Tips on how to Stop Protein Farts and Smelly Gas From Ruining Your Workouts

It’s likely that the type of protein you’re selecting could possibly be contributing to your workout farts—and to the gorgeous pungent odor of them too. That’s because some popular high-protein foods (like meat and eggs) are wealthy in sulfur, which might turn into stinky gasses when it ferments within the gut. Or you might be eating one other ingredient along together with your protein source that your body has trouble fully digesting, resulting in extra fermentation and particularly rancid rips. Listed here are some common ones to take note.

Lactose

Loads of people turn to dairy products—whether we’re talking whey or casein powders or whole foods like cottage cheese—as a convenient strategy to absorb more protein. But they’re also a number of the more common causes of room-clearing farts, due to the sugar lactose.

That’s why a whole lot of people equate drinking protein shakes with intestinal gas, Dr. Applegate says: “Some whey protein accommodates lactose, and that will be difficult to digest for somebody who’s intolerant.” If that’s you, the milk sugar can sit in your gut where bacteria feast on it, causing excess, smelly gas and bloating. And depending on the brand and the way it’s made, some whey protein powders may find yourself with more lactose than others.

Loads of people have trouble digesting and absorbing lactose; some estimates suggest that that is the case for as much as 68% of the world’s population. And while lactose intolerance could cause plenty of digestive issues in some people, others may not even realize they’ve an issue absorbing it—until, say, they begin slugging back more whey shakes and spot they’re bloated, farty, and gassy more often than before, sports nutritionist Marie Spano, MS, RD, CSCS, tells SELF.

Sugar alcohols

Sugar alcohols—chemicals which might be added to foods to make them taste sweet without adding as many calories as actual sugar or resulting in blood sugar spikes—are a typical ingredient in a whole lot of protein bars, Spano says. The issue is that our bodies aren’t capable of fully digest and absorb them, Cummings explains: They find yourself sitting around in your gut, feeding bacteria and producing more gas and bloating (and potentially even triggering diarrhea).

“Maltitol, sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol are sugar alcohols that may increase gas and bloating, and a few individuals are more sensitive to it than others,” Spano says. Even relatively small amounts—like only one protein bar—could cause problems for some people, she says.

Fiber

Loads of people turn to fiber-rich grains and legumes nearly as good sources of plant-based protein, but they arrive with a potentially farty downside: An excessive amount of fiber could cause gas, Cummings says. This will be very true for those who’re sensitive to FODMAPs, a kind of carbohydrate that tends to linger undigested within the gut, where it ferments and results in gas and bloating. Beans and lentils, common in some vegan protein bars, often contain these highly fermentable carbs.

Some protein bars also contain added fiber—often listed as inulin or chicory root within the ingredient list—that could cause stomach issues for some people. This is definitely considered a prebiotic, which implies it ferments within the gut and feeds healthy gut bacteria. But an excessive amount of in a single sitting generally is a problem. “The bacteria in our gut munch on it, and once they break it down, the byproduct is gas,” Spano says. Some protein bars contain nearly half the advisable amount of every day fiber in only one serving, so it may be easy to eat an excessive amount of without even realizing it. (Rather a lot also contain each added fiber and sugar alcohols, making for a very putrid one-two punch.)