Are food-related gut issues interfering with your game? Do you ever wonder if you are allergic to some foods or have a food sensitivity? Do some foods make you feel worse than others? Gut issues are one of the most common complaints I hear on and off the course. It can cause some players to forgo eating before they play because they are worried about feeling bloated, nauseous, constipated, or experiencing abdominal pain and diarrhea. They will play 18 holes with very little food and lack energy. Others will compensate by taking over-the-counter medications to help alleviate the symptoms on tournament days. Over the course of a season, that adds up to a lot of days. With that in mind, it’s best to take the time for testing, and some trial and error, to understand the reason for any discomfort caused by food. Be sure to work with a health care provider to help guide you through the process so you can feel and play your best.

What is the difference between a food allergy, food intolerance, and food sensitivity?

Food Allergy

A food allergy occurs when your body has an immune response to a food. For example, when you eat a particular food that you are allergic to, every time you eat that food you will develop symptoms such as a skin rash, hives, itchy skin, swelling, throat tightness, and difficulty breathing. The most common foods that cause an allergy are wheat, cow’s milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, and shellfish. Severe reactions can be life threatening. An allergist can help determine a true food allergy through blood and skin scratch testing.

Food Intolerance

A food intolerance is the inability to digest a particular food. There is no immune response with food intolerances. Symptoms of a food intolerance include gas and bloating. A common example is lactose intolerance in which the body is unable to digest the sugar lactose that is present in cow’s milk and dairy products. A food intolerance cannot be determined by an allergy test, but a physician can administer other tests to determine the intolerance.

Food Sensitivity

Food sensitivities include reactions to certain foods that are not allergies or intolerances. The symptoms of a food sensitivity include gas, bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, brain fog, headaches, nausea, and acid reflux. Gluten is a common food sensitivity, but many people are sensitive to a wide variety of foods. If you can’t identify the foods that are causing your symptoms, or you suspect multiple foods are involved, a dietitian or physician can help guide you through an elimination diet. In an elimination diet, you remove certain foods from your diet that could possibly be causing reactions for at least two weeks. In the following weeks, one food is reintroduced at a time to note the presence or absence of a reaction.

What about Food Sensitivity Tests?

Both food allergy tests and food sensitivity tests measure antibodies, but they are not the same. Food allergy tests measure IgE (immunoglobulin E) antibodies that can be used to diagnose an allergy. Food sensitivity tests measure the level of IgG (immunoglobulin G) antibodies in the blood. IgG tests have not been shown to reliably identify food sensitivities. Most people produce IgG antibodies after eating food, so an elevated IgG level likely means that you have a lot of that food in your diet.

Note: It is important for your overall health, as well as your comfort on and off the course, to accurately identify and avoid the foods that are causing your reactions. If you think you have a food allergy, food intolerance, or food sensitivity, seek medical advice. The content provided here is not a substitute for direct medical advice from your health care provider.