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I am 28, and weight train, and know the problems with dieting for IBS and putting on bulk.

Are you feeling better with the diet on your IBS symptoms?
Can you handle protein power or not (I can't)?
Can you handle oats, peanut butter, and other weight training foods (forget any diary)?

Your tolerance may allow to bulk with the obvious EFI adjustments. Whatever you do...STILL EXERCISE and LIFT man!

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Actually, I don't feel particulary better when I don't eat dairy and red meat, for example. I think that contrary to many poor souls on this forum, my IBS may be one which is more gentle to the stomach. At least for now. The feeling of incomplete evacuation is always there though, but that's the thing! Whenever I exercise regulary, I feel it to be worse. It could be due to the fact that I think that maybe I'm more cinstipated when I exercise, which doesn't make sense at all. But perhaps the increased stress on my bowel movement when I exercise results in my GI-tract stopping almost altoghether?

I cannot eat any proteinpowder, except maybe EAA, but as Siv says, you don't need that much protein to build muscles anyways.

Thanks for your reply!

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Weight training is the best form of exercise if done properly, so you really shouldn't stop and IBS by no means prevents you from it. I am by default a skinny girl, on birth control, not the type that will naturally build muscle, I have IBS and lactose intolerance meaning that I can't even have whey isolate, yet I am building muscle/getting stronger just fine.

You do not need as much protein as all weight building sites tout and you definitely do not need to eat 30mins after weight lifting and there is no need for protein shakes or supplements. Most important is that you need enough kcal within 24 hours, plus it's unlikely for your diet to be lacking in protein as you only need a v maximum of 0.5-0.8g of protein per bodyweight in lbs for serious body building and probably even half of that suffices.

There are plenty of quality proteins that are IBS friendly, think lean (white) meat, fish and egg whites. Tofu and oatmeal should also be fine.

As for getting your symptoms under control, scour this website, but here is my generic summary. Hope it helps.


'The diet solution is twofold:

A. follow the four EFI rules:
1. no alcohol
2. no caffeine
3. less insoluble fibre than soluble fibre per meals (peel, deseed and cook until soft) (use a soluble fibre supplement)
4. limited fat per meals - one meal calories coming from fat:25% maximum. (1g fat has 9kcal, 1g carb has 4kcal, 1g protein has 4kcal)

The incomplete evacuation problem may well be due to fat intake per meal, at least it is for me. Many (based on Heather's suggestions) are OK with eating a lot of fat per meal as long as overall daily fat intake is around 25% of kcal. I am not OK with that at all, I have to limit fat within every single meal and I suspect you might have to too.

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First of all I want to thank you very much for contributing this thread with so many well thought out answers!

Secondly, yes, I realize that training SHOULD be a great thing to do to alleviate symptoms caused by IBS. I'm happy to hear that weight traning should be a goob thing to specifically reduce the impact of the feeling of incomplete evacuation. That's the problem though! As I said in my OP, I really do feel like my constant feeling to always be in the need to defecate is worsened when I exercise regulary. I'm starting to truly believe that it's all in my head now. Still, I can't ignore that the sensation of incomplete evacuation is higher when I exercise. It's like a slightly higher pressure on my anus all the time. But again, perhaps it's all in my head. If so I really need to start working there. I'm well aware of not needing all the proteins the magaines tell you is absolutely necessary, and so I mainly focus on eating suffiently and healthy, and in the frames of an IBS-friendly diet of course. I have only followed Heathers tips though, and this whole FODMAP thing is new to me. I'll check it out. Oh, and I'm already eating a tiny ammount of fat spread out on the whole day, so hopefully that isn't a problem for me.

As for your recommendations on the completely safe diet and such, I don't think them too be that strict! The thing is that I rarely feel the excrutiating pain so many report about, and I don't have the feeling to rush to the bathroom otherwise I poop in my pants. For me, the problem with IBS is mostly a bloated stomach, gas, slight pain in the gut, diarreha and constipation and of course the feeling of incomplete evacuation. The latter is the worst though, and that's why I made this thread. If a strict diet could particulary ease up my sensation of incomplete evacuation, then I'm definitely all for it. However, it seems to me that the one thing I should do is to check out hypnosis. Is that really all there is to possibly help with the feeling of the constant urge to need to defecate? I'm scheduled to participate in a group-hypnosis session this fall at a local hospital, so hopefully I'll get some help from there. Otherwise, I guess the only option I have left is to learn to live with it?

In any case, thanks for your replys!

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As you know the feeling of incomplete evacuation is a well-known IBS symptoms. It is a sensation rather than a reality due to a miscommunication between the brain and the brain-gut dysfunction .

There is clinical evidence to support the notion that exercise is good for IBS.

You might find the abstract to this study of interest.

Johannesson, E., Simren, M., Strid, H., Bajor, A., & Sadik, R. (2011). Physical Activity Improves Symptoms in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial . Am J Gastroenterol, 106(5), 915-922.

The following study concludes "This trial by Johannesson et al [The one give above] does leave us with the question of whether exercise impacts IBS itself or whether it affects overall well-being that leads to the perception of improved symptom severity. However, if the end result is overall improvement as perceived by the patient, then increased physical activity should be added to the list of recommended primary interventions for IBS patients."

Chey, W. D., & Rai, J. (2011). Exercise and IBS: No Pain, No Gain. Gastroenterology, 141(5), 1941-1943.

Generally speaking most clinical studies show IBS symptoms are improved by physical exercise.

This article may be of interest Does Exercise Really Help IBS?

However, you might gain more insight into managing your IBS symptoms by reading the first two links in my signature. They discuss a clinically tested dietary approach for managing IBS symptoms called the FODMAP approach. Many of us on the board use this approach in conjunction with Heather's diet with good success.

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