GLOSSARY

Gluten-Free Food Reference Table

Low-FODMAP and gluten-free diets have different indications; neither is a routine performance diet for all athletes.

Low-FODMAP Diet temporarily modifies selected fermentable carbohydrates within a restriction, reintroduction and personalization process for appropriate symptoms.

A low-FODMAP intervention is intended for selected gastrointestinal symptoms and usually includes restriction, structured reintroduction and personalization. It is not a permanent ban on every fermentable carbohydrate or a general weight-loss diet. Tolerance depends on portion and cumulative intake, and improved symptoms do not identify an immune allergy. Guided reintroduction helps retain food variety and adequacy. Athletes should also check whether restrictions unintentionally reduce carbohydrate or energy intake needed for training and recovery.

Gastrointestinal symptoms can arise from functional disorders, inflammation, malabsorption, medication, infection and other causes. Irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease are different diagnoses and should not be treated as interchangeable labels. Food changes can help selected symptoms, but persistent bleeding, unexplained weight loss, severe pain or other concerning features require assessment. In athletes, consider meal timing and exercise triggers without assuming that all recurrent gastrointestinal symptoms are simply a normal consequence of training.

For example, a tolerated food amount may change when several fermentable sources are eaten together. Record symptoms and portions during a guided intervention, then reintroduce foods systematically. The aim is a sufficiently varied, tolerated pattern that supports daily life and training, not the longest possible list of permanent exclusions.