your weakened immune system gets overwhelmed and your body begins to produce more cortisol in efforts to amp up the immune response, but it’s not enough and results in giving you anxiety.
This is where Hailey found herself at. But in order to beat it, she was going to have to do the opposite of everything she was taught in body building. The challenge was more mental than it was physical. We had to handle her one stress reliever: her workouts. This is hard enough for her, but then we had to ask her to eat carbs in a 3-day-pulse and do yoga. Keep in mind as a bodybuilder, these are things she was not familiar with in her regular routine! But she hung in there, even after coaching her through many tough moments. But that’s what Hailey is: tough. She held on when she wanted to break. We're only 12 weeks in and she said she "feels like she can live life again".
We are beyond proud of you Hailey! Your mental fortitude is truly inspiring.
Do you experience SIBO or need help with contest prep recovery? CLICK HERE for a free consultation!