Training the Gut: How to Build Digestive Tolerance for Long Events

The team at Active Root would like to wish you all a very happy and healthy new year! Why not kick start your 2026 fitness goals with our ginger-based, stomach-friendly sports nutrition and hydration range?

If you’re training for a marathon or ultra this year, it’s never too early to start training your gut. Studies have shown that up to 90% of athletes experience some form of gastric discomfort during exercise, whether it’s pre-race nerves before, feeling sick during the event or bloating afterwards (De Oliveira & Jeukendrup, 2014). Practicing your fuelling during your training is a key part of the overall training process; gut training helps improve its ability to handle larger amounts of carbohydrates and fluids, which in turn reduces symptoms such as bloating, cramping and nausea.

At Active Root, all of our nutrition products are made with natural root ginger, a scientifically proven solution to combat these common stomach complaints during exercise. Including ginger into a fuelling strategy for athletes can shift their focus from digestive issues to optimal performance. The ginger in Active Root can help contribute towards a normally functioning settled stomach and prevent cramps, nausea and bloating. By gradually introducing carbs, fluids and our ginger-based nutrition into your training, you can reduce race-day stomach issues.

Natural Ingredients

We also only use simple, high-quality natural ingredients in all our products. It is our belief that natural ingredients contribute to a settled stomach, ensuring more consistent performance outcomes and avoiding gastrointestinal distress during training and races.

At Active Root, we take pride in our use of stomach-settling ginger, but our use of natural ingredients can also contribute towards a normal functioning stomach. As the body can recognise these ingredients more easily, they are less likely to cause an upset stomach, whereas artificial additives can sometimes cause unwanted side effects.

Hydration

Hydration is also key when it comes to building digestive tolerance for long events; being dehydrated can lead to an increase in gut issues as blood supply to the stomach is reduced.

Our Sports Drink Mix is the perfect blend of fuelling with slow-burning cane sugar, hydration and electrolytes through sea salt, and our signature stomach-settling ginger. Stay hydrated, reduce muscle cramps, and support faster recovery with this electrolyte-rich sports drink.

Utilising Sports Drink Mix during your training ensures you’re well prepared when it comes to your event. We offer four different flavours so there’s no need to worry about flavour-fatigue. From our Original Ginger to our caffeinated Green Tea option, we also offer refreshing Peppermint, and revitalising Summer Punch. All contain 239mg of ginger.

The Power of Ginger

Ginger is well-known for its ability to soothe the stomach. Ginger contains the compound Gingerol, which can help contribute to soothing the stomach by relaxing the muscles in the gut. It also can have a calming effect, reducing bloating and stomach discomfort. The ginger in Active Root has been specially used because of the high gingerol ratio!

Our Energy Chews contain 1,452mg of ginger to help prevent gut bombs and 24g carbs for a steady release of energy for a perfect pick-me-up on a long run. Easy to pop in a pocket or your running pack, eat four every 30 minutes. Our chews are ideal practice for the longer runs on your plan, ensuring you are eating regularly which will pay dividends on race day.

Our Energy Gels are also easy to carry and consume during training and racing. Available in a variety of flavours, this product is tailored to meet your demands, whether you're training, racing, or recovering. Our gel contains 50mg ginger to make sure you have no gut bombs!

Nothing New On Race Day

If you’ve trained your gut leading up to your event, stick to your plan on race day. The best advice is ‘nothing new on race day’ - this is where all the practice pays off!

It’s never too early to start with your gut training - practice hydration and nutrition strategies during your training and your stomach will thank you on race day.

At Active Root we have a variety of products to help build digestive tolerance for long events and reduce race-day stomach issues with our ginger-powered, stomach-friendly natural ingredients.

If you’re in need of inspiration then the National Running Show in Birmingham (31st January - 1st February) is the biggest community meet-up of the year and perfectly timed for runners that are training for events in the Spring, bringing together inspirational speakers, cutting-edge technologies and the best in nutrition, all under one roof. We’ll be there at stand J1 so come and say hello!