Greg Rutherford: Going gluten-free was a leap of faith

Greg found that the switch to gluten-free was life changing

WHEN Greg Rutherford leapt to victory in the long jump at the World Championships in Beijing last week, winning gold in glorious style, it was the pinnacle of his career to date.

 

The outspoken sports star joined British athletics’ hall of fame, becoming only the fifth Briton to hold the Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth titles at the same time, joining Linford Christie, Jonathan Edwards, Sally Gunnell and Daley Thompson. 

But although the 28-year-old, who was born in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, is now in peak physical shape he has been dogged by a dodgy tummy since his teenage years. And it has only been over the past fi ve years that he has been tweaking his diet to reduce his symptoms.

“I am not coeliac but I used to suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) when I was in my early teens,” explains Greg. 

Greg can't imagine going back to a diet of gluten

 

“I remember my mum taking me to the doctor with stomach pain back then so it must have been bad. I also remember in my teenage years never being as skinny or as lean as I would have liked. I was always the slightly fat kid which used to bother me quite a bit.” 

Greg won his first major long jump competition, the AAA Championships in 2005, aged 18. As his career progressed his focus on nutrition naturally increased. 

“It was when my American coach Dan Pfaff came over from the States in 2009 and started working with me that we really began to look at my diet. 

“He decided I was eating too many carbohydrates so I cut back on bread. Over the next year I lost weight and became leaner. Then when we reintroduced carbs back into my diet Dan advised me to go for gluten-free foods and I really noticed a difference. 

If I do eat something with gluten in it I will probably feel it the next day

Greg Rutherford

 

“Before then, if I had a sandwich or a bowl of pasta, I would get bloating occasionally. By switching to gluten-free foods, that lessened considerably. 

“The type of IBS I am prone to is the constipation type where I get trapped wind and can get sharp painful spasms in my intestines as well as having sluggish bowels. 

“I am glad it isn’t the diarrhoea type which seems much worse. The IBS is still an issue even now as I get a sensitive stomach and can suffer from acidity problems, even burping before events.” 

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley, typically found in breads, cakes, pastries and cereals. People who have a severe reaction to gluten have coeliac disease which is an auto-immune response affecting one in 100 people in the UK. 

Symptoms of coeliac disease include chronic diarrhoea, abdominal pain, weight loss, fatigue and joint pain. There is no known cure and the only treatment is to follow a lifelong gluten-free diet. 

However it is thought that many more have non-coeliac gluten sensitivity which is when they experience symptoms after consuming foods containing gluten. 

 

People who are intolerant to gluten may also suffer from abdominal pain, bloating and heartburn. Tennis player Novak Djokovic quit eating gluten a few years ago and says that changing his diet helped cure him of symptoms of asthma and improved his strength and stamina. 

For Greg, the switch to gluten-free eating has been life-changing. “Since switching to gluten-free I’ve felt better overall and my digestion is much better. I’m sure it has helped me improve my athletics performance as I generally feel so much better in myself. I have had an allergy test which showed I was reacting to gluten so it makes sense to avoid it as much as I can. 

“Luckily for me my partner is understanding about my digestive issues,” says Greg, who lives with Susie and their 10-month-old son Milo in Woburn Sands, Buckinghamshire. 

“She also has IBS and her sister unfortunately has Crohn’s disease, so we all know about dodgy stomachs.” 

When Greg went to Beijing for the World Championships he took a lot of his own food with him. 

“It’s easier if I do that so I take gluten-free porridge, tinned fish and protein powders. I can eat meat and vegetables in restaurants so I can manage quite well. The last time I had tummy problems when competing was back in 2010 when I was trying to qualify for the Commonwealth Games,” he says. 

“I remember getting agonising stomach pain that had me doubled up for a while. Luckily it passed and I managed to do a few jumps, enough to qualify. 

“I’ve now got my own long jump track at home so I can train there which helped in this year’s preparation.” 

 

Clyde Williams, Emeritus Professor of Sports Science at Loughborough University, says: “Athletes who don’t have coeliac disease but adopt a gluten-free diet pay greater attention to the type of food they consume. 

“With the slight weight loss, the ratio of strength to body weight improves which in many sports is a great advantage. Plus taking charge of their own nutrition will help with motivation.” 

Nutritionist Liz Tucker adds: “There is anecdotal evidence to show certain people benefit from a reduced-gluten diet and if you do have a gluten sensitivity then working around that factor will affect your performance.” 

When he returns Greg has his off-season to look forward to, when drinking the occasional beer and relaxing his diet is possible. 

“If I do eat something with gluten in it I will probably feel it the next day so I do have to just factor that in,” says Greg.

The athlete took part in The Sport Relief Bake Off in 2014, using gluten-free ingredients. 

“I’m lucky that I’m not coeliac and my gluten intolerance isn’t as serious as having that disease,” he says. 

"It is still a big factor in my general wellbeing and I can’t imagine ever going back to a diet containing gluten.” 

• Greg Rutherford is a mentor as part of this year’s Disney Aim High competition. For more information visit disney.co.uk/aimhigh